Nov/Dec 2003

Vehicle rental company BRS is to roll out telematics-enabled vehicles across its entire fleet. The company is establishing an added-value package called BRS Extra. Being part of the Volvo Group, it plans to use the truck maker's Dynafleet product where possible for the service.

"Telematics and vehicles go together," reasons BRS managing director James Walker. He admits customers are nervous about investing in new technology, adding: "I am myself. But it is our job to understand telematics and deliver the benefits to our customers."

Walker also believes that as more operators adopt tracking and telematics solutions they will expect any hired vehicles to have the same capability. "Our customers operate in diverse markets from retail to parcels, and customer service levels are high. The hired vehicle has to give them the same data as the other vehicles in the fleet."

Walker admits BRS will benefit too. "BRS will be able to locate any of its vehicles due for service or those that have not been returned at the end of the contract period. Remote diagnostics will help us manage our fleet more efficiently by, for example, identifying vehicles that have done excess mileage."

 

Gathering data on actual vehicle and driver behaviour will help both BRS and customers, says Walker. "We have 1,300 tractor units in our fleet. Fuel is the biggest operating cost, so if we can help operators improve fuel consumption by just two per cent using remote diagnostics, that's a real saving for them."

BRS plans to package the data and make it available on a Web site, although this part of the product is still under development. Walker says he has no plans to raise rental rates for telematics-equipped vehicles. "They will be our core offer. If demand exceeds availability during the roll-out period we may have to charge a premium, but our main aim is to differentiate BRS from our rivals."