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  • FORS renews successful solus FleetCheck software deal

    The Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) has renewed its solus fleet software arrangement with FleetCheck in a new deal signed this week.

    The two organisations first began working together in 2019 and the core product created – the FORS Fleet Management System (FORS-FMS) – has been adopted by more than 10% of all FORS operators, totalling around 10,000 users. It is designed to help them attain and maintain their FORS Bronze, Silver and Gold accreditations as set out in the FORS Standard.

    Ian Henderson, FORS concession director, said: “We have forged a very strong relationship with FleetCheck underlined by the high adoption rate that we have seen with FORS-FMS since its launch in 2019.

    “We are delighted to be able to support so many of FORS accredited operator members by providing an easy-to-use software solution that helps them to manage their fleets more effectively and meet the requirements of the FORS Standard.”

    Peter Golding, managing director at FleetCheck, said: “Having this arrangement with FORS has always been a source of pride for us and we are very pleased to see it renewed. Winning a deal with them reinforces that industry experts rate our fleet management software highly.

    “We are looking forward to working with FORS to continue to drive usage of FORS-FMS and further enhance the product to meet developing operator needs.”

    FORS-FMS includes an online checklist which allows FORS members quick and easy access to the specific fleet data required for accreditation, a comprehensive data platform providing online document storage, an information portal and an advanced reporting suite.

    An intuitive traffic light system included in the software alerts users to calendar events such as MOTs, service intervals, driver training and licence checking. Operator licence criteria is also managed, with FORS-FMS providing a wide range of additional tools.

    There is also an accompanying, fully integrated, FORS-FMS app, making it easy for drivers to carry out the mandatory daily walk around checks, including the capability to report defects and to expedite maintenance requirements.

    FORS is a voluntary accreditation scheme for fleet operators that aims to raise the level of quality within fleet operations, and to demonstrate which operators are achieving exemplary levels of best practice in safety, efficiency, and environmental protection.

    Further details can be found at http://www.fors-online.org.uk/cms/fms/.

  • Plans to double MOT test intervals are “irresponsible” when fleets are increasing replacement cycles, says FleetCheck

    Widely-reported government plans to double MOT test intervals to two years are “irresponsible” at a point in time when fleets are lengthening replacement cycles, believes FleetCheck.

    Peter Golding, managing director at the fleet management software, points out that company cars and vans often cover 20-30,000 miles in a year and the MOT test acts as a valuable backstop to ensure maintenance standards are enforced.

    He said: “In my previous life, I owned and managed commercial garage workshops and it is no exaggeration to say that I have seen hundreds of unsafe vehicles kept off the road by the annual MOT test.

    “A lot of degradation of a vehicle can and does happen in a year between MOTs and the idea that it is safe to double this time to protect motorists from rising costs is a falsehood that can only compromise road safety.

    “This is especially true when it comes to cars and vans that are covering very high mileages. Some businesses work on the basis of their light commercial vehicles driving more than 30,000 miles a year. The vast majority of those operators will have strong maintenance procedures in place but certainly not all of them. It is for instances such as those that the MOT test exists.”

    Peter added that a widespread trend had developed over the last couple of years in the light of new vehicle shortages to continue operating existing fleet vehicles for longer, again underlining the need for the MOT test.

    “Because fleets can’t get hold of new cars and vans, they are choosing to keep their current fleet for sometimes not just one but two or more years longer than usual. It is now not uncommon to find six year old vans with more than 150,000 miles on the clock being operated by major fleets.

    “The MOT test plays an essential role in ensuring that vehicles such as these remain in a roadworthy condition and, in our opinion, it is simply irresponsible to consider a switch to two years.”

  • Accurate data needed by fleets in areas where costs are rising, advises FleetCheck

    Fleets need to ensure they have access to accurate data in areas where costs are currently rising in order to adopt effective management strategies, FleetCheck is advising.

    The fleet software specialist reports that it is seeing pressure on costs among its user base in a wide range of areas – including not just widely-publicised fuel pump prices but also service and maintenance, vehicle acquisition, insurance and more.

    Peter Golding, managing director, said: “Rising costs are being seen right across the economy and this is certainly affecting fleets, with our customers asking us for advice on what they can do to minimise the impact.

    “Our response is always that job one is to establish that you are using accurate data, which potentially means everything from information on routing and driver behaviour drawn from telematics to where fuel is being bought and how much is being paid taken from fuel cards.

    “There has perhaps been a degree of slippage during the pandemic on some fleets when it comes to ensuring the veracity of data – there have simply been more demanding tasks such as ensuring driver safety or delivering frontline services – but it remains essential.

    “If you have the appropriate information, you can format it effectively using fleet software and identify areas where new strategies can be adopted that minimise cost increases – but that process is a wasted effort without the right data.”

    Peter said that it was important to try and identify areas where it was most important that costs were controlled and target your data collection accordingly.

    “There is a temptation to try and gather as much data as possible to take action across the board but that generally leads to confusion. Instead, we advise looking at a handful of areas where costs are rising, accurate information can be obtained, and new strategies are possible.

    “Of course, in each area, it is crucial to ensure that you are gathering not just accurate but relevant data, and this is where expert advice can be especially useful. It is often that case that a few points of measurement are sufficient as long as they are the right ones.

    “Tracking these metrics over time will tell you whether the measures you have adopted are having the desired impact. We are living through a period when cost reduction is probably not possible but cost control certainly is – and fleets should target minimising increases.”

    Peter said that FleetCheck was also being asked about rethinking core fleet strategy in light of rising costs, electrification and issues such as poor new vehicle supply.

    “Replacement cycles are an area that is coming under scrutiny, for example, with fleets looking at whether they should be permanently extended. Again, this is very much an exercise that should be driven by data that can be drawn from a variety of sources and formatted appropriately using fleet software to simply the decision making process.”

  • It’s time to say goodbye to spreadsheets

    If you’re involved in the daily grind of fleet management, you’ll no doubt be up to your eyes in spreadsheets. Good old spreadsheets. It’s a love/hate thing.

    As an organisation collects more and more information and data grows in volume and variety, seemingly innocent excel sheets are gradually morphing into supersized spreadsheet monsters. Thanks to 21st century technology, today’s fleet managers juggle swathes of data ranging from vehicle maintenance records, licence checking notes, mileage reporting, fuel receipts, vehicle safety checks, training records and much, much more. As an organisation expands, the volume of paperwork increases. And demand for reporting expands. Weaknesses are exposed. Things go wrong. The pressure intensifies…

    Face it. You’re trapped in Excel Hell.
    (more…)

  • Major new enhancements made to FleetCheck Vehicle Inspection App for CV Show 2022

    Two major new enhancements have been made to FleetCheck’s widely-used Vehicle Inspection App for launch at Commercial Vehicle Show 2023 next month.

    The product was originally launched at the industry event five years ago and has since been used to complete more than 12.7 million individual truck, bus, van and car walkaround safety checks.

    The new Trip Recorder feature is designed to allow employees to manually record journeys made for business purposes in the app that can be allocated to individual cost centres. It has been created for fleets that have extensive grey fleet operations.

    Meanwhile, the QR Code Generator allows a unique QR code to be created and attached to each fleet vehicle, removing the need to manually key in the registration, which can sometimes lead to data errors.

    Peter Golding, managing director, said: “The Vehicle Inspection App was launched at CV Show and we are always pleased to be able to use the event to announce key upgrades to the product, which has become our most successful ever in terms of usage.

    “The enhancements we are unveiling in 2023 are representative of our approach to the app. The new features are very much the kind of practical and effective improvements that we see as a FleetCheck hallmark.”

    The Vehicle Inspection App creates the means for drivers and fleet managers to schedule, carry out, confirm, follow-up and audit all kinds of legally-required inspections from daily walkarounds to weekly or monthly checks.

    The product has been continually enhanced, notably to incorporate features such as a Van Driver Safety Toolkit created by National Highways; support for languages commonly used among UK fleet drivers; a fit-to-drive declaration; an improved trailer inspection routine; an option for employees to view documentation and policies; and enhanced damage, defect and collision reporting.

    Peter said: “Over the last few years, there has been a general increase awareness of the importance of this kind of digital safety check product and the huge benefits they offer over paper-based systems, especially among commercial vehicle fleets. We have been well-placed to take advantage of this trend and our app has become arguably a market leader.”

    The CV Show runs from 24th-26th May at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. FleetCheck can be found at stand 5G40.

  • Extensions have probably changed company car and van replacement cycles forever, says FleetCheck

    Extensions forced on fleets by both the pandemic and much delayed order times for new vehicles have probably changed company car and van replacement cycles forever, reports FleetCheck.

    Peter Golding, managing director, said that fleets had realised that vehicles had the potential to be operated for markedly longer than had occurred in the past and had learnt a new skillset to enable this to be done economically and efficiently.

    “Fleets have been hanging onto vehicles for longer either because they didn’t cover many miles during the pandemic or they have simply been unable to source replacements. We’ve gone from a situation where generally cars were operated for replacement cycles of 3-4 years and vans from 4-5 to one where around a year has been added on average across the board.

    “However, there are also some outliers who have taken more dramatic steps. We have one client who has extended their policy for cars from three to five years in a single move.

    “What has become clear over the last few months is that the fleets with which we work do not seem to view these extensions as a one-off. In the future, they plan to operate vehicles for longer on an ongoing basis.”

    He explained that there had been two key areas for businesses to consider when looking at the potential for permanent extensions – maintenance and human resources (HR).

    “The maintenance aspect applies to any replacement cycle. The longer you operate a vehicle, the more potential there is for things to go wrong. This means that your service and maintenance policies need to be watertight.

    “For a start, moving beyond three years takes most cars and vans beyond the manufacturer warranty as well as moving you into the first MOT. This creates a number of potential cost and safety points that will need to be carefully managed.

    “Also, there is certainly a tendency for the cost of keeping a car or van on the road to escalate as it enters year four. There needs to be consideration given to the impact on not just whole life costs for owned vehicles but monthly rates for leased ones.

    “Keeping on top of these points in terms of controlling costs and ensuring roadworthiness means you need to have data to hand in a format that allows you to understand your situation at any given point in time and to adopt the right policies. This is an area where we have been working closely with clients in terms of utilising our software effectively.

    “Additionally, the HR angle is very particular to each employer but, in some industries and some job roles, it is very much expected that a new car will be provided every three years. At a time when recruitment and retention is markedly difficult, this is genuine issue.”

    Peter added that the arrival of electric vehicles (EVs) on fleets was also playing a role in the process of extending cycles.

    “There is a general perception, which appears to be correct based on our experiences to date, that EVs undergo less wear and tear than their petrol and diesel counterparts, and are likely to remain in a better mechanical condition for longer.”

  • EV availability changing fleet badge compositions, says FleetCheck

    Strong impetus for fleets to electrify while new car supply remains highly inconsistent is changing the badge composition of some fleets, says FleetCheck.

    Peter Golding, managing director at the fleet software specialist said that several manufacturers who previously had low or non-existent fleet profiles were gaining ground.

    “There are a number of factors converging here but probably the strongest is that drivers are very keen to get out of ICE vehicles into EVs with significantly lower benefit in kind rates.

    “However, the availability of EVs in general, especially those with sensible delivery times, is extremely variable and so their real world choices often consist of manufacturers that have not traditionally had a significant fleet presence and fall outside of existing badge policies.

    “Some companies are gaining from this in a noticeable manner. Names such as Tesla, Kia, Hyundai, and even Polestar have not historically figured on company car bestseller charts but are making their way onto fleets in relatively large numbers.

    “Much of this success is deserved, with the models on offer not just being in good supply but also representing some of the best core company car EVs currently available. It’s having a definite and in some cases, a rapid effect on the badge mix seen on some fleets.”

    Peter said that it remained to be seen whether this situation would lead to a long-term change in which manufacturers dominated the fleet market or if established car makers would reassert their presence.

    “Some established manufacturers have individual models doing well but among the big players, probably only VW can currently offer a good choice of EV models in the principle sectors of the company car market.

    “This situation will be resolved in the next couple of years as new models are introduced but it will be interesting to see whether there is an ongoing degree of displacement, especially with the predicted entry of a number of highly capable Chinese car makers into the market in the medium term adding to the potential for disruption.”

  • Pros and Cons of Checking Your Drivers’ Licences

    Checking that any employees driving vehicles for your organisation are eligible to drive is a fundamental aspect of fleet compliance.

    Not to mention it’s a moral duty to ensure that your drivers and other road users are as safe as they can possibly be.

    There are serious consequences – both financial and possibly life-changing – to allowing a driver behind the wheel of a company vehicle if they’re not safe or eligible to do so.

    The only way you can be sure if a driver is eligible to drive is to check their driving licence status.

    Unfortunately, some fleet managers are not aware of the legal obligations surrounding licence checking.

    While some are simply too busy dealing with the day-to-day ‘firefighting’ of running a busy fleet to check their drivers’ licences on a regular enough basis.

    Then there are some fleet managers who find excuses or run into problems trying to check their employees’ licences.

    In this article we consider some of the pros and cons of checking your drivers’ licences to highlight these issues – as well as explaining how the right software and systems solves any cons.

    Pros of Checking Drivers’ Licences

    As a fleet manager or employer, it’s essential that you check your drivers’ licences. Here are three key reasons to illustrate why:

    You Mitigate the Risk of Financial Penalties

    The bottom line is that it’s a criminal offence to allow anyone to drive a company vehicle without a valid driving licence.

    The only way you can be sure that a driver has a valid licence is to check it yourself. Asking an employee if they are eligible to drive is not enough: mistakes happen, and unfortunately some people are not honest.

    If a driver is found to be driving without a valid licence, there can be some serious consequences for you as an employer, your organisation, and the driver.

    Improve Safety for Other Road Users

    As an employer, you have a duty of care under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to ensure your employees – and those around them – are as safe as possible.

    This means checking that your drivers are fit for driving. Not just checking their eligibility to drive, but also that they’re physically and mentally competent.

    It’s Quick and Efficient With the Right Software

    Two of the biggest pain points for fleet managers is that checking licences is time consuming, and therefore expensive.

    Using the Gov.uk service to check one-off licences is time-consuming. There are alternative methods that are a lot quicker, however, such as using FleetCheck LicenceAssured.

    Using LicenceAssured, once a driver has given you permission to pull their licence details from DVLA you can do so at your leisure for up to 3 years.

    You can set reminders using the FleetCheck management system, automatically perform annual checks, and keep a closer eye on high risk drivers.

    Cons of Checking Drivers’ Licences

    While there is no real excuse for not checking your drivers are eligible to drive company vehicles, there are some cons that prohibit or can make the process a lot more difficult for some fleet managers.

    These are:

    It’s Time Consuming

    A lot of fleet managers think that using Gov.uk to check their drivers’ licences is the only way they can do so – but there are better alternatives.

    Using Gov.uk is a painfully slow experience, so we developed FleetCheck LicenceAssured to solve this headache for fleet managers and speed up the process.

    Using LicenceAssured you can check licences in bulk in a matter of minutes, set reminders so you never forget to check a licence, and most importantly, not have to worry about the compliance and GDPR side of things.

    General Uncertainty Around Compliance

    A lot of fleet managers are blissfully ignorant about the importance of checking their drivers’ licences, and therefore the risks involved with not checking them.

    If that’s you and you’re reading this, you should book a demo of FleetCheck LicenceAssured as a member of our sales team and explain exactly how easy it can be to check your drivers’ licences and mitigate the liability you’re currently exposing your organisation to.

    There are also a large number of fleet managers who know they should be checking their drivers’ licences, but simply do not have the time or resources to do it.

    If this describes you, then you’re in no better a position than the fleet managers who are unaware of their legal obligations to carry out checks.

  • Can You Check Your Drivers’ Licences without Their Consent?

    As a fleet manager or employer, it’s essential you check the driving licences of any employees that will be driving one of your company vehicles.

    Failing to do so could result in an employee being behind the wheel illegally, which can lead to fines and other penalties. Or worse, it could be the cause of a road traffic accident.

    To check an employee’s driving licence, however, you will need their permission or consent.

    Information contained on an employee’s licence is classified as personal data. The Data Protection Act 1988, which was replaced by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018 states that consent must be given by the licence holder for anyone to access their information.

    The Importance of Complying with GDPR in Fleet

    GDPR, or the General Data Protection Regulation, is a set of data privacy and security laws put forward by the European Commission.

    These laws and regulations were put into effect on May 25, 2018, and replaced the previous Data Protection Directive from 1995.

    Breaching GDPR regulations, which includes accessing DVLA records without the consent of the licence holder, is a fineable offence.

    It’s important to note that GDPR covers a lot more than just accessing and handling driver information.

    As a fleet manager, some of the other day-to-day aspects of your business that are affected by GDPR include:

    Fleet management systems

    Understanding all the nuances of what data you should be securely processing and how you should be handling that data can become quite complex.

    The easiest way to ensure you’re operating your fleet and handling your data in compliance with GDPR is to use a fully-compliant fleet management software like FleetCheck.

    Handling all driver and fleet data

    GDPR defines personal data as; “any information which are related to an identified or identifiable natural person.”

    This means, you need to properly handle and store any and all data pertaining to your employees, customers, clients, and other stakeholders of your business within GDPR regulations.

    How Consent Is Defined Under GDPR

    To comply with GDPR when checking your drivers’ licences, it’s important you understand what is meant by ‘consent’.

    In GDPR regulations, consent is defined as:

    • Consent must be “freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous.”
    • Requests for consent must be “clearly distinguishable from the other matters” and presented in “clear and plain language.”
    • Data subjects can withdraw previously given consent whenever they want, and you have to honour their decision. You can’t simply change the legal basis of the processing to one of the other justifications.
    • You need to keep documentary evidence of consent.

    How to Check Drivers’ Licences While Complying with GDPR

    You can check a driver’s licence by asking them to visit the Gov.uk site, but it’s a time-consuming process and really only ideal for a one-off check.

    Using the Gov.uk method, you rely on a driver visiting the site and filling in some of their personal data. They will then be given a Check Code to pass on to you. This Check Code is essentially the driver giving you consent to check their driving status and licence details once. You have to repeat this process every time you want to make a check, for every driver individually.

    The easiest way to check your drivers’ licences and stay on top of checking licences with minimal administrative work while being 100% GDPR compliant is by using FleetCheck LicenceAssured.

    An alternative method of checking a driver’s licence that is a lot quicker and more convenient is using the LicenceAssured solution from FleetCheck.

    To use LicenceAssured, all you need to do is obtain consent from your drivers either electronically or on paper, which is then valid for up to three years, and the consent record can be stored securely with the LicenceAssured software.

    You are then permitted to check their driving licence details whenever you feel necessary. This is particularly useful for checking on high-risk drivers periodically, or setting annual reminders so you never forget to check the eligibility of your drivers.

    If you’re currently relying on using the Gov.uk website to perform drivers’ licence checks or don’t have a robust system in place to check your drivers’ licence that you are confident is 100% GDPR compliant, LicenceAssured is the best solution.

     

  • 6 Important Things You Should Know About Driver Licence Checking

    One of the fundamental – and most important – elements of fleet compliance is ensuring that every driver who gets behind the wheel of a company vehicle is eligible to drive.

    Failure to do so, or at least demonstrate that reasonable steps were taken to ensure a driver was legal can result in huge fines and other serious consequences.

    Around 5% of motorists in the UK have points on their licence. Many of those drivers will not disclose this to an employer, at least not without being asked.

    This is why it’s imperative that fleet managers carry out regular driver licence checks.

    Not only does performing licence checks confirm a driver is eligible to drive, but it also helps safeguard against possible fines and mitigate the risk of road accidents.

    Here is a look at 6 of the most important things you need to know about checking drivers’ licences:

     

    1. It’s a criminal offence to allow an employee to drive a company vehicle without a valid licence

    Under The Road Traffic Act 1988 it’s an offence for anyone to knowingly drive without a valid licence, or for an employer to permit a driver to drive a company vehicle without a valid licence.

    It’s important to be aware that employers have a duty to check the eligibility of anyone they allow to drive their vehicles.

    The best way to mitigate the risks involved in having an ineligible and uninsured driver on the road is to carry out routine licence checks.

     

    2. You can check your employees’ licences with the DVLA online

    You can perform a licence check on any employee by visiting the Gov.uk site, but you must have their permission every time you want to make a check. It has sometimes been reported that employers use their drivers’ National Insurance details to check their licence, but that is, in fact, a breach of the Data Protection Act.

    The driver has to generate a Check Code, which the employer or fleet manager then uses to see the employee’s licence information.

    This is a good way to check the eligibility of a driver, but it’s a time-consuming process and requires participation from the driver every time a check is performed.

     

    3. There is a better solution than DVLA Online for bulk checking

    For bulk licence checking or checking driver licences on a regular basis, using the DVLA online service becomes cumbersome.

    FleetCheck LicenceAssured is designed to make driver licence checking quicker and easier. It’s simple to set up, you only have to ask permission from your drivers once every 3 years, and LicenceAssured integrates seamlessly with FleetCheck fleet management software.

     

    4. You need permission from a driver to check their licence

    Due to the Data Protection Act 1988 and GDPR, employers must always get permission from drivers before checking their licence information.

    This is why the DVLA has the Check Code system in place, but you have to go through the process every time you perform a licence check.

    One of the main benefits of using FleetCheck LicenceAssured is that you only need to get permission from a driver, either on paper or electronically, once every three years.

     

    5. Performing regular licence checks is important

    Employers are expected to check their drivers’ licences on a regular basis and at the very least be able to demonstrate they have a good licence checking system in place.

    Points can accumulate quickly and a driver’s eligibility to drive can change at any time. For this reason, it’s generally believed to be best practice to check a driver’s licence at least once a year.

    For drivers who are known to be higher risk; such as those who have already accrued points, are inexperienced or have a higher accident rate, more regular checks should be performed.

    Using FleetCheck LicenceAssured you can schedule and automate licence checks. This way, you can mitigate the risk of having uninsured drivers on the road.

     

    6. Having a robust licence checking process mitigates liability

    If a driver is caught driving a company vehicle without a valid driving licence, both the driver and the company in question can face costly fines and other punishments.

    If a driver without a valid licence causes a serious accident, criminal proceedings could take place and the penalties can be crippling for a business.

    Obviously, it’s not always going to be possible to know the moment a driver picks up points. But as long as an employer can prove they check licences regularly and have a good system in place, they can build a good legal defence.