Fleet Vehicle Basics

If your Chicago-area business relies on a group of vehicles in order to complete daily operations, you need to understand the basics of fleet vehicle management. But first, what is a fleet vehicle? It’s not a trick question: in order to qualify as a fleet vehicle, a given model simply needs to be part of a group of vehicles that is owned or leased by a business or organization, rather than an individual. So, any vehicle can be a fleet vehicle; it just needs to be part of an organization’s fleet!

What is Fleet Vehicle Management?

Fleet vehicle management is the practice of acquiring, monitoring, organizing, and recording data on an organization’s fleet. But what is fleet vehicle management in practice, and what does this term mean where your business or organization is concerned? Let’s take a closer look at the work that goes into managing a fleet of vehicles:

• Fleet managers must be capable of choosing and purchasing vehicles for the fleet. Of course, the team at Badger Truck & Auto Group would be happy to help you find models that fit your precise needs.
• Fleet managers must take responsibility for maintaining the vehicles in the fleet. This necessarily involves detailed tracking procedures and well-organized record keeping.
• Although financial obligations may not fall entirely under the purview of the fleet manager, most managers should have at least some understanding of the tax code related to purchasing and using vehicles for business purposes.
• Fleet managers are often responsible for tracking and reviewing the activity of drivers, and making recommendations in order to improve efficiency.
• Fleet managers also need to ensure that there is a qualified driver behind the wheel of every fleet vehicle. This may require you to learn a thing or two about CDLs and truck classifications.

How Many Vehicles Do You Need for Fleet Insurance?

Insurance costs add up quickly, and that’s doubly true if you’re dealing with a whole fleet of vehicles. However, fleet insurance is often a good option for Madison and Waukesha-area businesses — as long as you can meet the minimum qualifications. So, how many vehicles do you need for fleet insurance? The good news is that in many cases, two vehicles will be enough to get you started. Different insurers may have different policies.

However, it’s also true that the benefits of fleet insurance grow as you bring more vehicles into your fleet. Many businesses will not want to consider fleet insurance until they have at least three vehicles. Others may wait until they have five or more. The best way to learn more about fleet insurance and associated costs is to contact local insurers and ask about their policies!

Create Your Gas or Electric Vehicle Fleet with Badger Truck & Auto Group

Whether you’re building a traditional gas-powered fleet or you’re leaning into the future with an electric vehicle fleet, the team at Badger Truck & Auto Group would love to help you take the next steps. You might find that the Ford F-150 Lightning feels like a perfect fit for your fleet, or you might end up choosing larger commercial vehicles. Whatever way you end up going, you can count on us to be there with you at every step of the way. Contact us today to start a conversation!