Hints On Writing Your Company Vehicle Duty Of Care Policy

Writing your Vehicle Duty of Care Policy can be a pain! We have written this guide to help you and highlight the important points your policy should include.

We recommend you think of your vehicles as “mobile offices” and download or print an 8 page leaflet by the HSE called “5 steps to risk assessment” from our PDF downloads it will help you to understand the basics of what your policy is all about.

MISSION STATEMENT

Your introduction or mission statement should outline your company/organisations “culture” when dealing with its vehicle fleet with regard to such things as defensive driving, risk assessment, driver’s hours and regular health checks for both driver and vehicle. You should inform people that your policy is a complimentary addition to the main company policy and should be read in conjunction with their contract of employment and a current copy of the Highway Code.

BUSINESS DRIVER

A business driver is anybody who drives any vehicle on Company Business.

In this section you should explain that any driver out on the public roads on the company or organisations business is a company driver and that includes the person that uses an “owned” vehicle on Fridays to collect the fish and chips at lunchtime for the workforce.

Your policy must explain the driver’s responsibilities to the vehicle and respect for it, the limitations and responsibility of use by the driver and others while using a vehicle on business and the management structure authorising a business driver.

Some people use this area to explain driving licences and reporting procedures for them but we prefer this to be included in the LEGAL section.

NB – Reporting structure – Approved Driver List

BUSINESS VEHICLE

The company is responsible for any vehicle, company owned, privately owned or hired with or without driver. When it is used on company business explain your procedure checks for:

Right vehicle for the job
Road worthiness.
Legality
Safe use within the law.

This must be explained clearly in terms of how the company will and will not allow a vehicle on company business to be used e.g. with (trailer) and where (abroad), as they all impinge on the above four.

NB – Reporting structure – Approved Vehicle List – Servicing List

SAFE USE OF A VEHICLE

This is one of the most important sections of any Vehicle Duty of Care policy and you understanding its full implications and how you write it.

It is also where the reporting structure is at is most important and also where it breaks down in a lot of companies.

An example to illustrate what we mean:-

A company driver driving their own car is involved in an accident killing their passenger. The police decide the driver was well above the speed limit both for the road and weather conditions. On further investigation it was found that the driver had been driving to a 4pm sales meeting on the instructions of management and was late. It was also discovered that one of the front tyres was less than 1.6mm. Further investigation by police of company records showed the driver was on a sales bonus scheme related to the number of new customer visits per week.

The Police can lay charges against the driver from driving without due care and attention to dangerous driving and even manslaughter. He will be charged for the illegal tyre, gain 3 points on his licence and receive a fine of up to 2,500.

The Police could also lay charges against the company and its officials for corporate manslaughter if they think they were negligent in their duty of care by the structure of reporting from driver to company and was not actively followed (tyre) and that the sales bonus scheme brought unreasonable pressure on the driver to perform. At the minimum the legal officer of the company, usually the company secretary, will have their licence endorsed with 3 points and a fine (tyre).

NB – No matter how good your Vehicle Duty of Care Policy is with regard to the legality, safe use and clearly stipulates NO work schedule incentives for drivers, if your support structure is not active, problems will occur. Sorry but we will say this again. No matter how eloquent your Duty of Care Policy is written, with all the “do this, don’t do that,” unless – Your Reporting Structure is Robust and Active – You will fail in your Duty of Care!

VEHICLE SECURITY

Sometimes vehicle security is mixed with Insurance or safe use of a motor vehicle. We feel that security is not only that of the vehicle itself but also where it is parked on company premises, customers’ premises and overnight and therefore needs a section of its own.

LEGAL

In this group you base everything your drivers and vehicles need to stay legal on the roads and what happens when they don’t!

You need to clearly outline your company/organizations stance on all things that will stop a person driving legally from drinking, driving offences to non payment of fines and who is responsible for payments both fines & court offences needs to be made clear.

You need to make drivers aware here that they also have a duty of care to keep you informed through the proper procedures which you write of any changes to themselves or the vehicle they drive that could result in legal action. Your main approved lists stem from this section because failure to maintain any one of them can result in Legal Action against the driver and or your company/organisation.

NB – Reporting structure – Driving Licence List – Tax & MOT List – “O” Licence List – Insurance List

INSURANCE

All vehicles used on company business need business cover and it should be made clear to the drivers the position of both the company and insurance company.

ACCIDENTS

The driver is at their most vulnerable immediately following an accident and therefore it is here that you want to be sure that you have done all that you can to support the driver while protecting the company to make sure that the correct procedures will be followed.

NB – Accident forms – for the last time, honest! A strong reporting structure has to be in place for any Vehicle Duty of Care Policy to succeed in your Company/Organisation.

Things To Take Into Account When Choosing An Existence Insurance Coverage

In te event ou haven’t evertheless purchased insurance coverage policy nd ar at te moment thinking bout the advantages f 1, now may be the greatet time and energy t start ff purchasing. Planning fr our long term hich of yur own loved nes is dependent upon intelligent judgements, pecifically i life insurance coverage policies, hich tips culd help you alng te procedure.

Many individuals purchase phrase life insurance coverage hen tey’re young because it’s inexpensive. ther people a convinced t get entire life insurance coverage, hich, contrary t word, has a income importance nd may resumably be viewed as bein an expense. If you’re in god health, phrase is ofte the ideal mportance. ry and lock in phrase insurance plan for or greatst achievable timespan ou will find. When t finishes, if you’e continue to n goo health, maintain loking for phrase. Quite ften, entire life will e more high-priced, bt as yo age roup, term daily life my also get very costly to pay for the unavoidable medical issues tt ma surface. Recall: term life s long as it sems sensible ratewise, thn move to entire life.

ver individual shold considr life coverage. Ths can be a fantastic assist hen a family mmber passes away. It ill help to fund the death elated expenses nd allws a whil t the instant household to recoup fom te damage. Opt for an insurance company ith an excellent track record ad fast transaction history.

e sure t read vr eery oe f the details abut the life insurance plan tat your business offers. You might fd that t oes not be nough. Yu rally should spend money n ne mr policy to ensure tht your loved ones wll hve ample cash n case there is our transferring.

Read all te fine print from te coverage before you sign n th line. Reall know wat savings, exclusions, inclusions, n ny ther smll print is included n the arrangement. You might find tat yu wll discover a no payment clause for pre-resent ailments. Vey careful studying ill hel you ensure tht your sweetheart cn get the funds thy are going to require.

lso visit my site :: over 50 life insurance e sre yo inform te fat when lookig fr life coverage. The organization ou miht e obtaining an idea ith ill probaly verify how the infomation and fat offered n yor program i definitely the reality. eing caught inside a lay uing these organizations coul keep ou from acquiring life coverage.

hen selecting insurance coverage guidelines, ensure o aware of the distinction etween phrase and permanent life insurance coverage. Term insurance s seful fr a set up period – hen t finishes – te insured will not acquire advantages. ong term insurance coverage, hile more expensive, accumulates income alue an is assured to remain in push, as log as the insurance policy monthly payments eep n.

f yo want to spend less n your lifestyle insurance plan, o must strive t improve ur credit. Fr thos who ave low credit rating, o shoul spend greate rates tn anyne ho has ood credit. Te reason eing since a individual uing a very low credit rating s a geater risk to an insurance firm o onsequently, e o he must spend geater costs t mak p fo thi threat.

ven tough yo hav some price savings to pass trough o, ou shouldn’t feel tat thi is sufficient t protect yur expenditures nd support yor loved ons ot when you’e eliminated. ecause of te dying tax a wll as other factors, ur cash may well acquire man years to alter hands. Investing in a life coverage policy ill ensure your loved oes hs ot th cash easily.

Hae your health background all set we loking fo an existence insurance plan, ecause hanging round close t could be a headache fr eveyone. ou ow that they’re planning t ak for our medical history, and exept if ou’ve held record of t oneself, th hospital’s records process mght acquire months r several weeks to obtan it to yu personally.

hen preparing fr any life insurance healthcare test, mke ure o comply with all directions carefully. Concurrently, stay ell hydrated th time efore the examination ad stay cautious of te thins meals ou eat. Gettin bth of thse activities can effct bloodstream board outcomes d help yu be iven a much etter category n insurance coverage ranking.

Check ut your life insurance plan annually. Each and evry time yo have a major daily life celebration, tere exists a possibility tat on ting inside te prepare will hve t be changed. By way of xample, n case you hav an infant, yu mght eed t increase your policy whch mens yur loved one my have wat tey nee hould yo pass away.

s we discussed, tere e several tings to conider whil yo are shopping fo life insurance coverage. Don’t ust jump in and purchase fom our firt company you choose ot of the phone book. Learn mre about ths issue n yo could mke a well informed determination fr that good of yor respective household.

How You Can Benefit from Black Box Insurance

Most young people know that finding car insurance–and more importantly, finding a way to pay for your car insurance–isn’t an easy task. Inexperienced drivers can seem like a liability to insurance providers because you haven’t had the chance to prove that you are trustworthy behind the wheel. Often, young motorists have to pay premiums up to four times as expensive as those that experienced drivers are subject to. From the perspective of the insurance company, this bit of age discrimination is fair because they need to protect themselves financially if you were to file a claim. For you, however, these astronomical fees could prevent you from being able to start driving. After years of struggle, insurance providers have found a way to reach a compromise with younger motorists. Black box insurance plans calculate your rates based on how well you actually drive, using complex technology to track your performance behind the wheel. This type of policy could be the godsend you were looking for to finally attain affordable car insurance.

Every black box insurance plan is a little different, but they all use a similar piece of equipment. A small, “black box”–named after the device that tracks airplanes in flight–is installed into your car, and it uses telematics technology to keep track of how you drive. On a basic level, the black box is a GPS tracker, but it also has an accelerometer inside of it–much like the one in your smartphone. The device is able to keep track of a wide array of data, which it reports back to your insurance provider. The information available from the black box includes how often and how far you drive, how well you obey posted speed limits, how smooth your acceleration and braking tend to be, and how well you handle turns and corners. Knowing these details about your driving habits, your insurance company will be able to tailor premiums to fit your performance.

The way that your driving affects your rates varies among providers. Some black box insurance policies will give you a base premium that can either go up or down each month depending on whether the telematics device reports positive or negative information about your driving habits. Many insurers will allow you to track how you are doing on their mobile app or website so that you know what you need to improve upon. At the end of each month, you may be rewarded with a certain number of points, which translates to your rates increasing or decreasing.

Other plans work a little differently in that the main reason for the black box is to limit how often you are on the road. Studies have shown that the more often you drive, the more likely you are to get into an accident, so some insurance providers limit the number of miles you are allowed to drive each year (and use the black box to make sure you don’t go over your allotment). Common limits for these telematics plans are 6,000, 8,000, or 10,000 miles per year, and you will often be allowed to bump up to the next tier if you are about to go over–though your rate will go up when you increase your mileage. Under these plans, young motorists are rewarded for their safe driving with bonus miles that they are given for free.

Other insurers will quietly use the device when you are just beginning to drive, without it immediately having a positive or negative effect on your rates. Often, these companies will gather all the data over your first year as a customer and then take that information into consideration when you are renewing your policy. If you have been driving safely, you might see a hefty drop in your premiums–often by as much as 50 percent over the first few years. On the other hand, poor drivers will tend to see their rates increase beyond the already astronomical levels. In this regard, you are taking a bit of a risk by opting for a black box insurance policy, but it’s one that will pay off as long as you put the effort into driving responsibly.

Reverse Auctions – Tips for Successful Bidding

Reverse auctions provide an excellent opportunity for increasing your business, particularly in the service sector. The website will notify you of projects posted on a reverse auction site in your area of expertise. You review and bid on those that interest you, and increase your business as you become more successful in your bidding.

To get started, register with selected reverse auction sites that cover the services you provide. Select all the categories you are interested in being notified about, and select the geographical areas that you cover. Most websites will notify you of new projects in your categories and locations. Some reverse auction websites offer the opportunity to include a description of your services, licensing, insurance, bonding, how long you’ve been in business and the like. Most, however, insist that you do not list your contact information, so you’ll need a user name that is different from your business name, and you won’t be able to list phone, e-mail or website address.

This prohibition on contact information stems from two basic causes: First, listing your contact information is an invitation to the customers to contact you directly and subject themselves to your sales pitch before they have had an opportunity to see what other offers the posting might bring out. Second, reverse auction websites normally charge a small fee for successful transactions, and if the business is completed off line, the website will see itself as being short-changed.

So how should you respond to a posting for something you are interested in bidding on? Several factors make for a successful approach.
– Study the posting carefully. Is there enough information for you to adequately bid? Are the size, quality, time frame, accessibility, and other factors clearly spelled out? Are there sketches or photographs to support the posting, so you can better visualize what the job entails?
— If there are details missing, request clarification from the customer. Use the site’s communication tools to tell him or her what you need to know, maybe giving examples of the type of thing required. For example, on a house painting job, maybe the customer didn’t specify the type of paint to use. Suggest your favorite brand and two or three grades for them to pick from. If the sizes aren’t clear, request the specifics you need. If the geographic area isn’t specified, request a zip code so that you know pretty closely where the job is located, assuming it’s a physical job.

– Be sure you check the complete content of the project listing. The contract you enter into is binding on both parties, so you want to be sure you understood everything that was required.

— The other side of this is that the person listing the job may not have included all the information required to do the job, even though the listing appears complete. Include in your bid what your drive-up charge is (again, for a physical job), so that, if the scope is larger than was described, you can describe to the customer how it’s different once you see it, and what the extra charge would be. If they decline, you will have told them what it costs to have you come out to the site and then go away without doing the work. As long as the scope of the work is significantly different than what was described, the contract won’t be valid, but you’ll still be compensated for the time and trouble to show up.

– Many reverse auctions involve programming, website development, editing, technical writing and such, that can be done without ever meeting the customer. In reviewing this type of contract, be sure that the details are clear, and that you ask for clarification you need before bidding. You can, as many suppliers of this type of work do, bid a scoping price, in which the specification and scope of the work will be detailed out in a preliminary contract. Once the full specification is available, you can then bid on the resulting specification.

— Keep an eye on what competitors are bidding, and how they are describing it. Generally you can go back in and modify your bid if you either discover through reviewing their bids that you missed some element of the project, or if they are undercutting your price just don’t allow yourself to become so competitive that you cause yourself a loss!

If you haven’t tried reverse auctions yet give it a whirl. For a few minutes spent registering with a few sites, you may get business opportunities you wouldn’t have seen without being registered. And, as your reputation and rating on the site build up, you will attract more business.

Is Adzoo a Scam

About a month ago a friend of mine approached me with a business opportunity, it was with a company called Adzoo. Now this particular friend is not internet savvy to say the least. To be honest I don’t even think he owns a computer. He told me that the company affiliated of Google and even went so far as to refer to them as “Google’s little brother.” Now I knew something was wrong, I could smell it from a mile away. If this company was in any way affiliated with Google I would have surely heard about it.

Maybe around a week later I was invited to a conference being held by a large insurance company that had decided to go into business with Adzoo. I only went out of curiosity and I have to admit, I was not impressed.

Now I myself have never been into MLM (multi-level-marketing) not to say that there’s anything wrong with people who are, but it is just not my preferred business model. I have learned through experience that for the most part MLM businesses can’t afford to provide a very good service and pay everyone in the down line to, but there are maybe a few exceptions.

The service that Adzoo provides is referred to as SEO when dealing with their customers. What the customers do NOT know is that Adzoo is merely over charging them for ad cost on some very poor ppc campaigns. They promise customers that they will get them on the first page of Google for the key words that they want to rank for within a 7 to 14 day period. This is done mostly on a local scale, and pricing is based on the radius that the person or company want’s to cover. Their targeted consumers are small business owners who are having a hard time with sales due to the emergence of internet shopping.

Now I do agree with one thing that Adzoo has to say in their pitch, and that is that any business that want’s to succeed in today’s market needs to have a strong presence online. However, that is all I agree with. Needless to say, I declined the “business offer” as I was not interested in promoting the organization in any way. I mean after all, if I wanted to make a couple buck overcharging people for adwords I could do it on my own couldn’t I.

So to answer the question, is Adzoo a reputable company? In my personal opinion; no! I checked out some of there work and realized that the businesses that have paid them for services are on the first page of Google, in the ad section! And not for any good keywords related to the industry at that, but the cheaper keywords and the actual company’s name!

If you are a business owner and you are interested in gaining more income via an online presence, I would have to advise you not to do business with this company but rather pay a real SEO consultant. It will probably cost you more upfront but it will definitely be cheaper in the long run (especially seeing as how Adzoo charges some pretty high monthly rates. If you want the true long term benefits that come with having your business online the only way is to get targeted, and organic traffic directed to your business, trust me you’ll be glad you did.