As a fleet owner, your trucks and equipment are very important. You need to do routine maintenance to make sure that they continue to last and perform as long as possible. However, you (and your mechanics) aren’t the only one dealing with them. Your drivers will spend more time with your trucks than you ever will. You are going to want to make sure that they take good care of them.
To do this, most fleet drivers have an outline of what is expected of their drivers in their employee handbook or a detailed vehicle use agreement. What should be included in this list?
Daily checks. Most fleet owners require daily checks before every run. You should ask your drivers to check over the vehicle and trailer before they pull out. They should make sure that the tires aren’t flat, the lights are working, and just go over it in detail before they hit the road.
Maintenance. As a fleet owner, you need to decide what maintenance you want your drivers to do and what you expect of the garage. You may require your driver to wash the truck when it becomes dirty. Some let their drivers change the oil and fill up fluids. Others want their garage to do all the maintenance so they can keep track of it easier.
Any problems. You should let your drivers know that you expect them to talk to the garage whenever they notice a problem. You don’t want them to wait until the truck breaks down on the side of the road. You should have the trucks checked out anytime something isn’t quite right.
The best way to ensure that your drivers are taking good care of their trucks is by inspecting them regularly. You may also want to have a checklist that they carry with each truck that they have to look at daily. If you aren’t able to check them yourself, your mechanics should be able to keep you in the loop if one of your drivers isn’t doing what he or she should.
Don’t hesitate to contact us for all of your commercial truck insurance needs. We offer insurance for commercial trucks in Florida, Georgia, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska.
