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How to minimise and manage fleet fines effectively

In an ideal world, your company would never face any traffic fines or penalties.

But all fleets, whatever their size, are only as good as the people who operate them.

 

If you manage a fleet, it pays to be prepared. And that starts with setting up a fine management system. Have a read of our ‘five key steps to keep your fleet compliant’ and avoid getting caught out.

The cost of not staying on top of fines

From speeding fines to parking fees, it’s obvious that every unexpected cost your drivers incur drains money from your budget. And if they are not paid on time, you could face even harsher penalties.

 

  • The potential consequences?
    • Hefty pay-outs
    • Messy claim proceedings
    • Extra admin time
    • A drain on resources
    • Even reputational damage

How to minimise the risk of fleet fines

These steps can help minimise the risk of fines, and the associated costs when they do arise.

1. Develop a clear policy

It’s vital to create a comprehensive policy which outlines the consequences, procedures and responsibilities related to fines and penalties. But it’s no good if your employees aren’t aware of its existence. You need to clearly communicate your policy to all of your drivers and stakeholders. Make sure every time you update it you communicate those changes too.

2. Educate and train drivers

Good fleets invest in their drivers regularly. After all, it’s the drivers who are out on the road every day representing your business – and they need a hand to help keep up with traffic regulations, tolls and charging zones, safe driving practices and so on. Conducting training programmes to educate drivers on the risks of unsafe driving and the rules they must follow (including what to do when they receive a fine) should help reduce speeding f

3. Track and review fines

Recording all driver violations, including traffic offences, parking tickets, unpaid toll fees and other infringements is the best way to keep track and stay in control. We recommend you maintain a central database or use fleet management software to organise your data. Not only does this help you stay on top of fines and pay them on time, but it could prove useful for identifying drivers who may benefit from training or guidance.

4. Maintain documentation

Once your fines and penalties have been processed, it’s still important to keep this data somewhere easily accessible. That’s because it will be useful for audits, reporting and resolving any future disputes. This will reduce your admin time significantly too.

5. Review and, where possible, automate processes

There’s always room for improvement. So, make sure you continuously evaluate and refine your penalty and fine management process and system. Fleet management technology can automate much of the fines tracking and management process. This will enable you to reduce your admin and improve how quickly you can identify problem areas and take steps to rectify them.

How we can help

We know that sometimes fines and penalties are unavoidable – that’s why we’re here to help.

 

Our fines management process consolidates fines payments into your monthly invoice to reduce your admin, while our free Advanced Fines Notification service helps avoid late-payment penalties.

 

And our proactive approach to fleet support means we can often spot problem areas quickly to help you minimise repeat fines.

Talk to our experts

Got questions? We’ve got answers

If you have any questions about fleet management for small or medium enterprises our team of experts are here to help, offering you comprehensive knowledge, clarity and can focus on your specific requirements.

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