What Should You Consider When Furnishing Your Company Fleet For The First Time?

Not so long ago, company cars seemed like a luxury benefit for high-level managers and their favorite employees. Now, companies who are expected to cover greater distances than ever have no choice but to provide company vehicles on a much larger scale. 

This has led to a far higher prevalence of company fleets which, as can be seen from articles like this one about What Is A Fleet Vehicle? | A Guide For Business Owners, typically include a group of company vehicles like service vans. With a fleet onboard, business owners can increase transportation efficiency outside of potentially problematic third-party suppliers. 

If it’s your first time bringing a fleet onboard, then you may have some key questions. The most pressing of which probably be – how do you choose the right vehicle for your fleet in the first place?

Step 1: Bear Your Budget in Mind

As with anything in business, you’ll want to think about your fleet budget first. Of course, this isn’t to say that you should cut corners by choosing low-priced vehicles that’ll ultimately end up as a false economy. But, you do want to consider roughly how much you’re able to dedicate to this purpose once you’ve eliminated costs like vehicle transportation, driver training, and so on. If your budget is limited, then more affordable vehicle options like a reduced number of small passenger vans might be best to get your fleet off the ground. Alternatively, if you have a larger budget to play with, you may want to invest in a mixed fleet that includes SUVs, passenger cars, and vans as required. 

Step 2: Be Aware of Road Legislation

Legislation like clean air zones will see you facing steep fines for the use of older vans in certain cities if you aren’t careful. Even if you don’t intend to operate in countries that have clean air zones in place, most states and countries will have different legislation regarding the kind of training and license that your drivers will need for any given vehicle. This could mean additional expense, and is yet another risk of fines if you don’t take note. So, make sure to research things like relevant license limitations regarding towing and vehicle weights in your areas of operation before you invest in vehicles that breach those stipulations. 

Step 3: Consider the Space You Need

To ensure that a vehicle purchase meets your needs, you should also think hard about how much space you require. For instance, if you’re intending to use your fleet for company travel, then the space in an SUV should be more than ample. Equally, if you intend to use your vehicles for product delivery alone, a small passenger van might suit. However, if you’re intending to transport things like factory supplies, or any other large-scale cargo, you’ll need a far larger payload (the amount a vehicle can carry). As a rule of thumb, aim for a vehicle that leaves you with ample room regardless of your cargo, as this is the kind of fleet that will grow with you, rather than holding you back. 

Step 4: Ask Driver Preferences

Given that you probably won’t be driving these vehicles yourself, it’s also important to ask the opinions of your drivers. These are the people who complete this job every day, after all, so they’ll have a better idea of things like the driving setup they need, the load capabilities they’ll work best with, and the general vehicle comforts that will make their lives easier. Your drivers will also be able to provide vital insights into things like the best van bodywork for your purposes, such as whether a vehicle with flatbeds or drop-sides would be preferable. 

Step 5: Think About Safety

You’re a business manager with a reputation to uphold, and you need to think about fleet vehicle safety to do that. By this, we don’t just mean things like vehicle maintenance and general safety checks, which you should complete as standard anyway. Rather, we’re referring to the addition of in-built safety features, which might include lane assist, automatic emergency braking, and even backup cameras. While these additions may cost more when you’re first furnishing your fleet, they’re sure to save you money on things like repairs or risked reputational damage in the long-run. Ensuring your workers feel safe in this way can also boost employee happiness and fleet productivity overall. 

Furnishing a fleet for the first isn’t easy, but these tips should see you enjoying fleet vehicles that are more than worth the money you spend on them.