A Complete Guide to Fleet Telematics Compliance Requirements

A compliant fleet is a safe and successful fleet. Fleet telematics technology will keep your drivers engaged, vehicles maintained, and assets operational, and it will help reduce fuel spending and insurance claims. 

Road accidents can lead to serious injury or death, which is why every driver and vehicle is subject to driving laws, safety standards, and regular service checks. These safety regulations apply to all private, public, and utilitarian vehicles, but perhaps most especially to fleet vehicles. 

Fleet vehicles must operate optimally, regardless of the road, traffic or weather conditions, location, or time of day. Drivers spend entire business days on the road, mitigating risks to deliver goods or services safely and timely.  

This requires fleet operators and managers to stay fully apprised of unsafe driving behaviours in real time to help prevent accidents and collisions. Safety is always the priority, but so is keeping operations efficient and operational costs as low as possible. 

All commercial drivers must obey the road regulations of the regions in which they operate and those rules specifically set out by the company that employs them. Compliance regulations empower drivers to do their jobs properly while operating within acceptable safety standards.  

Each fleet operator can be very specific about how their drivers load and operate their vehicles, optimise their routes, and determine the hours they spend on the road. With so much to abide by and ever-changing road conditions to consider, fleets hugely benefit from harnessing fleet telematics technology to ensure they follow protocols and better inform their daily movements. 

Fleet telematics gives fleet managers a bird's eye view of how safely, efficiently, securely, and sustainably a fleet operates. Telematics solutions collect vast data sets on all aspects of a fleet's operations, including vehicle and asset conditions. This enables fleet managers to ensure that all vehicles and assets are roadworthy and will not cost the company unscheduled downtime.  

By having the information available to evidence that essential safety and compliance checks have been carried out to specific standards, drivers can provide an auditable trail that proves that their vehicle is well maintained and adheres to fleet compliance regulations. There are essentially five areas of focus that ensure a fleet is fully compliant: 

Safety management 

Fleet safety is essential to reducing accidents, keeping drivers and other road users (such as pedestrians) safe, avoiding fines, managing insurance costs, and avoiding potential legal fees.  

Software is key to risk and safety management because it is a central repository of essential details about fleet drivers, vehicles, repairs, insurance, and road conditions. Collating regular reports on all aspects of fleet operations raises awareness of compliance regulations and provides ample opportunity to continuously review company-led risk management and safety programmes. 

Vehicle maintenance 

Fleet vehicles are used for business purposes, which means they must be properly equipped, inspected, and regularly maintained. Vehicle care reduces fuel consumption and the need for parts replacement, helping to reduce operating costs.  

Data-driven fleet maintenance and asset management software can ensure that all compliance standards are met when servicing fleet vehicles. 

Driver performance 

Fleet drivers must be trained, certified, in good health and fully apprised of all road and fleet compliance requirements. They need to have a valid licence and have met driver training and safety standards for the type of vehicle they are operating.  

Properly trained, well-rested, fully engaged drivers who drive defensively and abiding by the rules of the road and company safety standards reduce the risk of accidents and operating costs for their company. 

Software integrations with third-party solutions can be particularly effective when monitoring vehicle activity and managing driver compliance in terms of behaviour. Fleet telematics provides ample opportunities to proactively address unsafe and distracted driving practices such as overspeeding, harsh braking, harsh acceleration, and mobile phone use.  

Telematics technology allows fleet managers to intervene in real time if drivers are not compliant with driver programmes and operational procedures. Fleet management software further permits the secure electronic filing of documents such as driver's licences, medical records, training certificates, safety policies, and insurance records. This enables fleet managers to keep a driver's information up to date, organised, and easily accessible should roadside audits and other compliance checks need to be performed. 

Company policy 

Fully customised fleet telematics solutions can help develop operational analyses that form the basis of compliance management processes. Dynamic fleets can use rich data sets to build comprehensive fleet practices and policies that can be applied and monitored continuously. Fleet compliance is a continuous process that encompasses the entire operation.  

Establishing company policy and making it readily available encourages a high level of compliance across all vehicles, assets, and personnel. However, company policies are subject to change as new regulatory requirements and business needs arise. Fleet operators can use telematics technology to keep personnel informed of any such changes, avoiding the possibility of a diminished culture of compliance. 

Internal auditing 

Internal auditing ensures that all vehicles, assets, and personnel meet company-led safety and efficiency standards and all road safety compliance regulations.  

A professional auditing firm can train key staff members to carry out departmental audits to ensure that internal and external requirements are being met. This means that documentation is being filled in, checked, and filed regularly.  

Having specialist fleet management software to store and record such information eliminates the risk of last-minute panics when an unexpected external or roadside audit occurs. 

Adhering to compliance requirements can be complicated. With the help of software as a service (SaaS), fleet managers can ensure that dynamic fleets are operating within set regulations such as: 

• Driver qualification: This file should include their employment application, driving records, driver's licence, certificate of violations, annual reviews, pertinent medical information, drug and alcohol testing results, driver-vehicle defect reports, driver logs and supporting documentation, and maintenance and repair records. All these records should be kept on file and fully updated continuously. Failure to maintain proper records can result in penalties and fines. 
• Unsafe driving: This includes overspeeding, harsh acceleration, harsh braking, dangerous cornering, seatbelt violations, reckless driving, driver distraction, driver fatigue, eye-closing, smoking, and mobile phone use. 
• Hours of Service (HOS): Maintain all HOS RODS logs for the required six-month retention period. Check for missing ELD logs to ensure the retention history is complete. Properly document gaps in logs. Review logs as they're received to ensure proper use. Monitor logs for rule violations and accurate event annotations. 
• Crash indication: A private database of crash and on-road incident information that outlines a driver's involvement in said accidents. 
• Preventative vehicle maintenance: Should include oil and oil filter changes, engine tuning, belt and other fluid replacement, brake inspections, tyre rotation and alignment, lubrication, radiator maintenance, and electrical components such as lights, window glass, gauges, batteries, transmission, and any corroded or deteriorating metal. 
• Vehicle maintenance: A log of maintenance issues such as worn-out brakes, broken taillights, or a failure to make required repairs. 
• Controlled substances: Use or possession of a controlled substance, such as alcohol, is strictly prohibited. 
• Hazardous materials: Drivers who haul hazardous materials are held to stricter standards. They must ensure that their cargo is not improperly loaded or leaking, and they must display the proper placard identifying the hazardous material. 
• Operating documentation: Document a driver's ability to operate the commercial motor vehicle, including a valid driver's licence and all medical clearances. 
• Pre-trip inspection: This is a mandatory, thorough inspection of a vehicle and its components before each trip. This includes reviewing the previous driver-vehicle inspection reports for a particular vehicle to track its condition and performance. 
• Post-trip inspection: This is a mandatory, thorough inspection of a vehicle and its components after each trip. Any issues must be recorded and reported to a fleet manager so that repairs can be scheduled. 
• Driver-vehicle inspection reports: Should include the date, vehicle identification number, driver identification number, steering mechanism, wheels, tyres, rims, brakes, air systems, lights, reflectors, mirrors, fire extinguishers, first aid kits, windshield wipers, coupling equipment, spare tyres, power units, and trailer (if applicable). 
• Defect report: After each inspection, a list of defects or deficiencies that could impact the vehicle's safety must be recorded and reported to a fleet manager. 
• Corrective action: Once issues and defects are repaired, the driver must sign off, certifying that corrective action was taken promptly. 
• Background checks: These checks should not stop at point-of-hire. Ongoing screenings, such as routine drug and alcohol tests, driving records, and criminal history, should be monitored. 

Fleet telematics helps companies keep their fleets compliant by removing the guesswork associated with outdated paper practices, which caused confusion and were subject to human error. Using innovative technology to keep fleets compliant helps maximise return on investment and increase the bottom line.  

Visit our compliance page to see how Powerfleet can keep your dynamic and enterprise fleets safe and compliant.