Tips for choosing drivers for your fleet
A safe driver is a vital part of every fleet business. Fleet managers need to think long and hard before hiring drivers since they are crucial in improving their business.
Skilled drivers allow a company to achieve better results in management due to efficient fuel consumption, lower maintenance costs, driver safety and a better company image. Drivers need to be considered as investments for a business and that’s why there should be a thorough recruitment process for them. This’ll increase the overall quality of your drivers and the operating conditions of your business.
Choosing the right driver is critical when it comes to protecting your fleet vehicles. When you hire the best drivers out there, you don’t have to worry about the well-being of your vehicles or drivers. Hiring drivers should be a meticulous and rigorous process and you should treat it with as much care as recruiting your executives.
A preliminary application form should include comprehensive information about the candidate’s experience on the road such as miles driven, accident record, equipment operated, criminal record and most importantly driving experience. They will be the key elements in your operation and they should be equipped with the necessary skills. If you’re using a fleet tracking system and make it a habit of hiring excellent drivers, your deliveries will be arriving in time, your services will be more reliable and this will improve overall customer satisfaction.
Fleet managers should conduct a detailed background screening to their driver applicants. This process needs to be comprehensive and include professional and personal motor vehicle records of the driver. Being a fleet driver is a demanding job and that’s why managers need to select drivers who can handle it. You should check for recurring and current issues as to whether the driver is suitable for operating a fleet vehicle. These applicants need to be carefully vetted before allowing to operate heavy machinery or drive a fleet vehicle as they will be publicly representing the company. The candidates should present any certifications they have especially if you are hauling dangerous materials. You should test the driving skills of each driver with a written test and a road test.
Every company uses different methods when it comes to operating their fleet. Even an experienced driver may need training in order to adapt. For this reason providing the new drivers with an extensive training before letting them drive a fleet vehicle is essential. These drivers represent your company on the road and you need to make sure they have the right knowledge while they are driving a fleet vehicle. You can keep training or give directions to your employees even after you hire them since you will be able to track them through the GPS tracking software. In the end, this will benefit you in many ways from lowered fuel costs to your peace of mind. With talented and trained drivers, you will lower your liability, reduce costs, save on fuel and these drivers will boost your public image by increasing customer satisfaction.
Establishing policies for new employees is another important point. When it comes to managing a fleet, your drivers should be informed of what they can and can’t do. As a manager, you should put it into writing and make the rules as precise and clear as possible. This way your drivers will know their boundaries and perform better at their job. It will also make a manager’s life easier since you won’t have to deal with liability cases such as accidents, false overtime or fuel claims. You should carefully screen your employees to make sure if they are following the rules and take the necessary action if they are not.
In addition, frequent company meetings and training sessions will help with the adjustment process for new drivers and learn any problems they are experiencing in order to fix them and improve the working conditions. As you can see selecting a driver for your fleet or business can be tedious and stressful but once you find the right drivers for your fleet and train them well, your business will benefit from it tremendously.