Every business that runs a fleet of its own vehicles will know that it takes careful management, flexibility, and delivering on tight deadlines to make sure that such a structure remains productive. This is why so many businesses decide to hire fully-fledged fleet managers, often specially trained, to look over this network of drivers and to make sure that all necessary considerations are accounted for.
These managers fill many different duties, such as making sure the condition of the vehicles are in good stead, liaising with the drivers, giving up-to-the-minute information about any changes that take place, and in some cases, properly disciplining your drivers appropriately.
One essential elements of making sure your fleet remains productive involves protecting your drivers on the road, and making sure they feel as if your company is looking after them. This is true no matter if you’re expanding your set of vehicles and hired drivers, or if you’re structuring such a logistics department for the very first time.
In this post, we’ll discuss a number of measures in which to protect your fleet – in thse best possible sense.
Tracking Modules
Essential tracking modules used to denote the speed, usage, and pathing of a given truck can help you understand exactly how it’s being used, including where it is at all times. This can provide you with more in the way of context regarding what on-the-fly decisions you need to make, as well as discipline drivers who may be using their vehicles for longer than the mandated shift times and breaks allow for.
Often, these are mandatory, but you can also invest in tracking modules that are meant for the exact given model of truck you invest in, enhancing your access to this specific metadata. With that approach, you’ll be sure to develop a responsible outcome, and protect your drivers in best manner.
How’s My Driving?
‘How’s my driving?’ stickers upon the backside of a truck can allow you to take reports, both good and bad, from the general driving public. This can help you understand a more comprehensive picture of how given drivers are performing, disciplining them or rewarding them based on the veracity of the claims raised.
Just having this notice at the back of a track can help incentivize any driver to keep their driving sensible and safe, knowing that they will ultimately be held accountable by others in their immediate vicinity if they fail to do such a thing.
Thorough Maintenance & Upkeep
It’s important to make sure all trucks are maintained as well as they possibly can be. This may mean renting access to given fuelling stations, providing an exact plan of service stations in use by your firm, and allowing your drivers to make decisions about where they stop given the immediate usage of the truck.
Thorough maintenance such as tyre changes, deep cleans, and making sure that the cargo hold is properly secured is essential, and can prevent issues on the road between hauls. Encouraging your drivers to note down any issues or problems they may have noticed can help you properly track them for next time.
Professional Legal Aid
You will no doubt understand that despite your truck drivers serving as highly experienced and skilled road users, the road can be unpredictable from time to time. For this reason, it may be that they require the best legal representation possible. With a competent truck accident attorney service, you can make sure that your cases are seen to on an individual basis.
This can help you get to the heart of each case, be that claims you need to make, defenses you may need to draw, and of course, reviewing the evidence of such an incident that may have taken shape. Knowing that your company is there to provide competent legal assistance will help your drivers not only feel more comfortable on the roads (and as such, drive more safely), but will able to prove their case should they become implicated in a costly situation.
Allowing your drivers to know the process you go through when utilizing such a measure can help them remain at your company, knowing that your brand takes care of its drivers and is willing to use legal assistance to help through difficult circumstances. Over time, that investment is worth it weight in gold.
With this advice, you’re sure to protect your fleet in the best possible way.