Policy Exceptions are Lawsuits Waiting to Happen

By Mike Antich

The best managed fleets are those that adhere to a written fleet policy. In order to increase compliance, every affected department or user group should be involved in the process of creating fleet policy. However, it is the fleet manager who should manage the policy creation process.

Once a policy is established, it is your responsibility to communicate these policies to all users. All users should know the rules governing the use of fleet vehicles and equipment and what actions will be taken for non-compliance. A common problem is that the fleet manager communicates policy to the users’ managers, but the word doesn’t gets down to the individual drivers and operators.

The Danger of Policy Exceptions

When dealing with driver-related problems, the last thing you want to do is create a new problem in the course of resolving one. The surest way to do so is to make an exception to your fleet’s vehicle usage policy. It is extremely important that the rules be uniformly enforced for all employees.

You should not set precedent by allowing exceptions. If you become embroiled in litigation or a grievance involving vehicle/equipment usage because of a negligent employee, these exceptions and prior policy precedents can be used against you. The most carefully developed policy can be torn to shreds in a court of law by a precedent-setting exception. The fleet manager must have the authority and backing of upper management to address a driver’s inability to operate and maintain an assigned vehicle or piece of equipment.

With this in mind, it is critical that a fleet manager makes sure all employees uniformly adhere to company fleet policy. There should be no exceptions to your vehicle policies and procedures. This simple rule will make your job a lot easier and may save you from a lot of potential grief.

Let me know what you think.

mike.antich@bobit.com