'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.