Taking Care of Your Business Vehicles

Many businesses, even small ones, have commercial vehicles. You might run a company that focuses on driving, either people or products, in which case you could have multiple cars and drivers. Or, you might just have one business car, that you use to attend meetings and see clients. Whether you’ve got one car or a fleet of vehicles or trucks, vehicles are a considerable business cost, and you’ll undoubtedly want to make the most of your expense. 

As a business owner, you must take care of your vehicles. It can save you money, help you to promote your business and build a reputation as a good employer and protect your drivers. Your cars are a vital part of your business. They are expensive, you might not be able to work well, or at all, without them, and so you need to look after them. Failure to look after your business vehicles can mean that you spend more than you need to in repairs or replacements, your employees aren’t safe, and your business doesn’t make as much money as it should. Here are some of the things that you can do to take care of company cars and other vehicles. 

Keep Them Safe

Safety should be a priority. Make sure you keep your company vehicles in a safe location, locked up and well protected with security measures like CCTV and alarms. When they are on the road, make sure they are parked in secure areas, and not just left anywhere.

Keep Them Clean

There are two main reasons why you should keep your commercial vehicles clean. The first is that these cars are advertising your business. Wherever they go, they are representing your company, even if they don’t display advertising. They should be clean to make a good impression, attracting potential customers. 

They should also be clean to help them to last longer. Clean cars are less likely to rust. Over autumn, their engines are less likely to become clogged with leaves and mulch, and hinges and door seals won’t erode. Either make cleaning your vehicles a part of your driver’s jobs, or hire someone to help. 

Train Your Drivers

Perhaps the best way to look after any car is to drive it well. When we drive carefully, braking slowly, sticking to the speed limit and cornering gently, we put our vehicles, their engines and their brakes under much less pressure, helping to keep them working well, and reducing the need for costly repairs. 

So, make sure any drivers that you employ are skilled and careful. Send them for refresher courses, and train them in any safety protocols you have put in place. 

Add Safety Features

Safety features like fleet management tools, dash cams and cabin cameras, can help keep your cars and drivers safe, and give you an easy way to keep an eye on things. 

Keep Them Well Maintained

All of your companies vehicles should be serviced at least once a year or every 10000 miles driven. Any repairs needed should be seen to as soon as possible, and unsafe cars should be taken off the road.