Fleet Policy Updates: Mobility Options

The mobility movement is altering the makeup of fleet in many organizations. With driver-provided, shared and non-traditional vehicles—such as scooters—entering the equation, companies are tasked with finding a new balance for their fleet.

“A leased vehicle does not mean the vehicle is assigned to one individual driver nor does it mean that it’s the best option in all situations,” Dan Belknap, director of product management at Wheels, wrote in The Right Mix: Evaluating Today’s Mobility Options a feature of the Wheels Mobility Guide. “It’s important to step outside the one-to-one assigned model as there are strong alternatives for drivers who may not need a vehicle every day or for situations when there are additional expenses associated with the business trip.”

Overall, it’s an exciting yet pivotal time for corporate fleets, which is why it’s so important to keep your policy up-to-date.

Mobility and Fleet Policy Risks

As employees gain access to more choice, companies may endure more risk—when not prepared.

Without a thorough fleet policy employees won’t know how to deal with the new types of mobility expenses coming from ride-hailing, scooters and reimbursed driving, for example. Additionally, there’s a scope of visibility into the employees that is lost without a centralized approach to the suite of mobility solutions offered or simply permitted by the organization. In addition to the safety and financial reasons, there may be brand risks if a mode of transport falls contrary to the mission of your organization. Also, a connected vehicle program is often part of the mobility equation due to the safety benefits of tracking driver behavior. Data privacy is an important facet of fleet policies, so you’ll need to have a detailed plan for handling employee’s driving data that accounts when the employee leaves the organization.

What To Include In Your Fleet Policy About Mobility

First, consider your plan for handling the various mobility modes.

Modes of transport: Begin by determining the different modes of transport your organization permits for reimbursed business travel. Is there a preference or partnership with Uber vs. Lyft? Are both e-scooters and bikes permitted? Are there safety requirements, like wearing helmets? With the help of your fleet management provider, do a deep dive into each mode and outline all the usage requirements and restrictions, if any.

Next, look beyond vehicle choice as mobility also extends to new technologies.

Alternative powertrains: Electric vehicles are an important part of mobility. If your organization is offering the use of alternative powertrains, there should be a detailed section in your fleet policy that speaks to charging station installation requirements in the home, if any, and reimbursement for charging expenses and charging mandates, if using a plug-in hybrid.

Connected vehicle: If your vehicles are equipped with GPS, acceleration, braking and other tracking tools then data privacy is a factor. How long will that information be stored? Who is it accessible by? Is it deleted once the driver is no longer assigned to the vehicle? Consult your fleet management provider for a comprehensive list of items to cover.

Autonomous features: Self-driving vehicles aren’t yet dominating the roadways, but their features are already equipped in many vehicles. If you don’t wish to allow drivers to turn off blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assistance or any autonomous features, be sure to include that language in your fleet policy.

Questions about what to include in your fleet policy? Ask me at tharrison@wheels.com.