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Cost Saving Tip Number 1: Take Care of the Pennies and the Pounds Will Take Care of Themselves Its probably a phrase that you used to hear when you were a child, however its as true today as its ever been. With most fleets, the odd scatch, scrape or 'dink' on..... read more >>

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Accidents Rates Can Plummet With Simple Changes It has always been our business philosophy at E-Training World to keep things simple and to do them well. And this approach not only reflects the simplicity, ease..... read more >>

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Cost Saving Tip Number 1: Take Care of the Pennies and the Pounds Will Take Care of Themselves

Its probably a phrase that you used to hear when you were a child, however its as true today as its ever been.

With most fleets, the odd scatch, scrape or 'dink' on a vehicle is often overlooked. Neither the driver nor the fleet manager paying a great deal of attention to it.

However, at what point does it become a problem? How deep does the scratch need to be? How big a dent is classed as 'proper' vehicle damage.

By focusing on the smaller items, it has been proven that larger accidents and vehicle damage will reduce dramatically.

"Lets imagine that you select one sales person who has small scratches and dents on their vehicle due to hitting the odd post or parking too near to the trolley bay at the supermarket," explained Graham Hurdle, Managing Director of E-Training World and a qualified fleet driver trainer.

"If you told them that their vehicle would be inspected every time they visited the office, and a report would be placed on their employee file for every single mark on their car, how do you think they would react?

"We've implemented something very similar with a very large fleet who was spending many thousands of pounds on refurbishment costs and repairs to small dents. All it took was a communication from the MD that costs were too high, that this type of damage would not be tolerated, that drivers incurring damage would be interviewed to find out how and when it happened, and that notes would be added to their file so that the biggest offenders could be dealt with.

"Incredibly, attitudes changed overnight. And with regular communication from the fleet department and HR to re-inforce this policy (which went out at the bottom of internal emails, inside people's payslips and on the company's intranet), accident levels and associated costs reduced.

"So, all you need to do is start communicating, raise the profile of zero tolerance and ensure drivers understand it simply won't be accepted.

"Because once people see that a small knock will be scutinised and frowned upon, the thought of causing major damage to your company vehicle is almost unheard of.

"Now I know that you're going to respond by saying accidents can't be helped. An accident is, after all, an accident! My response to that is that if you offered that sales rep a million pounds to not have an accident tomorrow, do you feel their behaviour might change and that they would 'make sure' they didn't put themselves in any danger of having a crash. Well, I rest my case."

For more advice from Graham Hurdle, who is a portfolio holder with AIRSO (Association of Road Safety Officers) and has helped some of the largest fleets in the UK reduce their accident rates, call 0845 260 7998 or email graham@e-trainingworld.com

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