Although some businesses may find it suits them to have employees driving their own cars when on company business – also known as 'grey fleet' – managing these drivers can ensue in its own bespoke problems: employers still have the same legal care of duty for the safety of grey fleet drivers as they do for those driving company vehicles.
Importance of Grey Fleet Management
In order to ensure the efficiency of your grey fleet, the following three areas must be tackled:
Financial impact
Profits are greatly affected if grey fleet mileage claims are not properly audited. For example, drivers may claim mileage costs for trips undertaken at irregular intervals, lumping claims together and often exaggerating the length of the trip.
Environmental impact
Most grey fleet vehicles are old and therefore, more harmful to the environment; carbon and emissions contribute to poorer air quality.
Duty of care
Companies have a legal responsibility; it is up to them to ensure that employees remain safe at all costs, especially when out on fieldwork or away on a business trip.
What makes strong Grey Fleet Management?
Companies must cautiously assess these four key factors:
The driver
Grey fleet drivers must be critically evaluated; since their performance can greatly impact the entire fleet. Aside from the general health checks - i.e. eyesight, medicine and alcohol intake, fatigue - thorough risk assessments must be performed.
The vehicle being used
Companies must assess whether the vehicle is suitable for each job type. While picking the right vehicle for general use might be easy, choosing one for specialist jobs can be a bit more complicated.
Work-related travels
Companies must monitor all work-related journeys. Since exhaustion can greatly influence the trip, certain limitations must also be implemented; you can practice a driving and/or working day duration – this can help to ensure that the grey fleet driver is still fit after their drive home and it can also ascertain whether they are likely to get enough rest before their next appointed journey.
Licence and Insurance
The licences of grey fleets must be verified through the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). You should also check that your drivers have the proper insurance cover for their vehicles and be acquainted with the kinds of journey that they will likely embark on.
Safeguard your Grey Fleet Drivers with our Fleet Management solution
Our Car Allowance Road Risk Solution system ('CARRS') provides a unique online risk management solution to manage grey fleet drivers to ensure your health and safety requirements are met.
- Simple and cost effective
- Can be used to monitor MOT tests, road tax, insurance renewals and vehicle servicing
- Can be tailored to meet individual business needs
- 24/7 online reporting with full audit trail
- Easy to incorporate into wider risk management programme
What is included?
According to estimates, there are four million grey fleet vehicles in the UK, bringing their own complicated issues when it comes to vehicle and driver management.
Our Car Allowance Road Risk Solution system ('CARRS') provides a cost-effective and simple fleet management solution to help businesses manage drivers and comply with all relevant legislation.
Forming an integral part of our DriveSafe solution services, CARRS provides essential management information on mileage reporting, MOT reminders, driver and vehicle details, vehicle excise duty renewals and insurance data capture.
All driver details are held online and accessed via ALD Automotive's 'THREESIXTY' online fleet management portal. Each grey fleet driver has their own unique login to access and update their details, which include details of their car, mileage, MOT and VED and motor insurance.
Once drivers have input their details, they will then be repeatedly prompted via email to take action when their MOT, VED or insurance renewal are due.
Reports can be scheduled by company's nominated administrator(s) to meet specific requirements. In the event of a driver not providing the required details, any 'At Risk' situations such as a car being uninsured or out of MOT will be instantly flagged up via a traffic light system within the reporting, enabling the company to take immediate action.