Vehicle use policy

A complete work vehicle and pool car use policy covering eligibility, bookings, private use, safety duties and tracking transparency.

How to use it: Replace the bracketed fields, delete the sections that do not apply to your fleet, and have it reviewed against your enterprise agreement and state rules before publishing. Pair it with the driver privacy notice so tracking consent is explicit.

[Organisation] vehicle use policy

Effective date: [date] · Owner: [role] · Review: annually

1. Purpose and scope

This policy sets out how [Organisation] work vehicles, including pool vehicles, are used, booked and looked after. It applies to every employee, contractor and volunteer who drives a vehicle owned, leased or booked through [Organisation], and to private vehicles used for work (see section 8).

2. Who may drive

• Drivers must hold a current Australian licence for the vehicle class and notify [role] immediately if it is suspended, cancelled or restricted.
• Drivers must be authorised in [system] before their first trip.
• Specific vehicles or classes may require additional training or inductions.

3. Booking and returning pool vehicles

• Pool vehicles are booked through [system]. Taking a vehicle without a booking is not permitted.
• Check in at pickup, and return the vehicle on time, refuelled above [level], clean and with all faults reported.
• Enter the odometer reading at pickup and return where prompted.
• Late returns and no-shows are visible to fleet management and repeated instances will be followed up.

4. Private use

• [Choose one:] Private use of work vehicles is not permitted. / Private use is permitted only where approved in writing and captured in the trip history, because it affects fringe benefits tax.
• Home garaging requires approval from [role] and is included in the vehicle history, as garaging affects the vehicle's tax treatment.
• Trips must be classified business or private where the system requests it. Accurate classification is a condition of use.

5. Safety duties

• Complete the pre-start check where required before driving.
• Do not drive a vehicle with a reported safety defect.
• Obey road laws at all times. Fines and demerit points are the driver's responsibility.
• Phones may not be handled while driving. Use the vehicle's hands-free system or do not take the call.
• Report every incident, however minor, to [role] within [24 hours].
• Do not drive when fatigued or impaired. Journey plans should include breaks on long trips.

6. Vehicle tracking and data

• [Organisation] vehicles are fitted with GPS tracking, or tracked through the driver app during work trips, for safety, operational and compliance purposes.
• Tracked vehicles carry a visible notice, and staff receive written notice before tracking begins, as set out in the driver privacy notice.
• Location data is used as described in the driver privacy notice and is not used for covert monitoring.

7. Costs, fuel and tolls

• Fuel is purchased with [fuel card / method]; select the vehicle when prompted so costs go to the right vehicle.
• Tolls, parking and fines are handled as follows: [rules].

8. Private vehicles used for work (grey fleet)

• Private vehicles may be used for work only with approval and once registered in [system], with current registration, insurance covering business use, and roadworthy condition confirmed.
• Work trips in private vehicles are tracked through [system / the driver app].

9. Breaches

Breaches of this policy are managed under [disciplinary procedure]. Serious safety breaches may result in loss of driving authorisation.

Acknowledged by: [name, signature, date]

Last updated 10 July 2026. General information, not tax or legal advice.