Employee Moonlighting in Your Fleet Company: Get All the Answers on What to Do

No, truck cameras don’t always record everything; it depends on what type of camera solution you have. Some cameras might only record when the truck is on, and some might only record certain angles. Getting a more sophisticated camera solution could show you more. For example, Cartrack’s AI Multi Vision solution gives you up to 8 cameras to place all over your truck.

No, it’s illegal for your drivers to use company vehicles for side jobs. Unless your driver has spoken to you and you’ve given them clear permission, it’s misconduct at best and illegal action at worst. If you grant your drivers permission, make sure you’ve drawn up an agreement so that there’s a record of this.

The biggest hidden cost of driver moonlighting is the overall state of the vehicle. When a driver uses your company vehicle for side jobs, this means the vehicle is used more often than intended. Overuse means increased wear & tear. This also means that fuel expenses increase drastically.

You can use telematics to prove a driver is moonlighting by checking for irregular patterns or data that doesn’t seem to match. Do this by:

• carefully reviewing trip histories & checking for unauthorised stops,
• setting up geofencing,
• checking the dashcam footage, and
• implementing a tool like Cartrack’s DiD (driver identification) tag to keep track of who’s using which vehicle and when.

No, your insurance won’t cover accidents that happen during unauthorised side hustles. Anything that has occurred outside of business matters will likely directly breach the insurance policy, and your insurer has the right to reject your claim.

Cartrack has numerous tools and solutions that directly assist with the moonlighting problem. Cartrack offers you a powerful fleet management system that allows you to have complete visibility over your fleet. With this platform, you have access to:

• telematics,
• AI-powered cameras,
• GPS tracking,
• DiD tags,
• geofencing,
• detailed reports, and
• remote immobilisation.

Concerning data & privacy protection for the truck drivers, it’s legal to record them and monitor their movement via dashcams and greater monitoring systems. But you must remember that it’s only legal if you’ve clearly communicated to your drivers that you’ll be monitoring them, and they should know where each camera is placed. Consent and transparency are key.

The best way to approach a driver you suspect of moonlighting is to first collect all the evidence you have before talking to them. After gathering the evidence, you should:

• speak to your driver calmly and professionally; don’t lead with an accusatory tone,
• highlight and go over the company policies to them, and
• give them a chance to speak for themselves.

The price of Cartrack’s fleet management solution ultimately depends on the add-ons you decide to include. But prices start at R119 per month per vehicle and increase based on your package type and additional features.

Yes, you can spot moonlighting with a fuel card. If you have a fuel probe in your fleet vehicles and are carefully monitoring fuel usage through a fleet platform, you’ll be able to spot irregularities or fuel use that’s unaccounted for.

Yes, you can automate alerts for “after-hours” ignition. With Cartrack, you can set up automated and completely customisable notifications for almost anything, but especially for unauthorised vehicle use. You can also choose how you want to be notified (push notification, email, etc.).

You distinguish between "personal use” and “moonlighting” by assessing whether something is done commercially/for financial gain or not. 'Personal use' usually suggests the vehicle is being used for something small and particular, like driving to the shops. ‘Moonlighting’ suggests that the vehicle is being used to make money.