It’s vital that a fleet manager know the status on all his or her drivers, from licenses and driving history, and keeping aware of those situations as drivers continue to operate in the vehicles.
Visually sighting the drivers’ original licenses every quarter should be mandatory, including partners in salary and entitlement arrangements. Failure to present a valid license should revoke driving privileges and use of company supplied vehicles, as well as driving on behalf of the company. This could lead to termination of employment in some circumstances.
Should a driver present as a risk resulting from their driving activities, whether on company time or personal, history checking ensures the employer or contractor does not pose a risk of harm to others, the company or themselves. Not only is this protecting the overall health of the business it also branches into corporate responsibility and public safety.
When assessment identifies a level of risk, further and thorough evaluation is undertaken by a safety review committee, including the driver’s supervisor/manager. The committee advises on the action to be taken with the authorised driver, who is not to be allowed to avoid some form of consequence for their actions. Written acknowledgement of driver misappropriation is a minimum expected action, including logging any incident with the MVR.
Any continued incidents or repeated negative outcomes, including additional license or driving privilege suspensions would lend to potential employment termination.
Eyesight testing is another aspect of driver check-ups easily missed in fleet management procedure. Yearly eyesight testing should be a mandatory undertaking by employees to ensure public, company and their own safety when operating fleet vehicles. Drivers approved to drive must use prescribed sight aids like glasses, contact lenses or similar when on company business.
Click the link below to visit the AFMA website and take fleet management to the next level.
