Fleet Managers Passing on Good Advice!

Although the fuel price crisis may have been averted for now, car fleet managers are still under increasing pressure to reduce their costs. Whether employed directly or as third party fleet specialists, the economic downturn has forced many fleet managers to concentrate much of their working day on how to achieve the same standard of service with less income.

Much of the anticipated expenditure reduction comes in the way of giving advice to fleet drivers on how to cut down on the number of journeys they make. It is important for fleet managers to communicate positive and realistic ways for their drivers to reduce their mileage.

Such advice could include asking drivers to assess whether their journey is really necessary. Are there any alternatives that could be employed, such as video or telephone conferencing? Many companies are missing a trick by not installing VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) on office computers which allows free video communications between users who adopt the same VoIP software service. Adoption of such software could certainly cut down the amount of journeys needed outside the office.

In addition, suggesting car sharing to all fleet drivers for not only business trips but also for simply getting to the office and back home will also help, as will suggesting alternative public transport arrangements. Instead of maintaining an expensive fleet on which little business mileage is done, perhaps fleet management would be better served by operating a number of pool cars or even short term vehicle hire. In the latter case not only will insurance cover be provided by the hire company, they will also provide the most economical cars in which to make business journeys.

It may also be wise to review policy decisions that can lead to unnecessary mileage being clocked up on vehicles. For example, rules that state a company car will be provided only if business mileage exceeds 10,000 miles per annum may encourage those who are close to dropping below that minimum limit to make unnecessary trips to boost their mileage. That neither helps in keeping down costs, nor does it contribute anything positive to CO2 emissions. So, rather than have the threat of the removal of their vehicle hanging over the driver’s head if the business mileage is not met, a decision could be taken to relax the rules and encourage responsible use of the essential user car instead.

That would also support the overriding message that fleet managers should deliver - namely that reducing driver mileage is a responsible way to operate a company vehicle.

Article Source: http://www.mycontentbuilder.com

Paul McIndoe writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.

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