Vehicle key management

Depending on the safety procedures or internal policies in each specific company, the way of handling vehicle keys may vary. There are companies where each person has a specific vehicle assigned and there is no change of who is driving which vehicle. In case drivers are regularly switching vehicles, it's a completely different story. I've seen cases when nobody knows where the vehicle keys are, cases when all of the keys are in a random box in the shelf and cases when the keys are well managed in digital key cabinets.

So what's the best practice in vehicle key management and why is it important?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the best practice for vehicle key management will vary depending on the specific needs of the company. However, some tips for effective vehicle key management include keeping track of who has access to keys, assigning keys to specific employees, and creating a system for key return and replacement.

If we're looking into specific tips for managing keys, consider list below when implementing a key management system:

1. Keep track of who has what key and when they had it.
2. Keep the keys organized and in a safe place.
3. Make sure keys are returned in a timely manner.
4. Keep track of fuel usage - check if the vehicle is fueled according to company policy. If we consider rental industry - a vehicle should always be returned with a full tank. Why not introduce the same rule inside a company or just double-check whether the mileage driven matches the fuel level in the fuel tank?
5. Keep track of accidents and incidents. Whenever a vehicle is returned, check if there is no damage done.
6. Keep track of vehicle insurance information. You should not be giving out uninsured vehicles to employees.

If the employees are able to take the keys of your fleet and drive without any tracking, it's the right time to introduce at least some tracking. The easiest solution would be an Excel sheet which tracks who has taken which vehicle, when it was taken and when it will be returned. The problem, however, lies in the fact that it's hard to enforce filling the Excel sheet without any additional formal procedures. This can be solved with putting somebody in the position of handing out vehicle keys only when the Excel sheet has been updated. That sounds like an administrative burden, but I'm 100% sure, this is required to manage the fleet better and have control over it.