Fleet management tips: Keeping your fleet in top condition

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Andrew Hill • Aug 07, 2015 • Fleet management

Fleet management tips: Keeping your fleet in top conditionFleet efficiency and performance is seriously impacted when a vehicle is off the road. Loss of fleet capacity can lead to an inability to meet deadlines and this shows the importance of effective fleet management. 

We believe that prevention is better than a cure, and by reading our fleet management tips you will be better equipped for minimising vehicle downtime.

Preventive maintenance

Worryingly, almost a third of fleets don’t know how often drivers are checking their tyres. “There are many tyre-related breakdowns and accidents in the UK, so this is a serious issue,” warns John Catling, CEO of WheelRight. Despite the serious implications, easily fixable defects such as underinflated tyres are going unnoticed without the enforcement of regular maintenance checks. Minor defects such as tyre problems and braking issues can get progressively worse if they are not identified early. This can compromise cornering, braking, vehicle stability and even lead to serious accidents.

As reported by the RSA, 3,244 HGVs were stopped in 2008 for safety checks. 21% of these vehicles had braking defects and were deemed unsafe for use, placing the safety of drivers in jeopardy and increasing the chance of breakdowns.

A regular and thorough maintenance schedule can ensure that your vehicles are reliable, less hazardous and more efficient, leading to better performance and customer satisfaction.

By entrusting your fleet servicing and maintenance with us, you can benefit from regular MOTs and servicing at manufacturer instructed intervals. With our service, your vehicles are maintained at their best possible condition. This ensures that vehicles are road-worthy, compliant with fleet management legislation, and spend minimal time off the road.

Place education at the heart of fleet management

To promote effective fleet management across your fleet, driver education is key.

Road safety charity Brake warns of the dangers associated with fatigue, with sleep deprivation contributing to a quarter of serious crashes and deaths on UK roads. It’s therefore vital that fleet drivers are aware of the risks and preventative measures they should be undertaking.

The charity recommends to take 15 minute breaks every two hours, and suggests that tired drivers should drink caffeinated a beverage, followed by a power-nap. However, they also stress that this can only stave off tiredness temporarily - a proper night’s sleep is the only way to feel fully refreshed.

Fleet drivers should also be made aware of the importance of performing individual safety checks. Gov’s Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness says drivers “must undertake a daily walk around check, preferably immediately before a vehicle is used”. If driver detect any defects that could adversely affect the safety of a vehicle, they must be reported promptly. Before a driver operates a vehicle, it is a legal requirement for them to be made aware of their responsibilities regarding vehicle condition and the procedure for reporting defects.

It is an offence to drive a vehicle that isn’t roadworthy and both driver and fleet can be subjected to penalties. If a driver is found driving a vehicle that isn’t safe to use, they can potentially have their licence revoked, while fleets can lose their right to operate.

To perform a walk around check, GOV recommends that drivers assess a vehicle’s external condition, including lights, tyres, wheel fixings, bodywork, trailer coupling, load security and ancillary equipment. This walk around check should be performed every 24 hours as a minimum. 

Our fleet management services

You can also encourage compliance with safe driving protocol by implementing vehicle telematics. Excessive speeding and harsh breaking can damage a vehicle, while putting the safety of drivers and other road users at risk. Vehicle telematics technology enables fleet operators to access real-time driver data, highlighting time spent on the road and average driver speed, ensuring compliance with duty of care and road transport. By making safety a priority, drivers are less prone to accidents – effectively minimising downtime associated with vehicle replacement and repairs. If you’re looking to outsource the management of your fleet, have confidence in our 24/7, 365 service – committed to keeping your vehicles on the road. From accident and breakdown management to service protocols and safety inspections, you can trust in Enterprise Flex-E-Rent to effectively manage every aspect of your fleet. We can even provide telematics in our commercial vehicles.

Keep your fleet safe on the roads this winter

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