A dirty little secret about fleet vehicles

It's an unscientific fact that dents routinely know how to breed. So it follows that allowing your staff to drive scruffy, damaged vehicles not only reflects badly on your company culture, it also suggests your total fleet running costs will be higher.

The dirty little secret is that if it looks like a pile of junk it will get treated accordingly. Another dent won't matter, and who cares if it drifts a bit when you release your grip on the steering wheel a little. Bad wheel alignment is great for tyre companies, and lease companies just love it when you turn in a junker as they make a profit on rectifing damage.

Long story short; unreported damage is another form of slippage that impacts on your bottomline. The good news is there are a whole bunch of things you can do to to reduce your fleet running costs - it begins at the top with a culture check.

All the evidence you need about the effectiveness of your fleet management strategy is parked in your company car park. Take a notebook and record uneven tyre wear, dents, scratches and general condition.