How Fleet Managers Can Ensure Compliance

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How Fleet Managers Can Ensure Compliance
(Photo : How Fleet Managers Can Ensure Compliance)

The fleet management industry is rapidly changing, especially since tech is also advancing quickly. However, it is still just as important as ever to ensure your company is compliant with the relevant regulations. When you create a fleet policy document, you'll be able to communicate to your drivers what's allowed and what is not. Ensuring compliance is also important.

Understand DOT Inspections

You will need to have a good understanding of how DOT inspections work. These are inspections done by the Department of Transportation. They involve checking that all accessories and parts work well and are safe. These inspections have six main levels, and you will want to know what each of them involves. You can review a guide on the differences between these levels of DOT inspections.

Keeping Things Simple

It is important to ensure all your documents are simple and easy to understand. You should include several things in an easy-to-understand manner, including: 

  • The best way to handle maintenance

  • Whether drivers can use these vehicles for their own business and how it is handled if they do so

  • When vehicles will be replaced

  • Who is eligible to be assigned a vehicle 

  • Safety training and the consequences for violating the rules set forth by the company 

Having Management Endorse it

If your drivers think their fleet manager is the one sending out the policy, they may try to go above your head if they want an exception. However, if they understand the senior management is behind it, they will be much more willing to follow it. You could ask the president or CEO to make a statement or send a letter in support of the policy. Of course, you can still face non-compliance or requests for exceptions, but it will be easier to handle these things as they come up.

Ensuring the Information is Available

Some fleet managers have placed copies of their corporate policies in each vehicle. But it's even easier to make the information available today. You can make it easily accessible online, where drivers can then access it at any time of the day or night, no matter where they are. You could place it on your website, especially if you have a dedicated one for employees only. Then you could post information about procedures, benefits, and news about the company. Then your drivers can get to the policy with their phones, laptops, or other devices. Once they understand what the policy is, they will be able to follow it.

Consider adding a FAQ section where employees can go to find answers to their questions. This should be a document that you continue to update when you come across commonly asked questions. You can also add a "how to" section and provide links and answers to commonly used forms. By offering more information to your drivers, they will be more likely to comply since they will better understand what is expected of them. And you will also not have to spend as much time answering their questions.

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