How to Set Up A Business Vehicle Fleet: A Comprehensive Guide

There are a number of major aspects of the modern business life that involve a vehicle. Everyone from bus drivers to salespeople and cargo operators to journalists require a car to do their day-to-day job. Those of you who run the operations of any of these will be more than aware of this fact.

But for those of you who are looking to consolidate your operations for the first time by starting a business fleet, there are some things you need to know about beginning your venture.

Identify the Needs of Your Business

The first step to setting up a business vehicle fleet is to understand your business needs in order to identify the number and types of vehicles that you need.

A business that deals with door-to-door sales will have completely different needs to one that transports cargo. From there, you need to think about other factors that will help determine the type of vehicles that you add to your fleet. For instance, will they need to travel across difficult terrain or will they need to be extremely fuel efficient because of the distance they will be travelling?

A fleet doesn’t need to be made up of the same kind of vehicle for the same purpose, so keep this in mind when establishing your fleet. All you need are two or more vehicles, whether that is cars, tractors, or another form of road transportation.

Keep On Top of Fleet Maintenance

In order to keep your fleet in tip-top shape, you’ll have to consider whether you will deal with the maintenance needs in-house, out-source it, or contract someone to do it for you. Factors such as this will depend on the size of your fleet, since it may be more cost-effective to out-source maintenance when it is required if you only have two cars on your books.

You may also find that buying spare parts in bulk will reduce costs over time if your fleet is big enough.

Make Sure That All Of Your Vehicles Are Insured

Business fleet insurance is a vital aspect of creating a fleet; it’s a legal requirement that any vehicle within the UK is insured so that it can be driven on the roads.

The benefits of using fleet insurance over multiple single vehicle policies is the time it saves due to the renewal only being once a year.

You could save money when using fleet insurance by naming the drivers, ensuring that your staff are fully trained, and branding your vehicle to minimise the risk of theft. However, it is best to speak to one of our experts at insureFLEET to find out what insurance options are open to you.

For more information about insuring your business fleet once you have one established, please don’t hesitate to speak to a member of our team by calling 0333 202 3173. You can also follow us on Facebook or like us on Twitter to keep up to date with all of our latest news!