Bringing a fleet together to achieve your overall goal

2 Minute Read

For a charity to operate, each moving cog has to work independently and in sync. From the volunteers in your shops to the fundraisers on the streets to the van drivers on the road, everyone has a part to play in your well-oiled machine.

You might have a different idea of which is most valuable, but we believe the core of your charity is your fleet. You could say we’re biased, but the fleet is the only way to get donated items from shop to customer or vice versa. If you want to achieve your goals, you need your fleet to work fluidly and flawlessly – every van and every driver.

Organising your staff

Let’s start with the drivers. Their job will be different every day. They’ll go to new places, meet new people, and who knows what strange items they’ll pick up along the way. Unfortunately, they’ll probably experience the same problems far too often. Traffic, road works, delays – all too frequent for their liking. It’s enough to put anyone in a sour mood.

But you need them at their best to deliver the best possible service. You can’t have them meeting donors with a foul attitude. There are ways you can make their lives easier (more on that in a minute) but you can still work on their morale.

Remind them why they’re doing what they’re doing. Whatever your cause is, it’s something worth fighting for. And don’t give them a vague notion, such as “you’re doing this to fight cancer” or “you’re doing this to help starving children”. Find an actual case study – an actual human being – they can connect with. A human face that shows what they’re doing matters.

Organising your fleet

If you want your drivers to be in a better mood, you can always give them the tools to get their job done right. A modern, efficient, environmentally friendly fleet is what you need. We know in charity, it can be tempting to save money by going for older models. But there’s a reason they call Euro 5 vehicles “dirty vans”. They are out of date and if you’re caught in a clean air zone operating one, you could be looking at a £1,200 fine.

It might seem like an expensive upfront cost, but choosing a Euro 6 van now will save you the hassle in the future. They are cleaner and more efficient, so you’re doing the right thing for your wallet and the environment.

You can also equip it with the latest technology with a host of tools your drivers will be grateful for. Even a simple GPS unit can help avoid unnecessary traffic delays. It can also help you at HQ keep track of where each vehicle is, who’s driving it, and what they’re upcoming stops are.

The greater good

It might seem counter-intuitive as a charity to spend money on your fleet. But it will actually help you bring in more money so you can help your cause. It comes back to what we were saying at the start – every cog needs to work smoothly. To meet your goals, you need to work at the most optimal. And to do that, your fleet needs to be the best it can be.

At Charity Fleetcare, we understand how important your fleet is to your operations. That’s why we’re dedicated to making it great. If you would like to discuss your fleet needs, feel free to get in touch on 0800 014 9797.

Tips, tricks and how-to guides

We want to help you. We have the technology you need for your charity to excel as well as specialist knowledge in this sector. We use this knowledge to make accurate decisions everyday but also to provide you with free impartial advice, tips & tricks and how-to guides.

How to improve the charity donor experience

Bringing a fleet together to achieve your overall goal For a charity to operate, each moving cog has to work independently and in sync.

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