Accidents involving fleet vehicles are considered to be the costliest of all injury-based claims for businesses. According to statistics, the average cost of accidents is about $70,000. If you do not have a formal-based fleet safety program, it puts your employees and your business at risk.

This program should be designed – specifically -for both your company and the fleet you have. It is a program that establishes various policies and numerous procedures that aid in ensuring that the work environment is safe for your employees.

It also helps in protecting against the liability that your company may incur from traffic accidents. In this guide, you will be introduced to components that should be integrated into your fleet safety program.

Screening and Selecting Your Drivers

When it comes to your fleet, you should only have the safest and most reliable drivers on the road. You should set forth certain hiring standards and be certain that you thoroughly screen each individual that wishes to drive for you.

You should verify their past work history and evaluate their safety records. You should require a motor vehicle record check to determine if any violations have occurred.

The individuals should be trained in and required to adhere to all commercial driver qualification rules. By creating consistently high standards for your fleet drivers, you are less likely to incur any liabilities from accidents and/or motor vehicle violations.

Train the Drivers

All of the drivers that you employ for your fleet should be trained. This means that they should know and completely understand all safety policies and any associated procedures.

These employees should have direct access to information that pertains to strategies for safe driving and all associated techniques. Also, each of the drivers should be provided with instructions in defensive driving.

During the training, provide your drivers with written policies and written procedures that you expect them to follow. This helps in setting clear, concise expectations.

Formalize a Vehicle Maintenance Plan

Faulty equipment could result in accidents. Unexpected breakdowns may occur. It is best that you set up a comprehensive vehicle maintenance plan for each of the vehicles that are part of your fleet.

This will help ensure that all of your vehicles are running properly and that no unforeseen issues arise. Of course, there will be those unexpected events that DO arise, but by staying up on the maintenance of your company’s vehicles, you run less of a risk of these situations.

Insurance Coverage

Finally, you should ensure that you carry comprehensive transportation insurance for your fleet. It is important that you pay special attention to the policy features and the options that you have at your disposal.

For example, you should include physical breakdown coverage, lease gap insurance, premium installment options, general liability, terminal coverage, and more. The goal is to completely protect your fleet from any and all situations.

If you need assistance, contact us here at Modica Associates today. We can determine which type of transportation service that your company will benefit from: 718-855-1836