A Fleet Managers Guide to Managing Risk

Fleet management is all about assessing and managing risks. When you have an entire fleet of vehicles and drivers to supervise, you will find that there are many risks that you need to manage, which can feel overwhelming at times. Compliance, driver performance and morale, safety, vehicle maintenance, and avoiding unnecessary costs are key aspects of risk management and areas that every manager needs to feel confident in. So, what are the key areas that need to be addressed for fleet managers? Keep reading for a few tips that will hopefully help you manage risk, avoid any costly issues arising, and excel in your role.

Driver Safety Training

Fleet driver safety training is a smart way to reduce risk, improve performance and help drivers to feel much safer and more confident behind the wheel. You can benefit from a suite of driver safety services, including simulator training, courses, risk assessment, and much more to help educate your drivers on how they can stay safe whenever they are behind the wheel. Additionally, safety training should not be limited to when a driver is hired, as you should hold regular training sessions to keep safety at the forefront of everyone’s mind. Regular training is key to a driver’s continued performance assessments, and random on the spot tests should be given to make sure they are doing what they need to be to keep themselves and others safe.

Use Dash Cams

These days, every vehicle in your fleet should have a dashcam, which can reduce risk in many different ways. First, it encourages drivers to drive safely as they know that they are being recorded, and you can also use this footage to identify the best ways to make improvements. Not only this, but dash cams are also helpful in avoiding false claims – truck drivers are often blamed for accidents that were not their fault, so a dashcam can help determine liability in the event of an accident.

Vehicle Maintenance

Often, issues arise not due to driver performance but instead vehicle problems. These can often be avoided with proper maintenance, which should include pre and post-trip driver vehicle inspection reports, creating a preventative maintenance schedule, and getting any minor issues repaired as soon as possible. In addition to preventing breakdowns from occurring, you will also find that ongoing maintenance should help improve the vehicle’s performance and boost your business.

Be Thorough with Recruitment

The recruitment process is incredibly important for fleet risk management, and you will want to hire those you can trust, have a strong work ethic, and be a good fit for your company culture. You should be thorough with recruitment, including carrying out detailed background checks, asking for referrals, and ensuring that they have good people skills (an often overlooked aspect of the job). Keep in mind that you can use training to improve performance, so your priority should be finding people that will be a good fit.

Look After Your Drivers

Leading on from this, you also need to make sure that you are looking after your drivers. These days, many truck drivers are stressed, overworked, and underpaid, and this can be incredibly dangerous and, in more ways, than one. Therefore, you need to make employee well-being a priority and ensure that your drivers have enough time to unwind after work and do not have unrealistic targets while behind the wheel. Again, communication is key here, so make sure that you are giving regular positive feedback while also encouraging people to come forward if they have questions, problems, or ideas.

Use On-Board Telematics

On-board telematics can be incredibly useful as a fleet manager as you can get a clear insight into driver performance. You can then use this information to identify ways to improve performance and reduce risk with each driver – this could prevent accidents from happening as well as prolong the life of your vehicles.

Ensure Regulatory Compliance

It is also essential that fleet managers ensure regulatory compliance at all times to avoid fines, suspensions, and audits. Having a high-quality ELD solution in place is vital for compliance as a way to electronically record the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Hours of Service (HOS). It is also important to stay current with the latest industry news and developments relating to compliance so that you can avoid accidental violations.

Risk management is a huge challenge for fleet managers, but it is possible when you know the key areas to focus on. The above are all smart and effective ways to manage risk, improve performance, and to keep your fleet in the best possible condition at all times. Hopefully, this will help you to avoid any costly issues, keep your drivers and customers happy and find success with your role at all times no matter what issues arise.