Owning and operating your own business can be an incredibly satisfying accomplishment, but if that business requires the operation of a fleet of vehicles, there are a number of challenges that you need to be willing to face. Maintaining fleet vehicles can be difficult enough, but when an accident or incident involving one of your vehicles pops up, it's essential that you know you'll be fully protected.
Below, you'll find a guide to some questions you should be sure to ask your business's insurance agent about keeping your fleet secure. Having the answers to these questions can allow you to navigate daily challenges with increased confidence and can help guarantee that you're able to stay on the road for years to come.
Ask About Driver Liability
One of the most difficult aspects of managing the insurance coverage for fleet vehicles is determining the extent to which individual drivers bear responsibility. As official representatives of your company, they're likely to be protected, but you also shouldn't be obligated to cover damage that occurs due to reckless usage.
Your policy will likely be able to be structured in a way that provides you at least some protection from improper behavior on the part of your employees. Having this added layer of shielding can allow you to scale down your oversight and relax your daily concerns.
Ask About Updated Documentation
Most vehicle fleets are large enough that it can be a challenge to keep track of the proper paperwork for each individual vehicle. The simple act of maintaining update proof of insurance at all times can become a stressful consideration, and it's one that you need to be prepared to sort out.
Talk to your agent about the best way to synthesize that information and make it readily available when necessary. In many cases, the best solution is simply to structure your policy so that all of your vehicles lapse at the same time, guaranteeing consistency across the board.
Ask About Off-Hours Incidents
The risk of an incident occurring in one of your fleet vehicles at a time when it isn't performing company business may represent a complicated situation. It's important that your company assets aren't put at risk by an untimely accident that has nothing to do with business operations, but it's equally important that your fleet vehicles can enjoy full coverage. Your business insurance agent, such as from Northeast Insurance Agency, can balance these risks by managing that aspect of your policy and guaranteeing all of your assets are fully secured.