Blog

We recently conducted a survey of fleet operators from a wide range of business sectors and size.  The results clearly demonstrated that regardless of fleet size and profile, companies are often confused about their legal responsibilities.

We also found that a large proportion of operators we questioned are aware of weaknesses within their fleet policies and almost all are concerned on some level about their legal exposure.

If you share any or all of these concerns, we can help you take the first step towards achieving peace of mind.

(more…)

GPS is the most accurate way you can track and monitor vehicles within your fleet as most GPS tracking devices have an accuracy range of two to three metres and they have become a vital piece of technology providing fleet managers with accurate information to work with.

How Does GPS work?

GPS systems operate via information being sent to and from 30 or so satellites orbiting Earth.

There are at least four GPS satellites within range of a GPS device no matter where it is on the planet. These satellites send signals to and from the GPS devices. This enables the software to calculate where the device is within a few meters range.

It’s important to be aware that in-car navigation systems and GPS trackers do different things.

Navigation systems provide a location for a vehicle and can plot future travel. While GPS tracking devices keep a record of where a vehicle has been, where it is at any time and helps “fill in the gaps” for some understanding of driver habits.

How does GPS tracking work for fleet vehicles?

The same principles apply to a fleet vehicle with a GPS device fitted. The device will be communicating with 3 or more satellites. These satellites will send and receive information via cellular networks to calculate and record the position of a vehicle.

Modern GPS devices are small and often fitted somewhere in a vehicle where they cannot easily be found. This is because, in the case of a vehicle being stolen, it needs to remain undetected so that it cannot be disconnected. Being able to accurately track where a stolen vehicle is, is one of the most reliable ways a vehicle can be recovered.

Should you install trackers in your fleet vehicles?

There are a number of reasons why GPS tracking devices are helpful for fleet managers and organisations;

• You can collect data on where a vehicle has been and how it was driven
• You can monitor fuel consumption and identify areas to save fuel and reduce fleet costs
• The information enables you to optimize driving routes to save time and money
• If a vehicle is stolen, you will be able to track where it is unless the device is tampered with

While there is a cost involved with installing GPS trackers, most organisations are able to offset the cost with the savings they are able to make by having the trackers.

The main savings come from being able to identify where you can better optimise driving routes and reduce fuel consumption. There are also potential savings on insurance premiums too.

There is currently no better, or more reliable and effective way to accurately monitor the whereabouts of a fleet of vehicles.

The data GPS devices transmit and how it’s interpreted by fleet management systems has become an invaluable tool for improving efficiency when managing a fleet of vehicles.

As the number of vehicles increases within a business, managing insurance policies can become challenging. Insurance providers offer a solution that makes insuring any number of vehicles a lot simpler in the form of fleet insurance.

While the specifics of every premium will be specific to an individual business, here is a basic overview of how fleet insurance works:

What is fleet insurance?

Businesses have a legal obligation to insure every vehicle used within their organisation. There are various types of cover, and insurance policies can vary depending on the vehicle, how it’s used, who it will be driven by, and so on.

Trying to arrange separate policies for each vehicle can quickly become a time consuming and confusing exercise. Both for fleet managers, and the insurance companies arranging the policies.

Fleet insurance is a policy that covers any number of vehicles in a fleet. The policy is often in the name of the company or the owner of the business. The details of the policy will be specific to the insurance needs of the company.

What are the benefits of taking out fleet insurance?

If you’re weighing up if fleet insurance makes sense for your business, the main benefits or advantages for most companies include:

Less paperwork – physical paperwork, digital documents, whichever you choose, there is less work involved when taking out one policy over multiple policies.

Cost savings – fleet insurance typically works out to be a lot less expensive. This is usually reason enough for most companies to pursue a fleet cover.

Greater transparency – with fleet insurance, it’s a lot easier to understand the terms of the policy over juggling multiple policies. This means less risk of someone breaching a policy rule.

What are the drawbacks of taking out fleet insurance?

The main drawback is having all employees and vehicles under the umbrella of one policy. One accident-prone driver can cause a rise in the premium for everyone.

If you have a particularly high-risk employee or vehicle, it’s often worthwhile taking out a separate policy to mitigate that risk.

Types of cover

With fleet insurance, your two main types of cover are the same as with domestic car insurance;

Third-party insurance – this is the minimum level of cover most insurers will accept. Third-party cover protects other road users if the accident was the fault of one of your drivers. There is some obvious risk with this type of cover, especially with larger fleets. The first party, which is the company taking out the insurance, is responsible for their own damages and losses.

Fully comprehensive – as the name suggests, fully comprehensive cover offers full protection regardless of who is at fault in the case of an accident.

Does fleet insurance cover all types of Vehicles?

Yes, this is one of the main benefits of taking out fleet insurance. You’ll need to discuss what types of vehicles you have with insurance companies you’re interested in taking out a policy with. Typically, you’ll be able to incorporate all types of vehicles, as well as plant and equipment.

How many vehicles do you need to qualify for fleet insurance?

In most cases, you should qualify for fleet insurance with any number of vehicles greater than one. If you’re intending to expand your fleet within a calendar year, you should consider this form of insurance.

Can telematics reduce fleet premiums?

There are studies that show companies can reduce their fleet premiums by as much as 60% in some instances if they’re using telematics to monitor their fleet.

Telematics are small devices, which we explain in more detail in this post, that gather data on how a vehicle is being driven.

Fleets of vehicles with telematics devices installed are able to reduce accidents, improve efficiency, and identify vehicle and driver risks. All of which have an impact on insurance claims premiums.

 

Fleets should have a clear procedure in place should a driver be involved in an incident.

Driver training, ongoing education programmes, telematics, vehicle safety checks, speed limiting technology and driver incentives are all highly effective, proven measures of reducing the chances of your employees being involved in an incident.

However, it’s impossible to eliminate the risk of accidents completely, therefore, it’s equally important to have a structured accident management process in place too, so that if the worst should happen, you’re prepared.

Your accident response procedure starts at the point of impact. Drivers need to know exactly what to do, what information they need to give and gather, and who to contact.  Erecting a warning triangle on the approach to an incident site, or moving a vehicle out of the path of traffic are simple enough tasks, but drivers need to know when to step in and when to leave the site untouched, as intervening with the best of intentions could be potentially unsafe, or could hinder the gathering of evidence.

Encourage drivers to take photographs.  Most mobile phones have cameras, but some companies provide disposable cameras in vehicles as well.  Note-taking is of paramount importance too and drivers should record vehicle and driver details, passenger information, incident location and time, weather conditions, visibility and anything else that could be relevant, plus of course vehicle damage, injury and details of police attendance.  Detailed incident data will assist greatly with insurance claim processing, and will help to establish why the situation happened and how to avoid re-occurrence.

Vehicles need to be treated with the same caution and governance as any dangerous machinery if you are to avoid exposing your staff to unnecessary risk.

Human Resources issues are complex before you start to even think about the HR department’s link to the fleet. Daily challenges include recruiting employees, arranging and carrying out training, preventing discrimination and ensuring compliance, to name but a few.

These tasks are integral to the running of the company. And vehicle management should be taken just as seriously. For instance, business owners would never think of allowing employees to operate dangerous machinery without stringent safety measures and policies in place; but such measures are often overlooked when it comes to vehicles.

Research carried out by Brake, the road safety charity, found that in a single year:

• 1,901 people were killed in road traffic accidents
• 23,122 were maimed or disabled
• 178,927 were injured

Or in other words, every single day…

• five people were killed
• 63 people incurred life-changing injuries
• 60,000 ‘bent metal’ incidents occurred

These powerful numbers speak for themselves.  Vehicles need to be treated with the same caution and governance as any dangerous machinery if you are to avoid exposing your staff to unnecessary risk.

And what’s more, those behind the wheel must be equally governed.  Training, assessing and continuously educating staff about driving standards is crucial if you are to stand a chance of mitigating what is one of the greatest risks that companies – and ultimately their directors – face.

FleetCheck can help you understand the HR challenges connected with fleet management and the steps you can take to ensure they are under control.

Britain has been revealed to be a nation of hidden business fleets, with a third of British drivers who drive as part of their job shown to be uninsured for business driving. On average, these drivers clock up 4,708 uninsured business miles per year whilst driving for work. (more…)

According to the HSE (Health, Safety & Environment) as many as a third of all road accidents involve a driver who is working at the time.

This accounts for more than 250 serious injuries and 20 fatalities every week.

There is also a huge cost to UK businesses when one of their drivers is involved in a road traffic accident.

Therefore, it’s in an organisation’s best interest to invest time and money into doing everything they can to reduce the number of vehicle accidents their drivers are involved in.

Here are some tips and best practices that help companies educate and improve their drivers’ road awareness:

How to Reduce Vehicle Accidents in the Workplace: 6 Strategies

Introduce a Driver Policy

If you don’t already have a driver policy for your organisation, you should produce one or review and update your current policy.

A driver policy or driving for work policy is a document that should make all drivers aware of the risks they face when driving a company vehicle.

It should cover best practices for maintaining their vehicle, how they should be operating it, their health, and anything else that can potentially present a risk of a road collision or personal injury.

All drivers should be given an electronic copy on joining your organisation, and a paper copy to sign confirming they have read and understood the document.

Use Effective Communication

Effective communication within the workplace can help solve almost any problem. This includes reducing vehicle accidents and employee injuries.

Some employees may not be aware of certain internal procedures due to being new to the organisation, missing certain meetings and correspondence, language or learning barriers, and so on.

Setting up clear channels of communication will make a real difference. From educating drivers, to increasing awareness, and giving them a way to air any questions or issues they have.

Set Periodic Goals and Targets

Goals and targets are motivational and give people a clear visual on areas where they can improve.

If you can get some accident statistics for other companies or national averages to compare your own organisation too, even better.

This will give fleet managers and their drivers something to aim for. As well as having real data to see if they’re making improvements in the number of vehicle accidents within their organisation.

Implement Driver Training

Drivers should have their driving assessed and be offered training on a regular basis. This should cover everything from checking their licence, giving them health check-ups, and evaluating their driving skills.

If a driver is involved in an incident, a thorough investigation should be carried out so training and support can be offered to reduce the risk of future accidents.

Use Fleet Management Software

Good fleet management software offers a number of tools that help fleet managers better manage their fleet. It can do things like flag dangerous driving and erratic behaviour, produce driver reports, remind you to check licences, and more. 

Using robust systems minimises the chance of human error at multiple stages. There is also substantial cost-saving potential. You can book a demo to see how FleetCheck’s fleet management software can help you save money and reduce accidents within your workplace here.

Vehicle Maintenance

It’s just as important to keep your fleet of vehicles in good working order as it is your driver’s. It’s not clear what percentage of road accidents can be attributed to general mechanical failures and poor maintenance.

But we do know that more than 30 people were killed or seriously injured in motorway accidents in 2016 due to faulty tyres alone. We also know that most road accidents related to mechanical failure were avoidable with proper maintenance.

Telematics is the technology used to monitor individual vehicles or entire fleets and gather valuable data. (more…)