Private vehicles used for work by employees are referred to as your grey fleet. Even if this is just an occasional journey, the employer retains significant legal responsibilities. Under health and safety law, employers must manage the risks of work-related driving regardless of who owns the vehicle. This means checking that the vehicle is insured for business use because private motor insurance will normally only cover the driver to commute to one main place of work. If the driver is officially designated as home-based, then even a drive to the office is a work journey. Ignoring this means drivers could easily find themselves making a journey for which they are not insured.

The vehicle must also have a valid MOT, be roadworthy, and appropriate for the task. Employers who fail to carry out these checks can face investigation and prosecution if an incident occurs. A common solution is that grey fleet drivers must confirm they have met these obligations before any mileage claims will be paid, and permission to drive for work is removed from those that don’t. Remember though that a grey fleet journey is not defined by whether mileage was paid – employers still have responsibility even when no mileage claim is made or paid.