Aug/Sept 2008

What are the benefits of tracking your vehicles? You can probably think of plenty, but every operator has its own special requirements and experiences of tracking, and some might not always be obvious.

Take Newark Steel, which has introduced a tracking system from Masternaut in its delivery fleet. The Masternaut display screen shows the company's administrators which vehicles are moving and which are stationary at any given time, and it says this means that they can be selective about which drivers to contact by telephone.

According to operations and administration manager Dave Rollings: 'We now only contact drivers using the hands-free telephone when the vehicle is stationary, so that they are not distracted while driving.'

He adds that the system also means the company can check on when vehicles have been stationary longer than expected. If they're merely delayed, the company knows all is well, and if there's been a mishap, they can find out quickly.

 

The company's main reasons for adopting the tracking system had more to do with customer service and operations. It says sales staff can now give customers a more accurate idea of delivery times, while traffic staff can now accurately promise second-run deliveries. 'Tracking has removed the guesswork,' Rollins says.