Reduce Fleet Risk to Make Savings

The fleet department understands what it is and why it’s needed.  The Directors aren’t sure if it’ll work, why it’s necessary or what it’ll save for the business”

If I had a pound for every time I hear this!

The truth is that a fleet risk proposal does come across as all ‘jam tomorrow’, or ‘certain cost: uncertain benefit’.

There are, however, a few truths that need airing:

1.       Duty of Care fleet compliance is a legal responsibility

2.       Increased driving safety will result in fewer road traffic accidents

3.       Claim frequency is the key factor controlling Fleet insurance premiums

4.       Driver training does actually work

The reasons why Directors postpone or reject the decision to invest in fleet risk management vary but normally fall into the following categories:

1.       It’s not in this year’s budget

2.       It should be done internally

3.       There are no guarantees of success

4.       A quick fix would be best

5.       We’ve had no problem so far

In reality, most fleets are trying to do something, which they hope covers the compliance angle but it can’t hope to tackle the claim frequency/insurance cost angle because:

1.       It has to be sporadic because it’s mixed in with other fleet initiatives

2.       It is uncoordinated because it’s usually covered by more than one department

3.       It is haphazard because there’s no consistency of approach to high risks

4.       It is ineffective in reducing fleet risk due to the problems of 1, 2 and 3

At RVM we have tried to tackle the concerns of Directors by amalgamating the risk program into one cohesive structure and by articulating what success looks like.  We are accountable for all our actions through our online Portal and regular review meetings and we construct a combination of services to profile and train a driver that is particular to each client’s circumstances.

It’s quick and easy to get a quote so why not call us to arrange a meeting.  RVM is on 

0113 224 8800 or  contact us here or e-mail us on risk@rvmassist.co.uk

At RVM Assist Ltd our integrated approach allows us to help fleets to implement effective safety policies, analyse trends and identify high risk drivers. Our Driver Training program is targeted, timely and appropriate.  The result is lower accident rates, improved driver safety, and reduced costs.

“Fleet risk strategy …… how to see the wood for the trees”

"So how am I supposed to pull all this fleet risk data together and come to some sensible conclusions when I have all these other fleet responsibilities to deal with?"

The feedback we get from fleets is sometimes relating to ‘why invest in Risk management’, but more usually it’s about lack of resources – not just time resources but also expertise in deciding what’s the best course of action.

Of course, it’s easy to outsource claims, licence checking, telematics, driver training and online assessments BUT fleets don’t always realise they are creating a monster in so doing.

The reasons are as follows:

·         Risk data starts pouring in via portals, emails and hard copy reports

·         The data comes in at different times of the year and in different formats

·         It’s not always clear what the data is trying to say so analysing it is time-consuming

·         How to decide what represents a high risk and what should be done about it, is a problem

·         Having dealt with high risk drivers, how do you make sure the action taken, has worked?

Managers with fleet responsibilities usually have other functions to perform so it is not easy to find time to bring all of these Fleet Risk elements together in a way that maximises their effectiveness.

Indeed, very often the three departments of Fleet, HR and Health & Safety will take responsibility for different elements of the road risk program, which further complicates the harmonising of data and often results in missed opportunities to reduce risk.

So, apart from lack of time, internal risk expertise and departmental structure issues, most fleets also lack the other key element to make a risk program successful and that is a satisfactory electronic receptacle into which they can deposit all the risk data and also check that none of it exceeds the organisation’s minimum risk levels.

The net result of all these hurdles for a fleet is that risks get overlooked, which is not only dangerous, it risks the fleet becoming guilty of ‘willful blindness’. Furthermore, some fleets actually choose to turn a blind eye to high risk data because even if they know what to do about it – they often don’t have the time or resources to resolve it!

This is where the outsourced risk management industry is able to lend a hand in planning a program that is fit-for-purpose in terms of available budget and program objectives.

At RVM we build tailored risk management programs for fleets based on what priorities the fleet has identified.  These range from the very simple to the most complex depending on fleet profile, what needs outsourcing and what stage of the risk journey the fleet is currently at.

We work on raising safety culture levels within a driving population and by offering a supportive approach to improving drivers’ skill, habits and on-road behaviour. 

The upside is that by choosing an approach that is designed to seek and iron out bad driving habits, a fleet will gain the support of its drivers, which in turn means its high risks can be identified and worked upon. 

Additionally, this will show that a duty of care exists and a better claims record will follow.  Insurance costs will come down and driving safety becomes second nature and integral to the driving culture. Wilful blindness won’t be possible and won’t therefore be a threat.

In our experience, when a fleet chooses to invest in our approach, it wants a positive and tangible benefit in return and this is why, at RVM, our efforts are focused on our mission to reduce accident frequency. 

So don’t choose to rely on lady luck when you renew your fleet insurance policy. Take a more positive view by controlling fleet risk with RVM as your guide and partner. Learn more about what options are open to you and at what cost by calling RVM on 0113 224 8800 or contact us here or e-mail us on risk@rvmassist.co.uk

At RVM Assist Ltd our integrated approach allows us to help fleets to implement effective safety policies, analyse trends and identify high risk drivers. Our Driver Training program is targeted, timely and appropriate.  The result is lower accident rates, improved driver safety, and reduced costs.

Telematics is like a steering wheel

What does that mean?

Well, a steering wheel’s true purpose in guiding a vehicle round a corner or keeping it on the straight and narrow is not revealed until it is being used properly.  In other words connected to the front wheels so the driver can control the vehicle.

Similarly, a telematics system cannot help you to make decisions to change course or even stick to the one you are on unless it is used properly.  In other words, its true purpose is only revealed when somebody actually uses it.

They both look impressive from an engineering point of view but they are both useless unless they are used for the purpose for which they were both manufactured.

You may think this is a somewhat glib comparison but beneath the analogy there is in fact a serious and meaningful point for fleets.

Huge investment has gone into creating the telematics industry and even more money has been paid by fleets who have bought this technology.  The reasons fleets have bought into telematics range from a desire to protect assets to controlling drivers to reducing fuel costs to becoming legally compliant.

However, it has become clear to RVM that many fleets do not use the data that is available from the various reports, portals and alerts that this technology offers and this represents a symptom of a broader issue that is holding fleets back from making real strides forward in reducing risk.

Fleets are increasingly buying licence checking, claims management, driver assessments and telematics systems BUT the results available from all these providers are not being brought into one electronic driver safety file, analysed, acted upon and re-measured.

This is not really surprising because it is not an easy task.  To receive different data in different formats from different sources at different times requires a constant watchful eye, specialist software and risk expertise.

How does a fleet decide what is a serious risk, how does it consistently apply risk assessment, what remedial action does it take to reduce risk and finally, how does it measure whether such action was successful?

So the easy bit for a fleet is making sure these things are done.  The tricky bit is pulling it all together in a way that really adds value by reducing claim frequency, insurance premiums and increasing legal compliance and brand protection.

The answer to all these questions can be answered and is the specialist expertise of RVM Fleet Services.  We’d love to show you how we make fleet risk reduction easy for our clients so please  contact us now on 01132248888 or e-mail risk@rvmfleetservices.co.uk and we can arrange a short demonstration.

 

At RVM Fleet Services our integrated approach allows us to help fleets to implement effective safety policies, analyse trends and identify high risk drivers. Our Driver Training program is targeted, timely and appropriate.  The result is lower accident rates, improved driver safety, and reduced costs.

 

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Running a Fleet. How risky is it, really?

In the light of recent contradictory court decisions involving corporate manslaughter by fleets, maybe the question is now: What, in the hierarchy of a fleet's needs, is the more important: health & safety compliance or reduced claims experience? Or are they just as important as each other?

The work involved in achieving the latter usually means automatic success in the former but not necessarily the other way round. In other words, it is quite possible to comply with health and safety law but still have a poor claims record. 

Indeed, it is easy to measure claims experience but not so easy to know if your fleet safety measures are enough to avoid prosecution for a lack of duty of care. So what does a fleet do?  

It certainly seems easier to comply legally than reduce claim frequency and that may be why most fleet insurance premiums are on the rise.  Some fleets choose to look at a few licences, issue a fleet safety policy and hey presto - compliance is ostensibly achieved. 

This may or may not be true; however, if what you want is to reduce claims, a fleet needs to know what and who have caused the claims historically and likewise who may cause them in the future and why. To do this accurately a fleet needs to embrace as many tools as possible to identify which drivers pose the greatest risk and then take appropriate steps.  

The chosen tools usually include checking licences and assessing drivers online but to maximise the chance of success, a fleet should also include claims data and a telematics feed, which are both factual and constant. The issue then is who gets the data and how do you bring it together to draw the correct conclusions? 

So you've gathered the data, so to whom do the risks point? Why? How serious is it? What might be the appropriate cure? When should it be administered? By whom? With what result? 

All these questions can be answered on behalf of a fleet and they demonstrate why most fleets need help in this area from a specialist fleet supplier that can link closely with fleet drivers to make sure money spent on assessing and training drivers’ results in a reduction in claims experience and an increase in duty of care. 

  

At RVM Fleet Services our integrated approach allows us to help fleets to implement effective safety policies, analyse trends and identify high risk drivers. Our Driver Training program is targeted, timely and appropriate.  The result is lower accident rates, improved driver safety, and reduced costs.

Contact us now on 01132248888 or e-mail risk@rvmfleetservices.co.uk to find out more.