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For many big companies, it’s the trucks and the rest of the fleet keeping things going. Managers rely heavily on company drivers to ensure that their vehicles are well taken care of – if they’re not, they cannot get to the job sites and complete customer appointments. Efficiency is vital when you are running a fleet of vehicles, but you need to work on keeping your drivers and your trucks safe on the road at the same time.
As much as you want to maintain your safety for all of your drivers, you cannot guarantee that your employees will operate their vehicles properly. You may train your employees to look after their vehicles under the hood and in the cabin, and you may add in truck GPS tracking, but it doesn’t mean that everyone will play by the rules all the time. With the right fleet manager, however, you can ensure that your fleet is properly maintained at all times. The best combination for ensuring that people remain safe on the road in your fleet of vehicles involves company policies and rewards for those who stick to them. So, with that in mind, let’s take a closer look at how you can keep your drivers and trucks safe on the road.
Write Efficient Policies
If you want your drivers to pay attention to their safety, you need to set your expectations from the very beginning and have a company policy that defines their responsibilities. This company policy should be as clear as possible and it should ensure that proper car care is adhered to at all times. You need your trucks to stay safe and look good on the road, and they need to look professional if they are representing your brand. The more reliable your fleet of trucks are, the more productive the work will be.
Invest In Training
The only way that you can ensure that people adhere to the policies which you set forward is to train them properly. Company policy is just the beginning. It would be unreasonable of you to expect anyone to stick to something in which they are untrained. Be realistic about your drivers and their education, and make sure that you have trained them properly. It should be ongoing – especially when there are any changes to the expectations on them.
Consequences
If policies and procedures are not adhered to post-training, then there have to be consequences. Drivers should be happy to work to the rules set out for them and if not, it may be worth looking at whether you have the right people working for you. Training should set out the expectations and the consequences of not meeting those expectations, too. Make sure that you write this out properly so that it’s understood by all.
Both trucks and drivers need to be safe and professional on the road and the tips above should help you to keep both moving. Pay attention to training and education and your drivers will understand the expectations you have.
