When was the last time you checked the compliance of your company policy and procedure documentation? Do you, as part of your risk assessment, provide your drivers with the same health and safety scrutiny as their vehicles? Allen Fleet Services (East Midlands) Ltd points out the increased scrutiny of company vehicles.

Over the past few years we have seen in the trade press many articles about duty of care and corporate manslaughter legislation - now we are being made aware of the European Time Directive for drivers. Where will it end?

Unfortunately it will end right on the door step of the business - and more than likely the individual director or manager responsible for this area - if you have not taken steps to make sure responsibility is directed to where it should be. Every employee is responsible in some way or another for their own and colleagues' health and safety. But how is this determined by the business and passed onto the employees and enforced? For instance when someone starts in the factory, do you assume that they can operate the machinery they will be working on? Of course not, as you will be asking for trouble should anything happen. Why then turn a vehicle over without checking the competence and compatibility of its driver to the vehicle?

There are endless questions that you could ask to qualify the previous question, and it will no doubt alert you to the risks involved. However, what excuse will you make when faced with possible prosecution regarding an incident with a vehicle that one of your employees has while on company business? Will your policy and procedure document withstand close scrutiny? Don't be under the illusion that the company vehicle handbook you issue will be sufficient, as you will actually require a comprehensive policy and procedure document that covers every aspect of the employees' responsibilities. This is relevant if they use their own vehicle or a pool vehicle while on company business.

The whole issue of company vehicles is an ever-changing platform and needs to be managed in a more systematic approach than ever before. Long gone are the days when it was passed down the pecking order to some young lass in the office. We all have to work within strict guidelines and legislation. Therefore we need to work in a more accountable way, and by doing so you will actually achieve what we all strive for - an operation that is run efficiently and safely with the costs being managed throughout the life of the vehicle.

One method available today is a fleet audit and analysis (although some can be more thorough than others). Taking advantage of this will cover everything that you have to be aware of and manage with regards to the metal box with four rubber corners. The areas that should be looked at are procurement, funding, maintenance, fuel, insurance, health and safety, risk assessment, operational weaknesses, tax, training, drivers' handbook, duty of care and company policy and procedure documentation.

By choosing this option as a starting base, you will then have a clear picture of where you are as a business and what can be done to implement any changes that, in turn, will drive down the costs for the business in a more practical way without any detriment to the quality of service. In fact in most cases it will actually improve the quality of the information and service that you receive.

The answer may be to outsource all or parts of your operation - this may not cost as much as you perceive it will as most companies that offer a full package of services tend to be competitive and flexible in more ways than one. They can work in partnership with your fleet department if you have one or be your fleet department if you need one. Whether you have one vehicle or hundreds or over a thousand, your issues and problems are the same as each unit is a separate cost centre and risk in its own right, and the way you manage this will only differ in the quantity of work you need to do to ascertain the risks and costs for the business.

The lack of urgency some businesses put on the issues raised above is amazing. For many businesses of various size and age, there seems to be an element of fear in any proposed changes, an uncertainty of how it will affect them, and who is supposed to be in charge of what and who makes the final decision.

There is no right or wrong way to procure and manage your fleet, as every business is different. You know your business better than anyone, so find someone who will listen to you and give you what you want. That is why choosing a company that can be flexible and offer a full package of services could be best for you in the long run as they tend to be independent from any specific funder or manufacturer. Therefore they can offer impartial advice and bespoke the services to the businesses' specific requirements and, most important of all, you should always be allowed to stay in control.

With all the proposed changes in legislation alone, it makes sense to act now and be ready and prepared. Start by getting a full comprehensive fleet audit and analysis done as a starting point, as this will show the status of your own situation and allow the proposed steps to be implemented and monitored, showing the savings by driving down the costs of any inefficiency that is draining your funds.

Once the exercise is done, you will then be in a position to decide the way forward and which areas you would like to outsource. Remember that outsourcing does not necessarily mean that the whole operation is placed in another office somewhere. You have the option to pick and choose what is in the best interests of the business.

Keeping it simple and easy for you to understand should be the way forward, and the existing status with your vehicles should not stop the process of helping you begin, so organise your audit now. Also you should always have the opportunity to procure any service with ease and should always expect to receive professional, flexible and impartial advice and a total commitment to complete customer satisfaction.

So remember that you have the choice. There are many companies who offer similar services but very few who offer a complete package. Don't buy the vehicle - buy the services available, as this will ultimately save you money. You will be pleasantly surprised at what is available in the market place today.