It is essential to know the number of employees that use their personal vehicle for work purposes. This information can help you to increase employee safety and ensure that legal obligations are met. By doing so, you will also be able to monitor and potentially provide more efficient fuel solutions and alternatives.
18th March 2021
Grey fleet – useful tips
Grey fleet is a very important part of fleet management, but it can often be overlooked. It is when employees use their own vehicles for job related purposes, and are usually reimbursed for fuel. Grey fleet can consist of privately owned or rented vehicles, vehicles bought via schemes, or any vehicle which is not owned by the company, however used for business purposes.
Employers should manage their grey fleet accordingly, first and foremost due to the duty of care. They also need to ensure that private vehicles are roadworthy, fit for purpose, insured and regularly maintained. In a situation where an accident occurs while the employee is using his own vehicle for job related purpose, the company could be liable.
In a post-pandemic world employees are likely to avoid public transportation, meaning that grey fleet can potentially increase. For this reason, we wanted to share with you some useful tips for effective grey fleet management.
Having a policy in place is crucial in order to outline the rules and guidelines necessary for your grey fleet. With this in mind, when you create a grey fleet policy you are setting legal obligations of your employees and the company. This should include specifications such as mileage reimbursement, insurance, license, usage of mobile devices, maintenance, etc.
If you already have a grey fleet policy, it is also important to review it and make sure that you have appropriate guidelines in place in accordance with the post-pandemic world.
Communication is one of the key elements to ensure that grey fleet drivers are compliant with your grey fleet policy. It is important that each employee is informed about the expectations, processes as well as any changes to the policies and procedures. By doing so, you will be able to demonstrate that precautions to minimise risks are taken.
Being able to provide cost effective solutions is another important element for effective fleet management. It enables not only potential savings but it can help identifying and reflecting on driving habits.
The collected data can be used to identify areas for improvements including training, update to policy and procedures, as well as to provide insights and suggest more effective travel solutions and reduced costs.
If you are looking to expand your fleet, or if you need any further information about Fleet Management, our dedicated team of fleet specialist would be happy to help! Get in touch with us today.