Fleet Telematics the Sole Solution for Grey Fleet

Many fleet managers will shudder at the thought of installing fleet telematics in Grey fleet vehicles.

It can be a big enough challenge to introduce the technology to company cars because HR, unions, and drivers themselves often raise concerns about invasion of privacy, so the idea that an employee will allow it to be fitted to their private vehicle raises a number of issues. There is also the problem of actually knowing all the details of the grey fleet in the first place.

John Pryor, chairman of ACFO, says: “There are so few controls in this area that I cannot see companies going as far as putting fleet telematics in. A lot of them do not even know what grey fleet they have. It might happen as manufacturers put telematics in, but that is years away.” As well as reporting on a vehicle’s location, fleet telematics gives an additional element of risk management by providing a profile of how safely and efficiently an employee is driving. This can provide useful information in the event of an accident. The advantages are not all to the employer. Drivers may see a reduction in their insurance premium, as well as removing the labor-intensive process of completing expense forms by hand.

Instead, the technology marries up fuel consumption with mileage and emails it directly to the driver’s inbox, HR or accounts – whichever is required. If necessary, the system can be set up with an alarm to protect those driving alone, at night or in risky areas. Most telematics systems come with a privacy button, which can be applied according to company requirements, but at least allows the user to turn off tracking when driving private miles.

Whether it is duty of care, monitoring driving techniques to improve driver behavior, knowing where drivers are and how they got there, risk management surrounding incidents and accidents, to record mileages accurately or all those things, you cannot sell the idea to employees if you are not clear about why you are implementing the technology.

source: managing grey fleet