”Navman Wireless is essential in helping us achieve our goals.”
With more than 70 trucks travelling an estimated 9 million kilometres a year throughout the North Island, up-to-the-minute information is key to efficient fleet management for haulage company Smith and Davies.
Based on the North Shore, the family-owned business provides a range of services including bulk haulage, removal of contaminated waste, assisting in forestry road reconstruction and management, and moving heavy machinery.
“We needed a simple method of knowing where each of our trucks are so we can make decisions about who is best placed to do a particular job and also monitor performance,” Smith and Davies Managing Director, Graham MacKinnon, says.
The answer was Navman Wireless’ GPS Vehicle Tracking and Fleet Management solution.
Real-time Information
“We trialled other options but Navman Wireless was the best solution because it’s providing us with current rather than historical information,” he said.
“With a mouse click we can pinpoint a vehicle’s location right now.”
Prior to introducing Navman Wireless, the firm’s dispatcher was reliant on contacting drivers on radio telephones to find out where they were, which was time consuming and not always reliable.
With the introduction of the new system the company also discovered their trucks were often spending a long time idling, increasing fuel consumption and adding to engine wear and tear.
“With our new system we can monitor idling time and drivers are becoming more conscious of not running the truck unnecessarily,” Mr MacKinnon says.
Navman Wireless also benefits drivers because the reporting system means that Smith and Davies can track a vehicle’s route and monitor speeds during a journey.
“That means we can support drivers with factual information if we receive a complaint from a member of the public about a vehicle travelling too fast in speed sensitive areas, like towns or forestry roads,” Mr MacKinnon says.
Telecom’s extensive mobile coverage has meant the firm has had no difficulty locating trucks. And because they access Navman Wireless over the internet, the company’s supervisors do not need to be centrally based to view the system. Mr MacKinnon explains, “If they have their laptop they can log in from anywhere to check progress rather than having to go to a dedicated machine.”
Improved Productivity
”We’ve definitely seen productivity gains and over the coming year we’ll investigate the introduction of electronic dispatching so drivers can receive text with information on destinations and report directly back when they have made a delivery. This would be linked into our billing process so that it can automatically be updated in real time rather than relying on our present paper-based records,” says Mr MacKinnon. “We’re committed to maintaining our reputation for excellent customer service and ensuring our fleet meets standards for health and safety and quality management.”
