VEHICLE & FLEET SAFETY
Hitachi also reminds companies to check and take advantage of any opportunities offered by repairers. For example, most bodyshops offer a courtesy car as part of the service, which could save the cost of hiring a replacement vehicle. If a third party is at fault and a like-for-like car is required for work, credit hire could also be considered.
RECORD EVERYTHING All aspects of every incident should be recorded within Management Information reports. These should contain information about the accidents and incidents being logged, the frequency and severity, the type of damage and cost implications. This is the only way to reveal trends within the fleet, driver behaviour and safety.
PROBLEMS ON THE ROAD For one of Hitachi’s customers, whose clients include major utility companies, accident management is a critical element of their business operations. The fleet made a high number of stops each day; with some in excess of 60 stops over a working day and involved the collection and reporting of information back to utility companies.
Failing to meet the targets set by customers resulted in penalties, therefore any damage or downtime
www.tomorrowshs.com
had serious consequences. Both needed to be kept to a minimum and dealt with effectively to keep as many vehicles on the road as possible.
The fleet comprises 1,500 branded vehicles, therefore not only was their operation important, aesthetics were equally important, representing the brand on a consumer level.
To reduce the risk and maximise vehicle uptime, Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions started by ensuring the models were suitable, using the Skoda Citigo and Citroen C1. Great care was also taken around driver safety, with steps taken to reduce the risk drivers were exposed to.
Part of this process involved understanding the causes of accidents, which were reported through Management Information packs and regular meetings. The customer also had regular meetings with drivers to check the vehicles every quarter. Drivers also completed a vehicle check list before starting each shift to ensure compliance.
Reducing downtime for vehicle’s requiring a repair started with the reporting process, which involved the logging of all incidents within 24 hours.
Inspections were carried at a convenient time for drivers by either
“ALL DRIVERS NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS
INVOLVED WITH REPORTING
AN ACCIDENT, SO THEY CAN EFFECTIVELY
ADHERE TO IT.”
a mobile repairer or at a local dealer. Work could then be approved to take place at a convenient time, reducing downtime to the very minimum.
An additional service Hitachi Capital provided to the client was an immediate relief vehicle. When required, a replacement hire vehicle was sent to a driver in a matter of hours, reducing their personal downtime and lessening penalties for missing targets. Although this is an additional cost for companies, it is a small price to pay when compared with lost revenue and penalties.
www.hitachicapitalvehiclesolutions.co.uk 25
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64