Basics of Fleet Management: The Driver

Additional Capacity

It may at first seem counter-intuitive, but having access to more drivers might be something you need to consider. By this, we don’t mean that you need to have two drivers for every one vehicle that you intend to run that day, but it does mean that if you have critical deliveries that need to be made on time, having a spare, competent driver can save the day. Drivers are a human element, and you need to account for things like severe illness or accident – only having one driver who can drive the specialist vehicle you use to make your most critical deliveries is setting yourself up for a serious headache further down the line. Options include either training other staff to cover for drivers or utilising agency drivers.

Additional Training

Investing in some additional training for your drivers will pay dividends. This can take a variety of forms. You might consider training more of your drivers to handle the range of vehicles in your fleet – this can help you to ensure additional capacity amongst your driver pool as well, an all-important factor which we addressed just previously. Additional training can also involve courses in efficient driving – using the least time and fuel possible to reach a given destination. This sort of training offers many rewards, and the increased fuel efficiency of more economical driving, whilst seemingly trivial, can add up to huge savings in the long run. Equally important, perhaps, is the notion that your drivers will feel reassured by the fact that their employer is constantly investing in their skills and future, keeping them happy and motivated – and the link between motivation and productivity is clear for all to see.

The importance of maintaining a skilled, motivated driver pool can be easily overlooked, but it’s vital to bear in mind that, without your drivers, the entire fleet is so much useless metal. Keeping your drivers happy may seem like more of a HR problem, but it’s something that fleet managers should also be aware of.

Unfortunately Fueltek cannot help with your Human Resource issues; we can at least take the hassle out of managing your fuel supply with our innovative range of fuel storage tanks. To find out more about how we can help you, get in touch using the details on our contact page, or call us now on 01254 291 391.