'One of our drivers had a heart attack - telematics saved his life'

Fleet operators can win driver buy-in for telematics by highlighting previous successes and why the systems are in their best interests, a roundtable discussion at the recent Fleet200 Strategy Network meeting in Daventry heard.

One fleet operator said his organisation uses as much remote data as possible to improve its operations.

“It’s not only having the data, but it’s how you use that information to demonstrate how changes or training is in the employee’s best interests,” he said.

“I had a situation where I implemented telematics and I got a telephone call in the middle of the night from a line manager who couldn’t find an employee.

“Now, I have remote access to the system and his wife had called and they couldn’t tell him where he was or anything because of data protection.

“We found the van so we sent a local manager to find out where he was, and he’d had a heart attack. He was unconscious and we actually did save his life.

“You can use that as evidence and the data to help win buy-in.

"It's also important to let your drivers know that we’re not interested in watching every vehicle every single second of the day.

“We are looking for exceptions. If someone drives normally for their day job, we're not interested.”

The fleet operators also discussed the use of digital driver vehicle checks to prove a vehicle is roadworthy, using camera-based technology for road safety, including driver behaviour monitoring and fatigue detection.

They also debated maintenance and workshop efficiency, including:

Preventive maintenance

• Use of predictive analytics to forecast potential issues and address them before they escalate.
• Regular inspection routines for critical components like brakes, tires, and engines.

Workshop management

• Streamlining workshop operations by adopting a centralised management system.
• Use of digital tools for scheduling and tracking maintenance activities.

Efficiency metrics

• Key performance indicators (KPIs) such as mean time to repair (MTTR), first-time fix rate, and downtime were discussed.
• Use of data analytics to monitor workshop performance and identify areas for improvement.