HGV Fleet Risk Management

Many commercial vehicle companies use heavy goods for transportation across the world. But how many of those commercial vehicle companies are effectively implementing safety measures that need to be taken at high levels across the board? Well, in this blog we are going to discuss HGV Fleet Risk Management. 

Heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) have some standards in place than any other type of commercial vehicle. As an HGV fleet manager, you should be aware of how to manage and mitigate the risks in HGV fleet management. 

If fleet management risks are not managed properly, your HGV drivers could receive fines of up to £20,000 for breaching regulations. Also, it can make matters worse with unlimited fines. However, HGV fleet managers must constantly work to reduce road safety risks to the HGV drivers.  

So, what are the necessary steps to be undertaken by ensuring fleet safety management? - and how does it affect the HGV fleet insurance?  

Keep reading this blog, and you will discover how you can manage HGV fleet risks more effectively?  

HGV Drivers Safety and Behavior

Due to the nature of work, HGV drivers will lead to prone to a variety of health issues. Working away from home and driving for long hours can be tolling due to lack of sleep & some physiological problems. 

Sitting down for a longer hour isn’t good for anyone. HGV drivers will face the risk of high blood pressure, obesity, high cholesterol, & heart disease. 

The medical standards for HGV drivers are higher than regular drivers. It's because of the size of vehicles & the amount of time HGV drivers are required to spend driving. Moreover, the Group-2 license holders of HGV drivers are required to clear a medical exam before they start driving LGV vehicles (lorries or trucks). 

So, as an HGV fleet manager, what can you do to improve driver safety?  

• Check your driver that they meet all necessary medical standards for operating an HGV and have a proper license. 
• As a fleet manager, you can manage risk by paying special attention to their health and well-being.  
• Check your HGV compliance strategy by ensuring that you’re fully compliant with regulations.  

When it comes to driver behavior, you can install a tachograph in your fleet of vehicles for recording the vehicle speed and distances. In addition, it can be used to measure driving time, which will be helpful for employees to follow the rules of driver’s hours. 

A tachograph is essential for fleet managers in order to comply with HGV regulations such as driving hours and driver's behavior. As well as, the tachograph data allows fleet managers to educate their drivers on traffic laws & responsible driving across different forms of training. 

Reducing HGV Vehicle Risks

HGV comes with a wide array of potential hazards that drivers can be exposed to. It includes restricted vision due to vehicle sizes. Especially, for this reason, drivers' behaviors such as tailgating can sometimes go unseen by HGV drivers. In addition, the drivers might find it very difficult to avoid collisions due to increased stopping distances. Due to heavy winds, Heavy good vehicles (HGV) will lead to vulnerability, and drivers might lose control of the HGV vehicle. Well, the Driver and Vehicle standard agency (DVSA) requires HGV drivers to implement regular checks before they drive one of their vehicles. Driver training can reduce HGV fleet risks by educating drivers on managing the vehicles safely.

How telematics technology helps HGV?

Telematics technology is an efficient tool for fleet management solutions and managing the HGV driver shortage. Telematics technology offers real-time tracking and visibility of entire fleet assets and reduces the manual work that needs to be done by drivers.

It enhances operational efficiency & reduces the required training time for HGV drivers. It is achieved through sharing insightful data between the supply chain and its systems. Additional benefits of the technology include preventative maintenance insights, HGV engine monitoring, and uptime maximization for real-time vehicle risky behavior & driver coaching tools. Therefore, telematics technology helps in improving fleet safety management, increasing savings, and reducing risk. 

How to reduce the HGV Fleet Insurance cost?

Spending the money and time to ensure drivers are safe might seem like an expense to some people, but in reality, it’s an investment. A well-designed fleet risk management program will always benefit your business.

Safe driving will naturally lead to fewer accidents and result in lower insurance premiums. Moreover, there are a number of ways to reduce your fleet insurance costs too. Here you’ve some ways to reduce the risk level associated with your policy. 

• Install vehicle trackers & security devices on your fleets  
• Install dash camera on your fleets  
• Reduce your liability levels  
• Renew your fleet policy  
• Invest in driver training 

By enacting these factors in your fleet management, you can avoid the risks in HGV fleet management. Moreover, at Fraikin, we bestow a comprehensive HGV fleet insurance policy. If you would like to know more about the HGV fleet insurance quote, call us today & receive guidance from one of our trusted advisors.