Using your personal vehicle for work purposes
Using your personal vehicle for work purposes is also known as grey fleet. Some employees may feel that using their own cars for business travel may be convenient for them. As for the company, they may agree to this as it saves company cars from incurring high mileage on their business cars. Employees using their vehicles for work related matter can beneficial to the company, but if the employee has an accident whilst out on business, the company can be held liable for the damages.
What grey fleeting contains
Your car doesn’t necessarily have to be brand new, it could even have been purchased via private car sales or it may even be a rented vehicle used for work. When out on company business with your car, you are entitled to follow up on fuel allowance from management. Even if the vehicle falls under your personal possession, it is the responsibility of your employer.
The risks
Grey fleets could become a complicated matter for management in cases where it comes to managing the safety of the cars and attempting to keep record of the status of the vehicle. Your manager will need to see to and keep track of the legal requirements of the vehicle, such as:
- Road Tax validity
- Road worthy certification
- Insurance details including business use
- Driving license validity
Sustainable use for business
Your vehicle needs to be sustainable for business, and managers will first have to get the car checked out before they allow an employee vehicle out on the road to do business for them. They will most likely first check whether the vehicle in a good condition so that they can verify if it is suitable for the journey requirements of the company. The vehicle age will be taken into account, as well as whether it is equipped with ABS breaking system and electronic stability control. All you need to see to is the air conditioning of the car for those long, hot day trips.
View your company policy guide on grey fleet, to ensure your vehicle is covered by the agency before you make use of it. In some instances employees using their own vehicles may be freestanding of the customary insurance and servicing policies, which means that their vehicles are not covered for company travel.
Your responsibility
It will be your responsibility to conduct regular maintenance and safety checks on the vehicle, keep all record of information supplied and to request that management establish regular safety checks to ensure their vehicle remains in roadworthy condition and is legal. Most companies do offer the option of grey fleeting, but they also need to cover the basics of grey fleet management to protect the company and you, to help meet any legal requirements should any faults should arise.