FleetMatics has announced that The City Bin Co., based in Dublin, Ireland, has selected FleetMatics to deliver GPS monitoring solutions to improve operational efficiency while reducing costs.

The City Bin Co. was founded with the concept of providing “cheaper, greener and easier” waste management and recycling services. “With 28 vehicles, the reasons for implementing a vehicle tracking system were simple,” says City Bin operations director Niamh Bray. “I wanted to know where certain trucks were going and be able to plan routes to prevent any overlap.”

The City Bin Co. began tracking their fleet with another GPS-based system in 2001, but when Bray saw the flexibility and customisable capabilities offered by the FleetMatics vehicle tracking system, City Bin made the switch. Since then, the difference has been profound. In addition to showing vehicle activity and real time locations, FleetMatics Live Fleet has helped Bray make company operations more efficient.

“I can look at a certain area, see where all of my customers are and group accordingly,” she says. “This helps me schedule my routes. If I need to add another customer, I can look and see which truck would make the most sense and add that customer stop to their route.”

The Power Take-Off (PTO) Alert, which notifies the user when the power take-off function on a vehicle is in use, has been very helpful for The City Bin Co. “With FleetMatics, I know when the driver is driving and when he is using the truck to lift a bin,” says Bray. “If a customer says we didn’t empty his bin, I can pull up the report, which will indicate the PTO was activated, and prove that we did 100%.”

The City Bin Co. has experienced multiple economic benefits since implementing the GPS tracking software. For instance, the Idling Report provides information on when the ignition is on, but the vehicle is not moving. Minimizing idle times can help the company reduce fuel waste and decrease wear and tear on a vehicle’s engine. “Because we’re in the waste disposal business, our trucks do spend time idling,” says Bray. “So some idle time is necessary, but if a truck is idling more than normal, that’s something I will keep an eye on.”

Bray’s highest praise however, goes to the FleetMatics mobile app. This portable, full-featured version of the FleetMatics GPS vehicle tracking system provides real-time access to vehicle locations, alerts, reports and dashboards via Apple and Android-powered smartphones. “It’s a godsend,” she says. “Rather than having to log on to my PC, I can see where all my trucks are when I am at home just by using the application on my iPhone. It allows me to keep track of my vehicles and know if someone is running late. I can even use it when I’m on the road meeting up with some of my drivers. I don’t have to call to find out where they are anymore. It’s absolutely fantastic.”

“Using these features has saved me time,” Bray adds. “We now have the ability to know where the trucks are at a glance. I don’t have to dig for that information.”

“FleetMatics’ expansive system is designed for small to mid-size companies, like The City Bin Co., that are always looking for the latest innovative ROI solutions,” said John Goggin, Executive Vice President, Sales at FleetMatics. “Our development team is constantly working to advance our software to provide all of our customers with the industry’s most powerful set of tools to help them optimise performance, reduce costs, increase productivity and enhance revenues.”

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