Fleet Risk Management Self Assessment
With the UK in lockdown this is a time of mixed experiences for fleet operators. Some fleet operators are rushed off their feet. However, many fleet operators are planning how to survive. For those with some time for reflection, I have created The Fleet Risk Management Wheel. This was inspired by the Wheel Of Life by Paul J Meyer, see mind tools.com
The idea behind the wheel is that you look at each segment and score yourself from one to ten. A score of one should denote that you have lots of work to do and a score of ten therefore means that you’re looking in good shape. The wheel segments denote the 7 steps in effective fleet risk management as follows:
Organising
Get organised and set out your policy. Effective fleet risk management needs a solid foundation of a driving at work policy. The policy must clearly designate duties for fleet risk management to key people in the organisation. Monitoring performance is the last stage in the management process. It’s hard to monitor performance without clearly defined responsibilities. A clear policy is imperative. A group of managers and drivers should also meet regularly to discuss fleet and driver performance.
Recruitment
Having a group of employees who are competent to drive is key to any fleet operator. Is fleet safety embedded in your recruitment process? Many organisations employ someone who will drive for work purposes with little focus on their competence to drive.
Collision Management
A sure fire way of saving money on fleet operating costs is to improve the quality of data collected at the scene of collision and increase the speed of reporting to claims handlers. A report must be made within hours to avoid credit hire company involvement. How quickly do your drivers report?
A robust collision investigation process is key to any effective fleet safety programme. Accident investigation training for managers is a must.
Implementation
The implementation section links to the day to day activity relating to your fleet risk management initiatives. This could be on going eyesight checks, driver risk assessments, use of disciplinary measures etc. Are you taking regular action to effectively implement your fleet risk management programme?
Education
The provision of instruction and training for employees who drive for work purposes makes a huge contribution to collision prevention. How often do you provide training on driving related matters? This process can be as simple as delivering a regular toolbox talk.
Awareness
The main objective of a fleet risk management programme is to keep safe driving at the top of a drivers mind when they are behind the wheel. How often do you remind your employees about your fleet safety priorities? Incentive schemes and use of telematics data can play a valuable part in raising awareness on driving standards.
Monitoring Performance
The last step of the management process is to measure performance. Only by measurement can the effectiveness of a fleet risk management programme by evaluated. Do you have formal metrics for measuring the performance of your fleet and your drivers?
Once you’ve scored where you are right now for each step, join the dots to give yourself a radar chart. With a different coloured pen, mark on where you would realistically like to be to give yourself a second radar chart. The largest discrepancies between the two scores is where you should focus your activities.
If you’d like me to send you a copy of the wheel for you to work on, please get in touch at [email protected]
For further information on the 7 step fleet risk management process go to fleetsafetyacademy.co.uk
