Your commercial vehicle fleet has one job and one job only: to deliver your company’s product or service safely and efficiently. If you are not taking the necessary precautions to protect your fleet and drivers, you could be putting both your employees and your company at risk of damage or even possible lawsuits as a result of an accident.
It’s important to adopt the latest fleet tracking and driver training practices to ensure the quality of your service is up to par for both your customers and your drivers.
Commercial Vehicle Insurance
Each business has a specific set of insurances to purchase, depending on the industry. For you, commercial vehicle insurance is required by law, and can help to protect you in case of damage, injury, or theft. Fleet insurance policies are designed to cover multiple drivers, and your insurance rates may vary depending on the history and driving records of your employees. Consider the most important details.
- The value of the vehicles in your fleet will determine how high your insurance rates are. The larger and more expensive the vehicle, the higher the rate. Every vehicle used for commercial purposes, even if it doesn’t belong to a large fleet, needs to be insured separately from personal vehicles.
- The fleet policy you choose to adopt must include enough liability to protect your company. If your vehicle is found to be at fault in a dangerous accident, you could be susceptible to damaging lawsuits. In 2010, over 500,000 large truck and commercial vehicles were involved in accidents, milling over 5000 people, according to Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Be sure that the policy provides enough coverage to protect you from going bankrupt in a worst-case scenario.
Fleet Tracking
GPS isn’t just for long road trips. GPS fleet tracking is an invaluable tool for ensuring your fleet’s safety. Tracking software and GPS positioning devices can help you monitor your fleet’s progress from afar, allowing you to be present regardless of where you’re at. From dangerous traffic to avoiding bad accidents, your fleet will enjoy this added “protection.”
- GPS positioning will help you account for your employees and make sure they are working (or driving) responsibly – from speed to basic traffic decisions.
- Tracking also protects your vehicles in case of theft or robbery by pinpointing your vehicles position. Some programs can send SMS text messages in the even the vehicle has been stolen or started improperly.
Driver Safety Training
Having a team of qualified vehicle drivers is the surest way to protect your fleet in 2013. No matter how much insurance coverage or tracking devices you implement, safety depends on the responsiveness of your driver. Many companies offer extensive driver training programs to be sure they are capable of maneuvering commercial vehicles, which can vary drastically in size and visibility.
- Depending on what type of vehicle your employees will be operating (taxis, vans, or large trucks) safety training classes can be customized to fit your fleet’s needs.
- Basic road safety training is mandatory, but consider specialty training, as well. For example, extreme weather driving or hazardous materials transport.
Now is a great time to contact one of our highly trained DOT consultants to revisit your commercial fleet safety plan and assess whether you’re taking all of the steps necessary to protect your drivers as well as your product.
