Aug/Sept 2007

Courier firms can't simply breathe a sigh of relief when each van leaves the depot; often they have to keep checking where it is, so that they can give the customer or recipient an updated time of arrival.

That was the problem that clinched a decision by Sprinter Couriers of Shaftesbury in the South West to install a tracking system in its vehicles. In the words of director David Gill: 'IT was becoming too much of a burden to manage. Instead of being reactive, we needed to take a more proactive approach.'

The company operates six vans of its own, and has and 36 subcontractors across the UK. The solution it has chosen is Trakm8 SWIFT, which - true to its name - took just hours to install in the six Mercedes-Benz Sprinters. The basic unit simply sits on the dashboard, where it is considered discreet and barely noticeable.

'We instantly get a picture of where our drivers are,' Gill says, 'so that we can provide our customers with accurate updates and effectively direct our drivers to another customer site.'

 

He adds: 'We not only have a greater control of our fleet, but we are also reducing our phone costs. We are doing an extra five deliveries a day, which is the equivalent of an extra £10,000 per year.'