July 13, 2023
Abby Nuttall
Driver Articles
Are you a company car driver and unsure what maintenance you should be doing on your vehicle? We’ve got the answers for you! Our team has put together this article with general tips on looking after your company car, there may be some differences depending on your fleet policy.
The first thing you should do is check your contract or any amendments to it that relate to your company car. This is because some companies may have a specific process in place for any maintenance work, and it should give you a breakdown of what is expected of you as the driver of the vehicle.
If you’re unsure of where to find this information, then your fleet management will usually be able to direct you to the right area.
The below is general maintenance for car drivers and is applicable whether you’re in a company car or using a car allowance towards a vehicle you own / lease personally.
You should be regularly checking your tyre condition and pressure. We would advise checking your tyres at least once a month but you may find you may need to do it more / less often depending on how often you drive the vehicle and the mileage you’re covering.
When checking the tyre condition you want to check:
Any damage to the tyre can lead to it losing some of its structural integrity and make it more likely to blow out whilst you are driving, which can cause accidents.
For a more detailed breakdown of what you should be looking for take a look at our guide on checking your tyres.
The fluids under your bonnet should regularly be checked to make sure that they are within the acceptable range (usually between a minimum and maximum marking on the container) and topped up if needed.
You should be checking:
When checking your fluids if you find that you are going through one quicker than expected, or have a sudden change in consumption, this could be a sign of something wrong in the vehicle and you may want to let your fleet manager know so that it can be looked at if needed.
Keeping your car clean not only keeps it looking and smelling nice but can also prevent damage to the vehicle, both on the interior and exterior.
This doesn’t mean that you need to get the vehicle detailed every week but rather take a few small steps to keep it in a clean condition and have more thorough cleaning every five to eight weeks depending on your vehicle usage. These steps include:
You should not generally be asked to pay for or undertake any significant maintenance yourself on a company car. Instead, you should be arranging this with your fleet management team.
Most employees will ask you to conduct regular inspections of the vehicle and complete a report on its condition. Here at Wessex, we call these vehicle maintenance checks but they may be referred to as vehicle condition checks, monthly vehicle reports or something similar.
These checks will be to make sure that the fleet management team is kept updated on the vehicle’s condition, mileage and any other key information they may need to know. They also give you a chance as the driver to report any concerns that you have about the vehicle, though you should be able to do that independently at any time.
You’ll usually be able to complete these checks relatively quickly and easily.
One thing to be aware of is that some of the questions on the check may relate to your eligibility to drive, such as whether you have had any driving penalties or health conditions that disqualify you from driving. It is your responsibility to notify your fleet management team as soon as you become aware of anything that may affect your ability to drive.
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