Strengthening Workplace Culture within Fleets

Existing drivers play a vital role in integrating new drivers safely. When new people start working for an organisation, they will examine how things are done and copy the prevailing behaviours. If they see corners being cut, they’ll cut corners themselves and if they see everyone taking care to do things right, then they will do the same. This is why it’s so important to manage your drivers well, ensuring they are clear about the standards expected of them. As a manager, you need to focus on three things: a good driving-for-work policy, communicating the policy clearly, and consistently applying and monitoring the policy.

Policy

Clear policies play a vital role in setting standards and meeting legal obligations for managing road risk.

It needs to provide comprehensive guidance on vehicle management and maintenance – explaining the driver’s responsibility to conduct proper pre-use defect checks, and the company’s obligations to ensure the vehicles are properly serviced, maintained, and repaired.
 

Then, a good policy needs to have guidelines to ensure safe driving including topics such as fatigue management, mobile phone distractions, and drug and alcohol impairment.

Communication

One of the key points about communicating a Driving for Work policy is the distribution. It must be shared with everyone who drives, but it must also be shared with everyone whose role might impact those drivers. Discuss driving issues during regular appraisals to reinforce policy and expectations.

Managing mobile phone distraction is a good example of why this is necessary. If your policy states that drivers mustn’t drive while using the phone, then other staff who might typically phone them such as managers or work schedulers need to be aware of that policy. 

It’s crucial that everyone, including directors and managers, follow the same policy. Nothing will derail a good safety culture quicker than watching senior staff disregarding the rules they expect others to abide by.

Application

Managers must be seen to apply the policies fairly and consistently across the organisation and to also meet their end of the bargain. If the policy tells drivers to report faults with their vehicle, for instance, those faults need to be rectified promptly to maintain confidence.

It is increasingly common that line managers are required to discuss Driving for Work issues with drivers at their annual appraisals. This may involve discussing any collisions, failure to carry out vehicle checks or reports of poor driving, and it is also an ideal opportunity to refresh their memory on the company policy and the standards of driving that the company expects.

The benefits of a good culture and consistent communication include:

• Clearly defined rules that reduce the level of driver risk.
• Drivers who understand why the rules are in place.
• Drivers that are more likely to behave as you’d want them to.
• A clear framework for disciplining drivers that don’t follow the rules.

These are the key building blocks of a strong and resilient safety culture. Your existing drivers play a vital role in the successful integration of safe new drivers.

If you’d like to learn more about what you and your organisation should be doing and whether you have any gaps in your driver risk management, join our free programme at drivingforbetterbusiness.com. We have a wealth of free online tools and resources to help you understand where your priorities should be to reduce risk, control costs and improve efficiency.