Every fleet operator knows that their drivers are valuable. They’re a core component of what keeps your business running — and they’re the face of your company that’s shown to your customers.

But some businesses aren’t doing as much as they could.

Your drivers are more than a financial asset or a business tool. They’re a part of your team — and if you want your business to carry on thriving, you need to make sure you’re taking care of them.

Here’s how smart companies help to keep their drivers happy:

 

Make comfort a priority

Most commercial vehicle drivers are on the road for long hours — with either cross-country journeys, or multiple trips back and forth each day.

Your vehicles are their workspace. And just like any worker in an office or a technician in the workshop, your drivers deserve a working environment that helps them do their best work — without distraction, and without discomfort.

That’s why the best fleet operators take the inside of the vehicle just as seriously as the outside. They make air conditioning a staple part of their vehicle maintenance — investing in their own in-house Air Conditioning Service Units and disinfecting units to keep their A/C systems in top condition all year long.

A comfortable driver is a happy worker. They’re more focused on the road and the job at hand, and they’re less likely to feel the fatigue and distraction that can lead to dangerous incidents.

 

Give them a smooth journey

Even the best drivers can struggle over long journeys. Between challenging traffic and unpredictable conditions, the hours on the road can wear down your drivers, leading to increased fatigue, poor concentration, and an increased risk of accidents.

And while you can’t control the weather or the traffic, you can still do everything you can to make your drivers’ journeys as smooth and effortless as possible.

We’ve talked before about poor wheel alignment, and how a tiny difference between the wheels can cause a massive sideways drift in the steering of your vehicle.

In fact, a wheel that’s just 2mm out of alignment can create a drift that would cause your vehicles to cross multiple motorway lanes — every single minute of your journey.

That’s a huge sideways movement that your drivers have to compensate for. And it’s a massive physical burden that keeps adding up over every hour of their trip.

So if you want your drivers to stay focused on the road — and make their ride as smooth and painless as possible — you need to make sure every vehicle has the proper wheel alignment before every journey.

For some workshops, that means dealing with the huge expense and hassle of frequently outsourcing your wheel alignment.

But the smartest workshops are saving time and money with their own in-house equipment — investing in Electronic Wheel Alignment Systems and dedicated Wheel Balancers to keep their vehicles efficient and take the strain off their drivers.

 

Put their safety first

This one should go without saying — but the safety of your drivers (and the public) should always be a top priority. And unfortunately, some of the most important safety procedures are also the easiest to overlook.

In practice, that means you should always:

• Give your drivers the right training — not just in how they drive, but in the maintenance of their vehicles, and the warning signs to watch out for
• Carry out daily walk-around checks on every vehicle before every journey
• Make frequent testing a regular part of your everyday maintenance — especially when it comes to brake testing and headlamp testing
• Ensure that your vehicles’ tyre treads are always above the legal minimum — and change out any tyres that don’t meet the standard
• And give your drivers adequate rest and reasonable shifts — regardless of the demands of your business.

There are plenty of good financial reasons to put your drivers’ safety first — both in terms of avoiding extra costs, and reducing the risk of legal claims.

But beyond the financial reasons, there are benefits that are just as important:

You’re giving your drivers peace of mind. You’re proving how valuable they are as a part of your team, and you’re helping to create a working environment where they can feel secure and thrive in their jobs.

And the result?

They’ll be happy to do their best work for you — and to stick with your company for as long as they can.