Van driver safety resources created by National Highways added to FleetCheck app

A series of van driver safety resources created by National Highways through its Driving for Better Business campaign have been added to FleetCheck’s widely-used Vehicle Inspection App.

The Van Driver Toolkit is included in the latest update to the product, which has been used to complete more than 11.5 million car, van and truck safety checks since its launch nearly four years ago.

The resources are designed to provide practical advice to drivers of light commercial vehicles about day-to-day safety issues, covering everything from winter driving to safe towing, and driving licences to speed limits.

Peter Golding, managing director, said: “We have a longstanding relationship with Driving for Better Business, which exists to transform fleet road safety in the UK, and are an enthusiastic supporter of their aims.

“Incorporating their advice into a safety inspection app is a fleet industry first, we believe, and we are sure will help van drivers to stay safe while out on the road. It’s a simple yet potentially highly effective innovation.”

FleetCheck’s Vehicle Inspection App was introduced in April 2017 and creates the means for drivers and fleet managers to schedule, carry out, confirm, follow-up and audit all kinds of legally-required inspections from daily walkarounds to weekly or monthly checks.

It has been continually enhanced, notably to incorporate a range of advanced features such as support for languages commonly used among UK fleet drivers; a fit-to-drive declaration; an improved trailer inspection routine; an option for employees to view documentation and policies; and enhanced damage, defect and collision reporting.

Peter said: “The app has been one of our major success stories of the last few years. There has been a general increase in awareness of the importance of this kind of digital safety check product in the market both among car and commercial vehicle fleets, displacing previous paper-based systems, and we have been well-placed to take advantage of the trend.

“However, there have also been a number of developments emerging during the pandemic that have accelerated usage. Van fleets engaged in round-the-clock delivery of frontline services and increasing numbers of people working from home both need to carry out remote safety checks that can be tracked and audited by their fleet managers. Now, with the emergence of Omicron, it feels as though these features have renewed relevance.

“The Van Driver Toolkit is the latest step in our programme of continual enhancement and has already been enthusiastically embraced by our user base. It’s very much the kind of practical and effective improvement that we see as a FleetCheck hallmark.”