Even fewer vehicles were shown to use GPS tracking on portable assets such as IT equipment and
tools (32%), construction equipment (24%) and on cargo pallets (21%).
However, this is something that ABAX has first-hand experience and success of helping customers
with, including Redcliffe Tree Surgery – which used its ABAX installed trackers to recover a van that was stolen overnight from the owner Richard Boettcher’s driveway.
Having reported the vehicle missing to police, Richard was able to use the ABAX app to accurately track the whereabouts of the van and alert officers to its location. From reporting the vehicle missing to its recovery it took just 40 minutes!
While this incident occurred on household driveway, many thefts or security breaches happen at yards, plants or depots – often where vehicles sit idle outside of working hours.
ABAX customer, Anglesey-based John Kelly Construction has introduced the innovative ABAX Geofence as part of its suite of telematics solutions to help protect its assets in the event of them being moved without authorisation or even stolen. The innovative feature creates an invisible fence around a particular site or sites. If machines or vehicles go outside the Geofence boundary, the customer is immediately notified by text and e-mail in real-time which allows quick action and peace of mind when it comes to asset security. However, just as important as the management of the vehicles is the way in which they are being driven – with fleet managers mindful of insurance premiums and other associated costs. Driving behaviour comes hand in hand with business efficiency, time management and of course road safety and is one of the key areas when it comes to customer expectations and indeed requirements.
One of our fleet vehicles customers recently reported a visible reduction in the number of speeding fines issued to its drivers as a result of tracking being introduced – therefore cutting down any risk of incidents on the road.
Drivers using vehicles out of working hours or making unnecessary trips also dropped as a result. “We had vehicles going home with drivers and out of hours trips were costing the company money. By working with ABAX, our productivity has increased, and we are not only saving money on fuel and clocking up less mileage, but we know where our drivers are at any given time.”
The tracking system can also offer a duty of care to staff and drivers using fleet vehicles. On one occasion the tracker was used to locate the vehicle of an engineer that was having a heart attack, enabling emergency care to be sent directly to him after he had called his wife to raise the alarm, but didn’t know his exact location.
Our customer takes up the story …
5 ways telematics can optimise your mixed fleet
1.
Technology will do the work for you. A connected telematics solution gives you the insight
needed for optimal planning by consolidating data from all fleet assets into one single
interface, meaning you know the status of every single tool, equipment, vehicle and
machine in real time.
2.
Collecting data into one unified view. By using a solution that delivers a unified view with
one login, it is easier and faster to get an overview of all company assets in one map.
Customers benefit from easy access to daily updates on driver performance, asset location,
maintenance, fuel use and idling on all company vehicles and machinery.
3.
Asset tracking side by side with your fleet. There are other types of assets that aren’t
technically part of a fleet but are no less crucial to projects like excavator buckets, power
tools, generators and pumps. If
assets like that are left behind
at a site or get misplaced, it
will delay a project. Fortunately, fleet managers can track these assets in the same platform
as the main fleet.
4.
Data will help you keep the engines running –
Scheduled reports
will allow customers to shift
from reactive fixes to proactive maintenance. The data pulled from a customer’s mixed fleet
will give them a great insight to plan for upcoming maintenance and repairs, which creates a
competitive advantage by keeping your largest investments fully operational.
5.
Higher availability of equipment through optimised servicing, as well as a more efficient use
of the machinery, helps an operation become more productive and profitable on every
project.
For information on ABAX’s smart solutions or to talk to a member of the team, visit
www.abax.com/uk
