Vospers signs new three-year deal with Lightfoot

Vospers has signed a new three-year deal to use Lightfoot across its delivery fleet.

The deal follows a 12-month trial period in which consistent monthly fuel savings of 12-14% were achieved using the technology.

The fleet, which comprises 22 vans based across three depots in Devon and Cornwall, delivers motor vehicle parts to garages throughout the two counties.

Distances between deliveries vary from three to forty miles, with little motorway in the area and routes consisting mainly of A and country roads crossing varied and hilly terrain.

Vospers group parts director Bob Foster said: “We face an annual fuel bill of £150,000 so a consistent monthly saving of 12-14% is extremely good for profitability, which is why we were keen to sign up for three years with Lightfoot.

“We see fuel as a company asset and it was clear that installing Lightfoot could cut a significant percentage off our annual bill.

“We also noticed that without the ongoing, real-time visual and audible in-cab reminders provided by Lightfoot the drivers reverted back to driving less efficiently. Now, 50% of our drivers consistently spend 90% of their time in the green.

“We had very little resistance from our drivers when installing Lightfoot and now it’s simply part of what they do.

“We’ve found that the system works best when you keep it incentivised. We expect a minimum standard of 80% efficiency so each month we offer a financial reward to the three drivers who have driven most efficiently.

“A bonus for us is the fact that managing Lightfoot is straightforward. Rather than being yet another report that hits your desk requiring analysis, it’s a simple one-pager that’s not at all onerous or labour intensive.”

Mark Roberts, managing director of Ashwoods Lightfoot, said: “We’re delighted that Vospers have signed up for three years with Lightfoot. We have a very good relationship with them and the new contract is clear evidence of Lightfoot’s proven effectiveness.”

Vospers first conducted a ‘blind test’ of Lightfoot in 2011. For two weeks the in-cab display unit remained switched off so that the management team could gain an accurate picture of the pre-connection driving style across their fleet.

During this phase, their drivers were found to be 50-60% in the green efficiency zone.

After two weeks, the in-cab display units were switched on, indicating to the drivers when they needed to modify their driving style in order to optimise fuel efficiency.

The difference was remarkable, says Vospers, with all drivers found to be between 83% and 94% in the green efficiency zone.

Vospers are now in the process of upgrading their Lightfoot units with the new tracking option, which was launched in July 2014.

Foster said: “We had been looking forward to the arrival of the new Lightfoot tracking facility. We wanted to be able to conduct real-time tracking of fleet vehicles but didn’t want two separate systems – it makes much more sense to have everything combined.

“The addition of tracking will be really helpful when it comes to keeping customers informed of where their delivery is and when to expect it.”

Roberts said: “We launched the tracking option following feedback from customers and we’re pleased that we can now offer a fully integrated system that enables fleet managers to enjoy all the advantages of Lightfoot’s unique time, fuel cost and CO2 saving functionality with the added benefit of being able to conduct real-time tracking of fleet vehicles.”