Here are 5 Ways To Manage the take-home vehicles Process –

Giving an employee a company vehicle is, depending on the situation, a necessary element of the job or a fantastic perk. Either way, it comes with some potential challenges you can control with some planning and better information. Here are five ways to manage take-home vehicles:

1. Set Clear and Consistent Rules 

Establish a comprehensive company policy for those company vehicles, and schedule a detailed information session with each employee each year on the rules and any changes to them. What goes into a good company car policy? Specifics about what the vehicle can and can’t be used for, which drivers are permitted to use it, how expenses like fuel, maintenance, and repairs will be handled, and what the specific processes and requirements are should something go wrong—like a dent, moving violation or accident. Establish up front, for example, who is responsible for the insurance deductible should the car be damaged during personal use. 

It’s also crucial to establish rules of the road, so to speak, about driving performance, taking care of the company vehicle properly (no smoking, regular cleaning, etc.), and taking the proper security precautions (garaging, locking, and otherwise securing it). 

With clear rules that cover all contingencies, there’s far less room for misinterpretation or a legal dispute later. It’s also a key element in establishing for your insurance provider that you’re taking the proper precautions. 

2. Check-in Regularly 

A company vehicle isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it decision. Set a policy that establishes regular usage, mileage, and maintenance reporting from the user, so users understand expectations right from the start. Many organizations make company vehicle reporting a part of the basic monthly expense report interface to establish this cadence.

3. Make a Date with Your Insurance Rep

Adding a company vehicle to the mix obviously adds risk, and it’s crucial your business has adequate coverage—and you understand what coverage is and isn’t there. Does your policy cover just your employee, or anybody the employee lets drive the vehicle? How does the company insurance policy interact with auto insurance the employee may or may not have on his or her own company vehicle? How does your corporate auto insurance interact with overall liability insurance for the company? Negotiating for what you need and understanding what you don’t prevent unhappy surprises when an incident occurs. 

4. Encourage Extra Training

Defensive driving, winter driving, and introductory race driving schools all teach drivers better company vehicle control and safety. Encourage employees to take these schools by either partially subsidizing them or using them as a potential corporate retreat day. Skip Barber Racing School offers one-day programs at tracks around the country. 

5. Track your fleet with GPS

Fleet monitoring platforms like GPS Trackit offer simple and cost-effective geolocating beacons that keep track of your company vehicles’ location and movement. A system like that makes sense for any fleet, whether it’s a collection of passenger cars used by salespeople, work truck, or employees’ Take-Home Vehicles for the night. Making it clear up front that Take-Home Vehicles are tracked also encourages employees to follow the vehicle use guidelines. 

For more information on how GPS Trackit can help you manage your employee vehicle fleet, click here to set up a free demo with one of our Fleet Management specialists.