Fleet-Insight May. 2016 | Página 8

TEN Questions every fleet manager should ask 1 Are the vehicles we use for business roadworthy and legal? All vehicles used on business, whether company or privately owned, must be maintained to a fully roadworthy condition, insured for business use, taxed and MOT’d and you must have a robust monitoring process in place. Do we carry out pre-use defect inspections? 2 Drivers should carry out regular vehicles inspections. (The most efficient way is using a system that allows you to upload the information using their mobile phones / PDA). Any defects should be identified, evaluated and you need an auditable process to ensure defects are analysed and rectified. How do we deal with vehicle maintenance cycles? 3 All vehicles should always maintained in accordance with the manufacturers’ recommended service intervals and any advisory defects need to be recorded and scheduled for future repair. We recommend a robust system to make sure you are aware in advance of upcoming service, MOT, tax and insurance renewals and repair of defects. By law, all actions need to be recorded, building a clear audit trail which is easily accessible and maintained for a minimum of 15 months. How do we assess new drivers? 4 You should have a process in place that on joining the company (or commencing a driving role), employees undergo a driving assessment relevant to their role, conducted by a competent person and using a vehicle similar to the one to which the driver will be assigned. Do our drivers have a correct and valid licence? 5 High priority should be applied to ensure anyone driving on business is appropriately licenced and that regular licence inspections are carried out using an electronic method. Drivers with endorsements need to be subject to more frequent checks than those with clean licences. 08