Is Mr. Fixit Driving For Your Fleet?

Here’s a frightening thought for you. What if you had, driving in your fleet, someone who fancied him-or-herself a Mr. Fixit? What if you didn’t specify very clearly in your fleet policies that they were instructed "hands off their vehicle in case of an emergency," even if they felt they were equipped to deal with it? What if the jack slipped and the car came down on their foot as they were changing the flat, or the crossbar slipped when they were turning the lug nuts? What if they turned around and sued you? It’s a possibility.

Having implied procedures and emergency crews in place may not be enough. Macho do-it-yourselfers, strong-willed types, and the occasional hard-head sometime need the incentive of policies to not do something. As some of NAFA’s fleet professionals on LinkedIn.com have stated in an ongoing forum thread, the costs saved by having your very own Mr. Fixit on-staff can be immediately outstripped if one of them ends up in the hospital, or in a lawyer’s office, or before a judge.

Ken Bailey, the Equipment Services Manager for the City of Oakland said, "We don't condone drivers doing repairs. They are expected to inspect their vehicle, check fluids, and keep it clean. If they are equipment operators they are expected to lubricate, clean, and make adjustments to specialty equipment."

"One of the first things I do when new vehicles arrive in my fleet is to remove the spare tires," said Bryan Barry, Fleet and Contract Relations Manager for Veolia Transportation. "I do not want any of my drivers doing repairs or changing a flat for a number of reasons. First, it's a huge liability if they were to get hurt and I do not want any of my people getting hurt. Second, I do not trust the drivers to be able to make good decisions when it comes to repairs. The drivers are not certified mechanics no matter how good the intentions are. I go out of my way to have a good contract with a local tow company and utilize their services as much as needed. I also have a full staff of mechanics to fix vehicles, that's what I pay them for."

Likewise, Amanda Kent said, "The liability of any type of injury from an employee changing a flat on the side of the road would be astronomical. In my experience, it would be less costly in the long run to secure a vendor relationship with a mobile fleet maintenance company who would absorb the liability of any kind of accidental occurrence. I would suggest speaking to your insurance provider before making any decisions on this subject.

"So, yes, having people on call would be the procedure I would put in place as a fleet manager."

So even though having a driver that fixes their own tires, rehangs their own exhaust systems, and jumps their own batteries might sound like the deal of the century, get it in writing that your drivers understand not to succumb to do-it-yourself tendencies and will, instead, leave it to the experts; sometimes they do know best.

What's your opinion? Join the discussion of this and other fleet and auto-related topics. Visit LinkedIn and find the NAFA Fleet Management Association page to weigh in.

NAFA Fleet Management Association
125 Village Blvd., Suite 200
Princeton, NJ 08540

Telephone: 609.720.0882 Fax: 609.452.8004