Grey Fleet is Neither Black Nor White, But It’s Definitely Not Scary!

What is grey fleet? About 10 years ago I remember speaking at a large fleet event. I followed a whole series of speakers who all claimed that the entire room was doomed to a life of cold showers and hard beds in jail if they didn’t buy products from telematics to training as a result of the corporate manslaughter bill!

They made the bold statement that attendees have more chance of winning the lottery than being prosecuted under that legislation. But I call bullsh*t! To the best of my knowledge, no fleet operator has yet been successfully prosecuted under that law! Although, I do know of 2 attendees who won £10 each on the lottery, which is quite a result!

Of course, I should feel smug about this, but I don’t. Whilst grey fleet isn’t likely to land you a prosecution under that legislation, it is a major headache for the planet, road safety, HR, and your company finances. The great news is that good management isn’t as tough as the scaremongers claim. In fact, it’s simple!

First, You Need to Understand What Grey Fleet Is.

It’s called ‘grey’ as it often fades into the background when it comes to health and safety. Well, not really; it definitely does slip into the health and safety background though. However, it’s actually just a vehicle that is not owned by the business but is used for business travel.

It’s not necessarily company cars, nor is it salary sacrifice cars (our speciality). Grey fleet is a term to refer to anything used by employees on company business. Whether that be a car, tank, truck or horse! The company activities are any work-related trip, whether that’s a business meeting, team social or just popping to the corner shop for some milk for the office!

This is important because once you establish the grey fleet vehicle is used for work, it effectively becomes a ‘place of work’. That may well be a place of work being driven at haphazard speed by someone of dubious ability… Yes, John in accounts, we mean you! You must make sure that the vehicle and the driver are both ‘fit for the purpose’ and protect anyone in or by the workplace. Even if that’s a workplace travelling 40mph hurling into the last space in Tesco carpark.

Sound Impossible?

Well, the health and safety executives (HSE) do not expect miracles. They do however expect you to have a rigid policy to govern such scenarios. As well, an audit trail to confirm it’s been communicated and understood (rather than hidden away on the intranet). On top of this, a process to review and adapt it is necessary.

That’s Pretty Much It!

The HSE realise that some of your employees are likely to be idiots. Obviously, they don’t expect you to change human nature. They will expect you to at least encourage people to be responsible and ensure their cars (or horses) are safe!

The best news is all this makes sense. Keeping your employees safe makes them more productive. It also saves you money and the environment will benefit too. Management can be easy; you can ask companies like ours to manage the policy and ensure employees adhere to the rules. We are better placed to change the culture and reduce cost, and it’s our core business. We can save you money while keeping your team safe!

If you do it in-house, remember you don’t need telematics. You don’t need to get your employees inside leg measurement, you just need to ensure you have guidance reminding them they are adults and to behave as such. Guidance is enforced and improved as the landscape changes. The HSE have all the powers they need regardless of the corporate manslaughter bill, they just want you to take some responsibility for your team. So, as you can see, grey fleet isn’t scary after all!

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