Driver not cooperating with the checklist: what to do

The vehicle checklist is a fundamental tool for fleet management.

It is responsible for ensuring that vehicles are in perfect working condition, preventing accidents and unnecessary expenses.

However, it is common to find situations in which the driver does not cooperate with the checklist, which can have serious consequences for the fleet.

Although it is the manager's responsibility to ensure that vehicles are fully operational, they need the drivers' help to receive the information required for their analyses.

So, what should you do when there is this resistance to filling out the checklists correctly? That is what you will find below.

• Why is driver cooperation with the checklist important?
• What to do when the driver does not cooperate with the checklist?

Why is driver cooperation with the checklist important?

Unfortunately, driver resistance to the checklist is quite common in fleets and transport operations, and this can considerably hinder the management of the fleet and the vehicles.

It is important for drivers to cooperate with the checklist because you need information about the vehicles to analyze the fleet's various maintenance indicators.

In addition, they identify issues in the vehicles and make it possible to open work orders to prevent vehicles from being taken out of service.

Fleet drivers' cooperation with the vehicle inspection checklist is fundamental to:

• Identify failures and damage in the fleet's assets: this helps prevent accidents and reduce corrective maintenance costs;
• Open work orders and ensure vehicle availability: preventing vehicles from sitting idle and reducing downtime;
• Avoid unexpected and unwanted stops: maintains productivity and prevents delivery delays;
• Improve the safety of fleet operations: proper functioning helps prevent failures, protecting drivers, cargo, passengers and pedestrians;
• Reduce fuel consumption and corrective maintenance costs: helps improve operational efficiency and increase profitability.

What to do when the driver does not want to cooperate with the checklist?

Understand why the driver does not cooperate with the checklist

When the driver does not cooperate with the checklist, it is important to identify the reason for the resistance and for the drivers' low engagement.

It may be that the checklist is too long, impractical, or that the driver does not understand its importance.

If the issue is with the checklist, it can be adapted to make it easier to fill out and understand.

If the issue is with the driver, work is needed to educate and motivate this professional about the importance of the checklist.

Some common reasons are:

• The checklist is too long or complex.
• The checklist is not practical or easy to use.
• The driver does not understand the importance of the checklist.
• The driver does not see how the checklist can help them.

Once the reason for the resistance has been identified, it is possible to start working to solve it.

Illustrate the importance of the checklist

It is important for drivers to understand the importance of the checklist, since it contributes to vehicle safety, to reducing maintenance costs and to improving fleet efficiency.

Generally, a driver who complains about the vehicles and does not fill out the checklist does not understand how issues can be solved through the checklist.

On this point, Jean Zart, CEO of Prolog, talks about a company where he worked in which the drivers did not fill out the paper checklist. At the time, they simply crossed out the blank columns and handed it to the manager while complaining about their vehicles.

This happened because they did not understand that, through the checklist, it was possible to turn a work order into a fix for the issue found.

Presenting the complete process, from carrying out the checklist to solving the issue, can be a motivator for drivers to adopt the checklist.

Show the driver's role in fleet management

The driver plays a fundamental role in fleet management.

Drivers help the manager both by filling out the checklist and gathering the information to identify the nonconformity of vehicle components, and by helping to have a vehicle that runs without failures and issues.

It is essential for drivers to know that their work is valued and that they are an important part of the team.

Make the checklist easier to fill out

The checklist should be easy to fill out and understand, since a long or complex checklist can discourage drivers from completing it.

It is also important for the checklist to be updated regularly to reflect changes in the vehicles and in maintenance procedures.

That is why using tools that speed up and simplify these fleet processes is an indispensable action. Typically, the paper checklist is the model used in operations with little cooperation in filling out the checklist.

Offering an electronic checklist solution, which can be completed directly on the phone, helps achieve a better result in this respect.

Learn more about how to use this tool in your operation and what other benefits it provides, beyond getting around the driver who does not cooperate with the checklist.
Download this free guide about the Prolog App Electronic Checklist and learn all about the platform (in Portuguese).