Did you know the second Friday in January is dubbed Quitter’s Day, as it’s the most likely day on which your resolutions will fail?
If your resolution was to keep your van fleet safer in 2023, it is vital that Quitter’s Day syndrome does not strike, but what resolutions should you be hanging on to in the first place? Van theft security specialist, HH Driveright, has some suggestions.
1. Resolve to not lose out on an insurance claim
Your number one resolution should be to not have your van theft insurance claim turned down by your insurer. One big reason why they might do that would be negligence – if, for instance, your driver left the keys inside the vehicle and the vehicle unlocked. To prevent this from happening, you could simply fit the GM 2020 device from HH Driveright, which will automatically lock the van’s doors, if they are left unlocked for more than 10 seconds after the driver has exited. If you go a van down and can’t replace it with an insurance payout, we calculate that you could be £35,000 to £50,000 out of pocket.
2. Resolve to declare everything to your insurer
Following on from the above, you should make sure you advise your insurer of any changes that affect your policy. Such changes are deemed ‘material facts’ and your insurer could turn down a claim, if they can show that you did not make them aware of something that affected your risk. This could be a new driver taking to the wheel of a vehicle, a modification to the vehicle, or a change to where it is kept, for instance. Do also make sure that you tell your insurer if you fit the GM 2020, as you might get an insurance discount when you renew!
3. Resolve to get the right insurance advice
In a time when there is so much pressure on businesses due to rising costs, it pays to get the right insurance advice and try to save as much as possible on your insurance premiums. To help customers do that, HH Driveright has teamed up with fleet insurance broker, McCarron Coates – winners of various awards, the most recent being a Silver Award in the Insurance Times Awards (December 2022) for Specialist Broker of the Year. With their broking insight, you could cut down on claims, save money on premiums and potentially become a more profitable delivery outfit.
4. Resolve to not be caught over compliance
One big resolution should be to ensure you are complying with all legislation, which includes checking drivers’ permissions to drive, their health and whether they are fit to drive, their abilities on the road and much more. To help you do that, we have the HH Driveright App, which does the legwork for you, prompting you to fill in the right details and ensure that these are kept up to date. Meanwhile, the dashboard data that you can glean from our GM 2020 device will flag up any issues with the way each driver is driving on the road, helping you to spot issues before they become claims.
5. Resolve to not be caught out over the daily walkaround check
As a van fleet operator, you need to ensure drivers complete a daily walkaround of their vehicle and log any maintenance and service issues that they spot. The reality is that this simply does not happen in many cases. However, if you arm them with our HH Driveright Damage Capture technology, driven by Artificial Intelligence, they can capture any damage and you can also log that they completed the walkaround. Additionally, by using the HH Driveright App, they can log any defect that they spot, on the go. Should an accident occur, you can show that you had done everything possible to keep your fleet vehicles in top condition, as the technology will automatically pinpoint any type of damage and wear and tear in minute detail, zooming in on anything that requires attention.
6. Resolve not to get into wrangles about vehicle damage
If you are hiring vehicles, there’s always a possibility that you could be wrongly accused of causing damage to the vehicle, whilst it was under your control. If you use the HH Driveright Damage Capture technology, that can’t happen, as it will identify any pre-existing damage at the time of hire and you can run another check when you return the vehicle. The technology will also stop you getting into disputes with repair shops, who may try to carry out unnecessary repairs, to bump up the bill.
SUMMING UP ON VAN FLEET RESOLUTIONS
There are many more resolutions that you could strive to keep in 2023, but having just a few core resolutions is more likely to enable you to stick with them. Whilst you may give up on personal resolutions, remember that these 6 van resolutions are fundamental to keeping your business operating, protecting your bottom line and avoiding health and safety or legal prosecution. Follow them, and use the tools at your disposal from HH Driveright, and you should be able to keep your fleet on the road, with as few issues as possible.
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