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15 Loss Prevention Tips for Commercial Vehicles

Commercial vehicles loss prevention

Does your business involve the use of commercial vehicles? Then this post is for you! Check out our tips for preventing loss (and resultant insurance claims) with the vehicles in your organization…

Loss Prevention for Commercial Vehicles

– Proper maintenance of your vehicles improves road safety and is crucial to keeping your fleet running. Keep up a regular maintenance schedule (including records of what was done), using only experienced and qualified mechanics. This goes a long way to prevent accidents caused by unexpected mechanical problems or failures. Check out our car maintenance category here on the blog for some more resources.

– Vehicles should be inspected everyday before they are put into use. Use a standardized checklist to ensure that you are not missing anything.

– Make sure your vehicles are equipped with a good spare tire, a jack, a flashlight and flares in the event of an emergency. Here are some suggestions for what to include in a car emergency kit.

– The owner must authorize who can ride in vehicles. Passengers who are not authorized simply should not ride in the vehicle… period. This means no picking up hitchhikers or giving rides to friends.

– Not only can proper use extend the life of your vehicle, it can also prevent damage to the property of others. What does proper use refer to? Think driving on well-maintained/well-travelled roads; following the posted speed limit; proper loading (see next point). Remember, vehicles should only be used for the purpose they were intended.

– Properly secured loads are critical to preventing that most dreaded of driver scenarios – a load spilling all over the roadway and causing damage to others (not to mention the goods in question). Overloading or otherwise improper loading leads to lead shift and/or rollovers.

– Hiring drivers? Be very selective and run pre-employment checks on all employees. A safety conscious driver that has a good clean driving and operating record will take you a long way towards reducing the risk of personal injury to the driver and any passengers as well as any damage or injury to others.

– Pick the right cars. They should be suitable for the type of work they are being used for, as well as the relative experience of your driver team.

– Always lock up your vehicle and take your keys with you even if you only need to run in somewhere for a few minutes (leaving your engine running while the car in unattended is a major risk to take!).

– Be sure that your keys themselves don’t have any identification tags on them and that they are kept on a different key ring from any other business keys.

– Commercial vehicles often have plenty of valuable items, such as log books, delivery schedules, cash, cheques etc. Never leave any of these items exposed to view – would-be thieves will be on the lookout.

– Keep mum about the content of your vehicle, your load, your destination and never leave your load unattended.

– Making deliveries? Be sure that they receiving party always signs for them.

– Need to park for a while? Make sure to park in a well-lit area (both for your own personal safety and that of your car). If you’re parking for the night or grounding your car for a bit, a locked garage or other protected location is always your best bet.

-Think anti-theft devices. There are so many of them available, both for vehicle and cargo protection. Shop around for the one (be it mechanical device, alarm or electronic immobilizer) that best suits your vehicle and your cargo.

Want more advice and recommendations? Click here for more business insurance and business protection tips.

Have further questions about vehicles in your business? Need some general information about commercial insurance? Contact us today. Looking for a quote for your business’ insurance needs or for commercial auto insurance? Click here.

Click here to get in touch with our team for a business insurance quote in Ontario or give us a call at 1-855-237-2905

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