by Lina Martinez
Image Credit Pixabay.com License CC0
If your business uses vehicles for any reason, you will know how much effort it can take to manage these cars, vans, and trucks. There is a lot that you need to think about when it comes to running company vehicles. And, when you are managing a fleet, these issues get multiplied.
If you run a business and you need to get vehicles, either to be used as company cars to get your employees between different towns and cities or as vans for delivery or to provide a service, then here are some areas that you will need to consider.
Having The Right Insurance
You will, of course, need to make sure that your vehicles are all properly insured. You will need to have at least a basic level of cover that protects other road users in the event of a crash. Obviously, this will only cover you for the legal minimum, and you should look for a comprehensive policy that will cover your vehicles, drivers and legal fees in the event of a crash that where your driver was at fault.
You may want to invest in vehicle accident management software to ensure you are keeping an eye on all aspects of vehicle safety and accident management.
Leased Or Bought?
One of the biggest decisions that you need to make is whether to buy or lease your vehicles. When you buy them, they will become an asset and hold some kind of value, whereas when you lease them, they will return to the lease hire company after an agreed period of time.
If you lease the vehicle, you may get some maintenance or warranties attached to the lease which might be helpful. It is also a more cost-effective way of having access to the vehicles you need because you won’t have to worry about depreciation.
Who Can Drive Them?
Before you hand the keys of a vehicle over to your employees, you need to be sure that they are able to drive them. This means checking their license and making sure they don’t have any motoring convictions held against them that you need to be aware of. By allowing an employee who is disqualified to drive, you will be invalidating your insurance.
You should check with your policy to find out who is covered, and for what.
Maintaining Your Vehicles
One major outgoing that you need to account for when buying or leasing a vehicle is maintenance. It is important that your vehicles are all well looked after. This means having them serviced as often as possible. By doing this, the vehicle will be more efficient in terms of fuel consumption, and they will be safer overall.
Find a garage that is local to your business and arrange to set up a maintenance contract. If you are bringing a lot of work their way, you might be able to negotiate better rates on parts and labor in order to save yourself some money.