Vehicle and Fuel Policy

Definitions:

Vehicle: Any moving vehicle including but not limited to automobiles, vehicles, tractors, ATVs, or mowers.

Business Hours: Business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with designated staff members for weekend feeding at BRC Ranch.

Emergencies: After hour emergencies are defined as urgent animal care issues, severe weather-related incidents, special requests from executive management team, or urgent business operations.

Private Property: Land, vehicles, and other assets owned by the Cutrer family, over which the owners have exclusive rights of use, control, and access.

Authorized Drivers and Passengers

Only authorized drivers may utilize company vehicles. Authorized drivers must meet ALL of the following criteria:

Listed as an employee within the respective company they work for.
Registered with Texas Farm Bureau on the company insurance policy.
Signor of this authorization form.
Maintain a valid drivers license and a clean driving record.
1. Employees should inform the ranch HR department of any changes that may affect their legal or physical ability to drive and their continued insurability.

Authorized Use

Company vehicles are to be used only for approved business purposes.
Personal use of company vehicles is prohibited.
Only employees with a valid driver’s license and current insurance (when using a personal vehicle for business purposes) may operate vehicles on behalf of the company.
Drivers must be cleared through the company Texas Farm Bureau insurance policy prior to operating any vehicle.

Prohibited Conduct

Employees are never authorized to operate a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, illegal drugs, or impairing medications. There is zero tolerance for this behavior.
Reckless, distracted, or aggressive driving is prohibited. This includes speeding, texting, or other unsafe practices.
Transporting unauthorized passengers, hitchhikers, or individuals not affiliated with company business is prohibited without prior approval.

Professional Standards During Travel

All conversations, music, podcasts, or other media played in company vehicles must remain professional, respectful, and appropriate for a workplace environment.
Vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate content is not permitted.
Employees are expected to maintain professional conduct at all times while traveling on company business.
For the protection of employees and to maintain professional standards, male and female employees should not travel together in a vehicle unless a third party, chaperone, or supervisor is present. Exceptions may only be made with prior approval from ownership/management.
When possible, group travel arrangements should be made to ensure both safety and professionalism.

Driving Policies:

Company vehicles are for essential job function use ONLY. This includes but is not limited to driving between business locations, use on the ranch during normal business hours, beef drop offs, travel to shows, travel to bull stud.
Driver should maintain a speed limit of 25 mph or less while driving ATVs.
Driver should respect vehicle cleanliness and leave the vehicle in a clean and tidy condition after each use.
All drivers and passengers must follow transportation safety rules including seat belt usage, traffic rules, and cell phone usage rules outlined by the state of Texas and the United States.
Use of a handheld cell phone (including texting) while behind the wheel of a moving vehicle being used on company business is strictly prohibited.
If any repairs or maintenance is needed, report immediately to the operations staff member.
Vehicles will be parked at their primary business headquarters parking lot each day. Vehicles may be checked out in the morning at 8 a.m. and returned by 5:00 p.m. at the end of each day, except in the event of an emergency.

Accidents / Damage

Employees are responsible for any driving infractions, fines, or repairs as a result of their driving.
Any infraction must be reported to the ranch owners immediately.
Employees must report any accident, theft, or damage involving a company vehicle to the ranch owners regardless of the extent of damage or injuries or lack thereof. Such reports must be made immediately and with photo evidence.

Vehicle Monitoring

To ensure compliance with company policies, vehicles are equipped with GPS monitoring devices.
Vehicles are under surveillance of security cameras.
Unauthorized use may be detected and addressed accordingly.

Prohibited use of vehicles includes:

Vehicles may not be used for personal use.
Vehicles may not be used outside of business hours.
Vehicles may not be used for personal joyriding, errand running, exploring, or any other non-essential job function.
No unauthorized passengers, including but not limited to family members, friends, or non-employees, are allowed in ranch vehicles under any circumstances.
Do NOT operate a vehicle while on company business while impaired. Employees are not permitted, under any circumstances, to operate a company vehicle or personal vehicle for company business when any physical or mental impairment causes the employee to be unable to drive safely. Additionally, employees shall not operate any company vehicle at any time or operate any personal vehicle while on company business while using or consuming alcohol, illegal drugs, or prescription medications that may affect their ability to drive.

Billing and Fuel Policies:

All employees must turn in receipts for fuel bought with a company card. Write down your name and reason for the expense at the top of the receipt. Leave it in the designated basket at your company headquarters for office for our staff to collect each week.
The ranch operations team member is responsible for filling up vehicles and vehicle maintenance. Report any issues to this team member immediately – preferably in writing through a Basecamp assignment or email to the HR department.

Use of Personal Vehicles:

Employees are directed to use company-owned vehicles over their personal vehicles. Employees are not encouraged to use personal vehicles for ranch business unless pre-approved by the ranch owners. If approved, the employee must maintain adequate insurance coverage and follow all safety protocols as if using a ranch vehicle.

Vehicle Fleet Maintenance:

Fleet Maintenance Responsibility: The operations manager is responsible for overseeing the maintenance and upkeep of all ranch vehicles, including scheduling regular maintenance, managing repairs, and ensuring that all vehicles are in safe and operational condition.
Reporting Vehicle Issues: Any employee who identifies a vehicle issue, such as damage, unusual noises, warning lights, or any other problem, must report the issue immediately to the operations manager. Additionally, the employee must CC the HR manager on all communications regarding vehicle issues to ensure proper documentation and follow-up.

Consequences of Policy Violation: Violations of this policy, including unauthorized use of ranch vehicles for personal purposes or failure to follow safety protocols, may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination. Continued non-compliance will lead to revocation of vehicle privileges and other actions including termination.