Automotive Fleet, October 2017

Some of the biggest issues that fleet managers are experiencing with their fleet drivers include a lack of proper vehicle maintenance and bad driving behaviors BY ANDY LUNDIN PHOTO GETTYIMAGES COM GILAXIA FLEET MANAGERS LIST TOP DRIVER CONCERNS S ome commercial fleet drivers arent properly caring for their vehicles nor are they driving safely which can raise operating costs and increase risk according to several fleet managers The managers expressed their top concerns about these poor habits of fleet drivers and provided suggested solutions Proper Vehicle Maintenance One of the biggest issues some fleet managers face are drivers who dont take care for the vehicles they drive including considering proper maintenance intervals as well as vehicle cleanliness and overall appearance David Anderson senior fleet and travel manager for ALFASIGMA said that one of the worst behaviors he observes among drivers is not caring for the maintenance or appearance of the vehicle Although there is no excuse for either the maintenance is what bothers me most because it does not cost them to maintain their vehicle the company pays for it said Anderson The same applies to car washes Some drivers do not feel this is a priority As a solution Anderson suggested regularly sending reminders for the upkeep of vehicles to drivers and alerting driver managers of this poor practice as it occurs Or perhaps offering incentives to drivers who keep vehicles well maintained AUTOMOTIVE FLEET I OCTOBER 2017 54 A fleet manager in the oil field services industry who requested anonymity said some drivers lack accountability and responsibility for fleet vehicles even vehicles that drivers take home This manager also mentioned the level of care of vehicles may vary by the type of industry that a fleet is part of Its a mindset some will take pride in it and keep their car clean and washed while others will think Its not my car Some are not held to any consequence by doing what they do the fleet manager said Meanwhile an anonymous insurance fleet manager also observed similar issues To curb the problem he said takes pictures of the vehicle and send them to the drivers manager which is then followed up with a discussion with the manager and the driver as well as a plan to prevent the issue from reoccurring However the insurance fleet manager said drivers who do care for the vehicle aesthetic and perform basic vehicle maintenance will positively impact the fleets bottom line It makes such a huge difference when remarketing our vehicles and it definitely reflects the difference in the TCO total cost of ownership he said Safe Driving Behavior Anderson of ALFASIGMA also noted drivers who are accident prone as being a major issue for his fleet It seems like some of our drivers get in some kind of incident on a regular basis I truly believe that most of the time these accidents happen because the driver was distracted by using a cell phone texting or simply not paying attention he said To remediate this issue Anderson said fleets should make sure drivers are up to date on company driver training policies and assigning additional training whenever necessary Blair Schober U S fleet EH S and telecommunications manager for Red Hawk Fire Security also mentioned poor driving behaviors as problematic for fleets To solve this he said fleet managers may want to consider creating more visibility on the issue to fleet drivers Visibility creates awareness from which managers may act he said Actions range from coaching employees verbally write ups suspensions and firings Schober also suggested the utilization of telematics data implementing driver training module implementing a dash camera and implementing ride along training with high risk drivers as some suggestions to curb the issue Ultimately it comes down to setting the bar and holding people accountable he said Technology is a great tool to use when more visibility or control is needed AF