Nov/Dec 2005

Fowler Welch Coolchain, the big logistics group specialising in fresh, chilled and horticultural produce, is equipping its entire fleet of 750 refrigerated trailers with a satellite tracking and temperature monitoring system from Thales UK.

The project is costing an estimated £880,000, which makes it one of the largest telematics implementations in the UK this year. Thales reckons it is also the first project of its kind to be rolled out here.

One of Fowler Welch's primary objectives is to be able to provide customers with specific data on the temperature of goods in transit and at time of delivery. It says this will help resolve issues where there is any question over refrigeration conditions in transit.

Another interesting and very specific objective identified by Fowler Welch Coolchain is that of monitoring the number of miles covered by the trailers, and thereby getting the best out of a tyre supply contract it has with Michelin.

 

The Thales system will monitor vehicle positions by GPS, and the information will be relayed to the operator over the Internet, which means data can be accessed from anywhere in the world, providing the user has appropriate password access.

Fowler Welch already has Thales equipment installed in some vehicles, and according to national fleet manager Robert Oliphant: "Thales understands our ongoing requirements for continuous improvement É and its robust technology, combined with its consultancy capability, should prove invaluable throughout roll-out."

Thales is majoring on the fact that the implementation takes telematics beyond pure tracking, and illustrates how it can be what UK security managing director James Kilazoglou calls "a flexible management tool that can streamline costs and improve customer service."