Eddie Stobart goes live with tracking and fleet management

Eddie Stobart has gone live with a fleet-wide vehicle tracking and mobile management system, which has already been fitted in 800 of its 1,000-strong articulated fleet. It is based on Isotrak's Active Transport Management System, or ATMS, which includes not just tracking, but also job allocation and mobile communications.

The package includes GPS/GPRS track and trace units and driver communication modules incorporating legal hands-free telephony. The company is reported to be planning to use these for sending job manifests to drivers via the in-cab terminal, improving their ability to organise their working schedules.

As an example, the company says it should help them plan overnight stops and anticipate next-day itineraries. Drivers will also use the in-cab terminals to provide updates on job progress and drop-off times.

A dashboard-mounted panic alarm has been included. On activation, this flags a location-based alert to transport managers so that help can be summoned if required.

The system also includes street-level mapping for the whole of Western Europe.

Eddie Stobart's decision to work with Isotrak was made following extensive objective trials, including a proof-of-concept exercise in the Stobart drawbar fleet at Carlisle, followed by a full pilot trial with Stobart's articulated fleet at Appleton, near Warrington.

Eddie Stobart's customers include Tesco, Coca-Cola, Knauf, NestlŽ, Crown and Sara Lee. The company employs over 1,200 drivers operating from a network of 28 transport depots (including customer sites) across the UK.