Fleet Management Programs

Description Fleet safe driving performance is dependent on management commitment to the implementation of a formal fleet safety program. An effective safety program will interact with most aspects of fleet operations and challenge the skills and knowledge of its supervisors and drivers. 

Does your fleet safety program provide the framework for safety management to ... 

Fleet safety is often viewed as operator safety, which is definitely a key component of a company s attempt to protect its large dollar investment in vehicles and mobile equipment. It goes without saying that many of the accidents that occur are a direct result of driver error. But driver error is not the fault of the individual. It is the fault of management s failure to institute a fleet safety program that provides organization, direction, and accountability for the fleet of vehicles that the company owns. 

Management experiences large numbers of repairs to the vehicles in its fleet. This should be viewed as an indication of inadequate maintenance and inspection procedures, and an indication of potential unsafe vehicles, which could facilitate or cause accidents. The scheduling of periodic inspections and maintenance activities should be part of management s fleet safety program. Management should maintain a record on each vehicle regarding repairs, inspections, and maintenance. 

In a small fleet organization, a vehicle operator is just as responsible for controlling and preventing accidents as the manager of a large fleet. Vehicle accidents can be especially detrimental to a small fleet because they can be costly. In an effort to prevent accidents, small fleet managers must implement each part of a successful motor fleet safety program. 

What are five criteria that a fleet manager must look at when developing a process to measiure the program s success ... 

The team s expertise should be compatible with the kind of audit to be conducted. Audits of certain programs may require the selection of specialists in electrical equipment, pressure vessels, maintenance, motor fleet activities, and other fields. Line managers of other units are excellent members of audit teams. They bring a different background to spot weaknesses. In addition, participation is a learning experience for the manager and increases the involvement of those responsible for results. It may also be helpful to have a previous auditor of the unit as one member of the audit team. 

During this year, we prepared a proposal to the South Coast Air Quality Management District to obtain funding to perform a demonstration project at SunLine Transit, where we will install insulated pressure vessels in two of the SunLine fleet trucks. The proposal has been approved and we will use these funds to complement the budget received from the hydrogen program. 

Five years of progressively responsible experience in developing corporate and/or government safety, risk management, and loss prevention programs. Two years must include responsibilities applicable to motor carrier safety — preferably in heavy-duty fleet transportation systems. 

In the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) branch of the U.S. Navy, the class desk is the program manager (PM) for systems engineering for an acquisition program. In an operational program, the class desk is the systems engineering PM involved in system upgrades, replacement components, and safety problems that arise in the fleet. 

These statistics alone are proof of the incredible need to integrate safety into the management of the motor fleet industry. It not only makes good business sense to have a program in place to manage a motor fleet operation, but it is also a duty to provide safe transportation to the customer and the public as well. 

The motor fleet industry has pioneered the development and implementation of traffic safety education programs. These programs have resulted in fleet and bus driver education, driver supervision, efficient terminal safety management, and ultimately improved highway safety. 

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