Fleet Owner Checklist: Driver Advances, Trips and Common Mistakes

Most fleet losses are not dramatic. They are small leaks: an unsettled advance, a missed service, an unrecorded backload, a slip that never reached the office. The checklist below helps you close those leaks, whether you use paper, Excel or software. If you can tick every item for each vehicle every week, you will know your business better than most owners in your area.

Before the trip leaves

1. Confirm the vehicle's documents are valid for the whole trip duration, not only today.
2. Check the last service date or reading and whether the vehicle is due.
3. Record the starting odometer and fuel level.
4. Write the load, party, destination and agreed freight on the trip sheet.
5. Give the driver advance and record the amount, date and purpose.
6. Note the driver's contact and a second contact on the route if possible.

During the trip

Ask drivers to keep every slip: fuel, toll, parking, loading, repairs and food allowance. A habit of photographing slips and sending them by WhatsApp to the office is simple and gives the dispatcher a live view. For long hill routes where coverage is poor, the driver can send them at the next town. Record any breakdown, delay or change of load immediately, not at the end, because details fade quickly.

After the trip

Settlement is where small leaks become visible. Enter every expense, compare it with the advance and agree the balance with the driver while the trip is fresh. Record the end odometer, the freight received or due, and any backload income. If a party pays later, link the payment to the trip so dues stay accurate.

Item	Record
Advance given	Amount, date, purpose
Expenses reported	Each slip with category
Balance	Driver returns or owner pays
Freight	Received, due or part paid
Distance	Start and end odometer

Weekly vehicle checks

Every week, someone should look at each vehicle's tyres, lights, oil level and visible leaks, and record anything unusual. Tyre positions and fitment dates should be logged so wear can be compared. Batteries and brake components should be tracked with their installation dates, because they fail predictably. When a workshop replaces a part, record the part, price and kilometre so repeat failures become obvious.

Common mistakes

• Treating revenue as profit: counting freight without deducting fuel, driver cost and repairs.
• Leaving advances open: an advance without a trip or settlement turns into an argument months later.
• Late service: postponing service to keep a vehicle on the road often costs more later.
• No second driver record: when a relief driver takes over, the trip sheet must change too.
• Ignoring idle days: a vehicle parked for a week still has insurance, tax and loan costs.
• Mixing personal and business use: family trips in a company vehicle must be tagged and costed.

Driver files and licence checks

Each driver should have a file with name, contact, licence number, category, licence expiry, joining date and any training. Check licence validity before assigning a long trip, and keep an emergency contact. Record any accident or violation on the vehicle and driver record without delay. Over time these notes help you decide who gets the best vehicles, who needs coaching and who should not be assigned long hill routes.

Also record relief drivers. When a regular driver is on leave and someone else takes the vehicle, the trip sheet must show the actual person, otherwise fuel and expense patterns will be credited to the wrong name.

Monthly review

At month end, rank vehicles by profit and by cost per kilometre. Look at the top and bottom two. Ask what the best vehicle does differently: better route, better driver, newer age or regular service. Look at the worst for repeat repairs, long idle days or low freight. List documents due in the next quarter and assign each renewal to someone. Settle all open driver advances before the new month starts.

Keep one folder per vehicle

Whatever system you use, keep a physical or scanned folder per vehicle with bluebook copy, insurance, permit, pollution certificate, purchase papers and the latest service bill. When a vehicle is stopped at a checkpoint or a claim must be filed, the right paper is found in a minute, not an hour. Name scanned files with the vehicle number and document type so anyone can find them.

Festival and season planning

Demand and risk change around Dashain, Tihar, wedding seasons and monsoon landslides. Plan service before busy periods, not during them. Keep spare cash for road delays and make sure drivers know whom to call. After the season, review which routes were profitable and which were delayed, so next year's pricing improves.

Next step

Print the pre-trip and settlement lists and use them on your next five trips. Notice which fields are hardest to fill; that is where your records are weakest. WebsNP fleet management software turns these lists into trip, driver and vehicle records with alerts. Message +977 9846280400 on WhatsApp for a demo. Offices that also hire out cars may want car rental software.

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