Nine-in-10 drivers believe they are getting a good service from their fleet manager, according to a recent survey.

It is a ringing endorsement for a profession that has had to adapt to significant changes in the industry.

Legislation has highlighted duty-of-care responsibilities, while environmental issues have come to the fore putting even greater scrutiny on car choice and driving style.

“To achieve a 90% positive service response is excellent,” says Chris Chandler, associate director strategic fleet consultancy at Lex Autolease.

“The hard work that is being put in by fleet personnel whether in-house or externally is clearly paying off.”

Fleet News joined forces with Lex Autolease to question more than 200 at-work drivers on a range of fleet-related subjects to ascertain their level of knowledge.

At one end of the scale it looked at drivers understanding of what they are expected to do in the event of a puncture or a breakdown, while at the other it asked them if they knew what the company’s mobile phone policy was and how not adhering to it could result in them falling foul of the law.

“Fleet policies and procedures are extremely important and it is essential that they are read and understood by fleet drivers,” says independent fleet consultant Professor Colin Tourick.

Communication between fleet manager and driver is key, and this interaction normally starts with the driver handbook.

The survey asked drivers whether they had read the handbook or driving at work policy and 86% of respondents said they had, while 14% had not.

“It’s always difficult to get drivers to read the handbook, because it’s simply something that people don’t want to sit down and read,” explains Chandler.

“The best practice approach we suggest is a return form that drivers sign saying they have read it and understood it, which also provides you with an audit trial.”

However, while printed literature still has its place, more fleets are using email, the intranet and even SMS text messages in an effort to keep their drivers informed.

Graham Telfer, fleet manager at Gateshead Council, makes use of the latest technology by keeping his drivers informed through their Blackberry.

“We also use ‘toolbox talks’ to train and refresh drivers and their managers of their responsibilities,” he adds.

However, Graham Hurdle, managing director of E-Training World, warned it’s no longer only about communication.

“It’s about proof of communication; receipt and acceptance by the drivers to ensure the company not only supported them with essential information, but they are also able to prove that this took place, in the event of an investigation by either the Health and Safety Executive or police.”

Hurdle says this is systematic of how the fleet manager’s role is changing from one of only being concerned with managing the vehicle to now having to focus on managing the driver.

“The role now has far greater emphasis on the driver and driver management, whereas previously it was all about managing the vehicles,” he explains. “This has led to the fleet manager role being stretched across a far wider range of disciplines.”

Would you benefit from on-road training?

Unsurprisingly, 98.8% of drivers said they were confident with their driving skills, but 57.9% believed they could benefit from training.

That’s good news for employers, considering the advantages training can bring from a
duty-of-care perspective, as well as the potential savings a more fuel efficient driving style can bring, benefitting both the business and the individual.

“I believe the word is now getting around that quality driver training aimed at experienced business drivers is not about teaching them to drive, it is informative, non judgemental, non patronising and actually quite good fun too,” says Steve Johnson, of AA DriveTech. 

Fleet managers should consider assessing their drivers online first.

Are you aware of the potential cost to your employer for cars returned in poor condition?

British businesses are paying their leasing companies tens of millions of pounds in penalty recharges each year.

Although many end-of-contract charges are for excessive mileages, often they are down to the condition of the vehicle.

But when drivers were asked if they were aware of the potential cost to their employer for cars returned in poor condition, 19.5% – nearly one-in-five – said they were not.

“We have some clients who have an end-of-contract procedure where they proactively get people to come in and tidy their cars, completely avoiding any costs,” says Chris Chandler.

“It’s in the company’s interest to be proactive.”

What motivates your choice of vehicle?

Drivers are more concerned with how much a vehicle is going to cost in tax rather than its badge image.

In fact, the make of a car came at the bottom of the list of what motivates the driver when choosing a vehicle, with reliability, safety, fuel costs and CO2 emissions all rated higher.

“We have genuinely moved from a position of talking green to being green,” says Chris Chandler.

“Fleet managers have been aware of the issues for some time, but it seems that drivers are also getting the message that there are significant cost savings to be made.”

However, while a vehicle’s badge does not rate that high, carmakers such as BMW and Audi are ticking the boxes with CO2 and economy, so will continue to be fleet favourites.

Telematics

Telematics can provide fleets with a wealth of information from driving style to fuel usage.

While the survey revealed only 3.7% of respondents had a system installed in their vehicle, 42.5% would be happy to have one fitted.

The 57.5% who would not are likely to be concerned with having their every movement tracked.

However, fleet managers need to get across the advantages telematics can bring.

“Environmental issues and the wellbeing of drivers should be presented as the driving force behind introducing a system,” says telematics marketing consultant Robert Peel.

The available data can be put to a wide range of uses, including protecting drivers from prosecution, cutting fuel costs and providing commercial advantages through streamlining operations.

Five steps to keeping drivers informed

1. Introduce an internal driving licence system This will help your drivers understand that their right to drive for the business is dependent on them complying with the rules, and that this right can be withdrawn if they fail to do so.
2. Look at your fleet policy document It should be concise, a model of clarity and meet your business needs. If it isn’t, rewrite it.
3. Make sure your drivers sign to say they have received and read it If you change it, make they sign to say they have received and read the new version.
4. Take every opportunity to reiterate policies So, for example, expense claim forms should include a printed reminder of the rules surrounding mileage reimbursement and so on.
5. Build robust processes around your fleet policies For example, many grey fleet drivers will forget to send in a copy of their insurance policy and schedule on renewal. The fleet system should send them a reminder with a follow-up request. If the documents still fail to materialise, notify the employee their authority to drive for business has been withdrawn.

Source: Colin Tourick

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