Grey Fleet Management

The term Grey Fleet is used to describe any vehicle or vehicles used for business travel that are not owned, leased or rented by that respective business.

Although some businesses may find it suits them to have employees driving their own cars when on company business ('grey fleet'), managing these drivers can bring its own bespoke problems.  Employers still have the same legal duty of care under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 for the safety of grey fleet drivers as they do for those driving company vehicles.  

Therefore, they must take measures to ensure that safety is at the forefront of work-related journeys.  This includes ensuring that members of staff are fully licensed, competent drivers, and that all vehicles and associated equipment are fit for use.

Importance of Grey Fleet Management

In order to ensure the efficiency of your grey fleet, the following three areas should be addressed:

Financial impact

Profits are greatly affected if grey fleet mileage claims are not properly audited. For example, drivers may claim mileage costs for trips undertaken at irregular intervals, lumping claims together.

Environmental impact

Most grey fleet vehicles are old and therefore, potentially more harmful to the environment from an emissions perspective. 

Duty of care

Companies have a legal responsibility to ensure that employees remain safe at all costs, especially when out on fieldwork or away on a business trip.

What Makes Strong Grey Fleet Management?

Companies must cautiously assess these four key factors:

The driver

Grey fleet drivers must be critically evaluated; since their performance can greatly impact the entire fleet. Aside from the general health checks - i.e. eyesight, medicine and alcohol intake, fatigue - thorough risk assessments must be performed.

The vehicle being used

Companies must assess whether the vehicle is suitable for each job type. While picking the right vehicle for general use might be easy, choosing one for specialist jobs can be a bit more complicated.

Work-related travels

Companies must monitor all work-related journeys. Since exhaustion can greatly influence the trip, certain limitations must also be implemented.  You can practice a driving and/or working day duration which can help to ensure that the grey fleet driver is still fit after their drive home.  It can also ascertain whether they are likely to get enough rest before their next appointed journey.

Licence and Insurance

ALD Automotive would be delighted to assist and advise your company on the appropriate measures to take to ensure you are managing Grey Fleet.  You should also check that your drivers have the proper insurance cover for their vehicles and be acquainted with the kinds of journey that they will likely embark on.