Ernest Cooper reduce costs with WEBFLEET
Haulier set to reap £125,000 saving with fuel-management system from TomTom Telematics
HAULIERS and bulk-tipping specialists Ernest Cooper Ltd are set to save more than £125,000 in fuel costs over the next 12 months by improving driver behaviour across their 25-strong vehicle fleet.
The company, which transports more than 1.5 million tonnes of bulk materials nationwide each year, says it saw miles per gallon improve by 14% and negative driving events, such as idling, decrease by 63% in the first two months of using TomTom Telematics’ WEBFLEET fleet-management system.
Ernest Cooper use the integral driver behaviour monitoring tool, OptiDrive, to deliver both on-the-road coaching to drivers and full post-trip evaluation reports to managers.
‘Because our drivers now get real-time visual alerts on their in-cab device when they are speeding or braking and cornering too harshly, they can respond instantly,’ said Ernest Cooper Ltd director Jason Cooper. ‘The dramatic effect on fuel efficiency means that we are now planning to introduce the technology across our growing subcontractor fleet.
‘The fact that OptiDrive incorporates such clear colour coding makes it really easy to see where there are problems, so we know which issues and drivers to address at a glance. We trialled various systems but decided to go with the TomTom Telematics system as it did exactly what the management required and was by far the superior option to its competitors.’
Ernest Cooper are now set to integrate WEBFLEET with LGV-specific routing and scheduling software from Stirling Solutions. This will allow integrated order management with the TomTom Telematics PRO 8275 TRUCK ruggedized driver terminal.
‘The day’s schedule of jobs is sent to each driver, and as soon as they accept each job, the system automatically calculates ETAs and alerts office staff,’ explained Vic Ball, managing director of Stirling Solutions. ‘Customers can either track their order online or opt to receive email or text updates. Drivers can also capture customer signatures on the TomTom driver terminal, giving proof and time of delivery.’
‘The latest system will significantly improve our outstanding of customer service standards by giving up-to-date ETAs for each job,’ added Jason Cooper. ‘Being able to communicate job schedule details directly to drivers without having to text or phone them stops any ambiguity or details getting lost in translation. It will help us to run our fleet much more efficiently.’
Giles Margerison, director at TomTom Telematics, commented: ‘Continuous driver behaviour improvement is one of the key modern challenges for greener and safer driving. We’ve recently launched four new KPI’s in OptiDrive which allow fleet operators and drivers to learn, coach, compare and evaluate driver behaviour even more effectively. This fully integrated approach is why we are calling it OptiDrive 360 from now on.’
