Are you looking for qualified, safe drivers for your company? Finding the right personnel to handle your company vehicles or deliver goods to customers is important. According to research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 66% of traffic fatalities in the US are caused by aggressive drivers.
Any individuals who drive for your company, whether outsourced, leased or owned by your company, are direct representatives of your company. Their conduct reflects on your reputation and brand, and has a direct impact on your bottom line.
There are many fleet risks associated with careless driving. Your vehicles could be written off in a road accident, you could lose the cargo, and your drivers could be fatally injured. This exposes you to insurance hikes and claims, and lawsuits.
When you consider these risks, you see it's essential to hire safe drivers and train them on personal safety habits while on the road.
You can pay as much as $70,000 or more as a result of a company car accident caused by careless and aggressive driving.
Additionally, you may experience a hike in your insurance premium, loss of your personnel and vehicles, and a disruption to your operations.
You create a faithful customer base by building a reputation of delivering goods to customers on time.
Few customers will entrust another order to you if your driver fails to deliver their goods on time because they were involved in an accident, among other issues.
Your driver can also damage your company's image if they are seen by driving recklessly.
To uphold safe driving, you must hire qualified and experienced drivers. This means following a strict recruitment process that includes requesting potential drivers for the following.
You should also follow the right recruitment processes when hiring drivers for your company vehicles. This means;
Following road safety rules is one of the best ways to prevent accidents. Your drivers must be aware of the road rules they should follow when driving company vehicles and follow them.
Some of the things you can do to uphold road safety rules among your company drivers are;
Consuming drugs and alcohol impairs drivers' judgment and leads to many errors on the road.
Implement policies that prevent drivers with alcohol or drug issues from handling your vehicles. This will require you to look at their past records before hiring them.
A driver with a history of driving under the influence will likely endanger your vehicles and company cargo.
Drivers who take prescription drugs, synthetic drugs such as cocaine, or smoke marijuana can cause dangerous accidents.
Additionally, conduct regular and random drug and alcohol checks.
Implement mandatory rest days and give drivers days off when they are sick.This will minimize the chances of company drivers causing accidents due to fatigue or illness.
There are several organizations created by the government to implement and promote road safety rules. Ensure your company adheres to the rules set by these regulatory bodies. Some examples are below;
It's also essential to hire a lawyer who will advise you on which policies you should create and also assist you in case of an accident. An experienced car accident lawyer can help you to avoid lawsuits and run-ins with the law that could result in hefty fines or jail time.
You can encourage safe driving habits among your drivers and identify accident risks by keeping up-to-date data on each driver and the vehicle they are responsible for.
Some of the red flags to look out for in your drivers and fleet data are;
These are some suggestions on finding safe drivers for your company's fleet and tips on encouraging safe driving habits. If you combine these tips with a good reward or incentive program for excellent performance, your company will save money, time, create a stellar reputation and a track record for safe driving.
