What is a grey fleet? Does your organisation have a grey fleet? How do you manage a grey fleet? Am I responsible for a grey fleet?
To help answer these questions the NRSPP Steering Committee established a new working group to explore this issue and identify solutions for employers. The working group kick-off workshop was hosted by Zurich in Sydney on 25 May where these questions where explored.
For those of you who don’t know, a grey fleet is not older drivers but a term used to depict vehicles used for work purposes that are not owned or leased by the organisation employing the driver.
So what is a grey fleet?
In other words, grey fleet refers to that proportion of work vehicles whereby the vehicles being used is owned or belongs to the driver in contrast to the vehicle being provided by the organisation. The novated lease, the volunteer paid mileage, the employee using their own vehicle instead of a fleet.
Grey fleet is a hot topic because many organisations are exploring it as an option to try and reduce costs. However, in doing so the vehicle is still recognised as a work space so the same responsibilities apply.
Specific challenges for organisational fleet management relate to enforcement or adherence of their grey fleet drivers or contractors to organisational safety policies procedures and legislation. In addition, various organisations may experience slightly different safety management issues in regards to grey fleet depending on the type of organisation and activities associated with business operations.
For example, a not-for-profit and volunteer sector versus building and construction sector, or business sector. Consequently, there is a need to investigate grey fleet activities operations and safety management within various organisations and develop a range of safe driving initiatives and interventions to assist the fleet management in ensuring work and community driving safety.
Some of the actions which the working group will explore include:
- A clear definition of what is included within grey fleet and the legislation surrounding it
- Helping organisation calculate the size of their grey fleet
- Development of a policy structure and supporting implementation plan
- Establishing a baseline
- Identify what is pushing workers into the grey fleet
- Explore whether grey fleet drivers take better care of the vehicles than if they were in a fleet vehicle.
Who is part of the Grey Fleet Working Group?
The Working Group was chaired by Dr Darren Wishart from CARRS-Q and included the following partners:
- CARRS-Q – Chair
- AstraZeneca
- Churches of Christ in Queensland
- Coke-Cola Amatil
- Commonwealth Bank
- IAG
- NRSPP
- Qantas
- Rabobank
- Sanofi
- SA Power Networks
- SilverChain
- State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA)
- Telstra
- TR Fleet
- Uniting Care Queensland
- Vero
