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Creating a ‘speak up’ culture in fleet

For a fleet manager, creating an environment where drivers feel not only able but actively encouraged to safely report problems is essential.

Opinion
5 min read
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Serious incidents on the road are often not caused by one single catastrophic failure, but rather occur when small issues go unreported over time.

Worn down brakes, schedules which cause fatigue, and near misses being brushed off as simply a part of the job create a culture where drivers feel that they cannot speak up and raise potentially dangerous issues.

While there isn’t a lack of reporting technology or policy, what is missing is a culture where blowing the whistle feels safe, and there is no fear of ramification.

For a fleet manager, creating an environment where drivers feel not only able but actively encouraged to safely report problems is essential.

A reporting culture is a core tenet of risk management with direct outcomes on safety, cost, and liability.

Punitive cultures and what not to do

All too often, we see drivers hesitating to report concerns out of fear of being blamed or facing consequences. They may worry that if they admit to a mistake or flag an issue it will reflect poorly on their performance, impact bonuses, or in the worst case scenario even jeopardise their employment.

In the high-pressure world of logistics and delivery with tight deadlines and vehicles always on the move, the temptation to just carry on can be overwhelming.

This culture of silence lets small risks compound over time and become major incidents. A driver who brushes off early signs of brake wear may later face a total braking failure whilst out on the road.

Feeling a bit tired can quickly escalate into a major collision when exhaustion sets in. From a legal perspective, these shortcomings become evidence of a systemic failure to uphold a safe working environment.

Duty of care

Under UK health and safety law, employers have a duty of care for their employees so far as it is reasonably practicable.

In fleet operations, this duty is not confined to just maintaining the vehicles but also to creating a culture where safety risks can be properly reported – after all, these two pillars have the same outcome.

Any reporting protocol which exists only on paper is unlikely to satisfy the duty of care and may be called into scrutiny when something goes wrong.

On the other side of the coin, organisations which foster a ‘speak up’ culture where honest mistakes and safety concerns are treated as learning opportunities and not occasions for punishment, see far better safety outcomes.

Drivers in such companies are more likely to report defects early, flag if their schedule is too busy, and bring overworking pressures to the attention of managers.

All of these things improve safety on the road and lower the chances of a crash.

There are also commercial benefits. An early reporting culture reduces downtime by seeing to maintenance issues before they escalate and become more costly.

Insurance premiums will also go down due to lower claim rates, and improved operational safety means vehicles spend less time off the road due to avoidable breakdowns and repairs.

The steps to safety

So, what are the strategies for building this culture?

Firstly, leadership setting an example is key. If managers respond punitively to reports, drivers will quickly stop making them.

Conversely, when a report is met with acknowledgement, prompt action, and visible effective follow up, trust will build.

Drivers need to see that speaking up leads to improvement and not repercussions.

Secondly, the system by which reports are made needs to be simple and accessible. Whether it’s an app or a quick email, the process should not be offputtingly complicated.

When the task becomes a chore, drivers are more likely to simply not do it as it will take too much of their time, undermining the whole process.

Creating strong feedback loops is the next step. Drivers need to be informed of what happened after an issue was raised.

If the vehicle was taken off the road, repaired, or a policy was changed, clearly letting the person who flagged it know reinforces the value of them speaking up.

Training is the final piece of the puzzle. Drivers need to be aware that reporting is a part of their professional responsibilities and not an optional extra.

This not only includes raising when there is a vehicle defect, but also flagging fatigue, risky routes, or over-busy schedules.

Managing risks for a resilient future

The roads are an increasingly risky and regulated environment where letting things slide is not the neutral course of action.

Allowing risk to compound over time creates an environment where drivers are actively having to place themselves in danger just to get the job done.

What’s more, it greatly increases the legal exposure of fleet managers should something go wrong. Creating a culture where employees feel able to speak up isn’t just a duty of care, it’s a business must.

John Kushnick is legal director at National Accident Helpline

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