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The Fuelcard Company Warns Fleet Drivers to Keep Their Vehicles Tidy to Avoid Becoming a Target for Petty Thieves
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The Fuelcard Company is warning fleet drivers to keep their dashboards clutter-free to avoid becoming a target for petty thieves.
In a survey of 2,000 fleet personnel, a third of van drivers had fast food packaging on their dashboards, while 24 percent had cuddly toys and other accessories and 21 percent had newspapers.
Fleet maintenance expert Fleet Support Group (FSG) has recently reported that the interior condition of some employees' vehicles is so appalling that many garages have refused to carry out work until the rubbish has been removed.
Jakes de Kock, Sales and Marketing Director at The Fuelcard Company, said such untidiness could result in fleet drivers being targeted by opportunist criminals looking to steal fuel cards, satellite navigation systems and mobile phones, as such items are less likely to be missed in a cluttered cab.
"We already know that freight crime is on the rise so it is imperative fleet drivers do everything in their power to reduce the likelihood of becoming a target. An untidy vehicle can make it more difficult to identify whether something has been taken, giving criminals time to fraudulently purchase fuel and withdraw money. If spotted straight away, fuel cards can be stopped immediately preventing a petty crime turning into a financial disaster which could cost your company thousands. Fortunately for customers of The Fuelcard Company, we offer zero liability optional cover on all our fuel cards
Thefts from heavy goods vehicles have almost doubled since last year, rising to 448 thefts over a three month period in 2011, compared to 244 over the same period in 2010 as previously reported by The Fuelcard Company.
The survey, conducted by Autoglass, also revealed that 33 percent of van drivers and 34 percent of truck drivers have had between 11 and 30 near misses in the past year due to obscured views caused by dashboard clutter.
De Kock said not only does an untidy vehicle create a serious accident risk, but it can also affect the resale value of company vehicles.
"For fleet drivers, their cab is effectively their office and therefore the same health and safety rules should apply. This survey reveals a shocking number of near misses and fleet managers need to address the issue of rubbish in vehicles as a priority," said de Kock
"Treating company cars, vans and trucks like litter bins will also take its toll the condition of the vehicle and such abuse will affect resale values," he added.
Contact Information
Rachael Hunter
Acceleris Marketing Communications
Town Centre House
Cheltenham Crescent
Harrogate
HG1 1DQ
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