Insure Fleet – Top winter tips for your fleet vehicles

Due to recent adverse weather conditions we have all been finding commuting to work and meetings more difficult. For this reason, here at  Insure Fleet (fleet insurance experts) we’ve came up with some tips for looking after your company vehicles during the winter:

• Keep essential supplies: This is probably the simplest thing action you can take! The most obvious things to consider are an ice scraper and a spare tyre along with the tools to change it. However, you might also want to contemplate adding some other additions to your car boot such as engine oil, washer fluid and coolant. Finally, carrying a torch is also helpful if you are travelling late at night along with walking boots, gloves and a blanket for if you are left stranded.

• Get your engine checked: The belts and hoses in your car engines will be checked during your service however these can be weakened during the cold weather. If something snaps or breaks while you are traveling the only way to get moving again may be to wait for your breakdown service. For a business this could meet missing essential appointments with clients not to mention costly repair bills. Therefore, it wouldn’t hurt to get your vehicles checked by a mechanic.

• Fill up your tank: Do you or your staff ever avoid visiting the petrol station until your gage is on the red? Despite the fact that this is never a good idea at any time of year as you run the risk of breaking down, during the winter the potential damage you could inflict on your fleet vehicles is much worse. The cold weather can cause condensation and ultimately water to form in the tank. If this water finds its way into your cars fuel lines it will freeze up and block petrol getting to the engine. This again is extremely costly to repair!

• Check antifreeze levels: Antifreeze protects your car from heating up, freezing and corrosion. In between your services you may have to top up your anti-freeze which should always be kept at a 50:50 ratio to water. To make this easier you can now purchase pre-mixed bottles from good petrol or service stations. This is well worth doing as if the tank freezes your car will overheat causing the head gasket to blow!

• Use correct engine oil: The cold weather can cause your engine oil to thicken which may prevent it from flowing properly between the parts of the engine to get too hot! Your owner’s manual will tell you what type of oil you should use and may suggest one that is thinner or with a higher viscosity during the winter. Also remember, most mechanics recommend changing your oil every 3,000 miles.

• Assess tyre pressure: If you are not lucky enough to have your fleet vehicles equipped with winter tyres it is even more important that you and your staff keep an eye on your tyre pressure. Deflated tyres close up and have a serious negative impact on friction increasing the likelihood of skidding and losing control on icy ground. You can check your tyre pressure at most petrol stations and it costs next to nothing so there really is no excuse!

We really hope you have found this article useful….please remember to drive safely and get up early to prepare your car! Also keep in mind we’re here to help with all your fleet insurance needs so contact us if you would like any advice or a competitive fleet insurance quote.