Fleet briefs: Latest industry news from Trakm8, Webfleet, Sopp+Sopp, Mission Zero and Digital Innk

Trakm8 partners with City Fibre to improve driver behaviour and cut CO2

Trakm8 is equipping City Fibre’s fleet of vans with the RH600 4G Integrated Telematics Camera to help monitor driving behaviour, improve fleet safety, and align with the company's broader sustainability targets.

Trakm8's RH600 combines GPS tracking, telematics data capture, and high-definition video recording capabilities in a single unit to provide fleet managers with detailed insights into the performance of their vehicles and drivers.

By providing real-time data insights, coaching, and feedback, the device can help to reduce fuel consumption, improve driver behaviour, and ultimately make fleets more efficient, safer, and more eco-friendly, says Trakm8.

Joe Heidari, fleet and optimisation sales director at Trakm8, said: “Trakm8 is thrilled to have CityFibre as a valued customer, as they are an innovative and expanding brand.

“By incorporating Trakm8's RH600 Telematics Camera, CityFibre can enhance driver safety while also making significant strides towards achieving their sustainability objectives.

“Trakm8 is excited to support CityFibre throughout their journey and looks forward to witnessing their future accomplishments.”

John Hall, head of customer field operations at CityFibre, added: “Our commitment to reducing carbon emissions has led us to integrate a range of innovative solutions and we look forward to incorporating telematics into our fleet.

“By utilising Trakm8's telematics technology, we can effectively manage our drivers' well-being and work towards achieving our sustainability targets.”

Sopp+Sopp signs accident management deal with Sixt UK

Sopp+Sopp has signed a deal to provide accident management services for Sixt UK’s fleet of cars, light commercial vehicles and a growing number of EVs.

It will handle its FNOL, third-party intervention and repair management needs across the UK.

Callum Langan (pictured), managing director of Sopp+Sopp, said: “I’m delighted that Sixt has selected Sopp+Sopp as its accident management partner.

“Sixt came to us looking for best-in-class solutions and a premium customer experience. We’re delivering on this objective with a tailored service supported by our fully configurable claims management system and highly trained in-house team.”

Part of Activate Group, Sopp+Sopp is a provider of end-to-end accident management services to many of the UK’s largest fleets.

As part of the new contract, the business will deliver driver support following vehicle collisions and breakdowns, as well as third-party intervention services through its UK-based contact centre.

Repair work will be carried out via Activate Group’s extensive repair network, which includes owned body shop division, Activate Accident Repair, as well as hundreds of partner sites. 

Tim Vetters, MD of Sixt UK, said: “We are excited to be partnering with Sopp+Sopp to continue to provide our customers with the best possible experience and premium service, which Sixt is known for.

“Through this partnership, our customers will have peace of mind that should an accident occur, they will receive quick and professional support whether it’s repairs, recovery or maintenance.”

Webfleet partners with Rio to provide integrated fleet management solutions for MAN

Bridgestone Mobility Solutions has announced a partnership with Rio, a digital service provider, part of Traton SE and sister to the commercial vehicle brands MAN, Scania and Volkswagen Truck and Bus.

As part of the agreement, Webfleet, Bridgestone’s globally trusted fleet management solution, will enable the integration of its telematics solutions in all MAN trucks with the existing OEM hardware, Rio Box, from MAN.

Adding the truck brand to the Webfleet OEM.connect programme allows fleet owners of these vehicle brands to access Webfleet's fleet management services and interface.

In addition, trucks and LCVs from MAN with no pre-installed OEM hardware as well as other truck brands that desire to use the RIO portal, can be equipped with Webfleet hardware.

“We are excited about this new partnership with RIO that clearly puts the customer first,” said Taco van der Leij, vice president Webfleet Europe at Bridgestone Mobility Solutions.

“The decoupling of telematics hardware and service portal is another step towards making telematics solutions even more flexible and accessible for fleet owners and drivers, helping to shape a more safe, sustainable and efficient mobility future.”

Jan Kaumanns, CEO of Rio, added: "We are happy to work with Webfleet to provide state-of-the-art telematics solutions for all MAN users.

“The two-way connection of each other's telematics hardware and software allows customers to use their preferred telematics solutions despite mixed fleets or pre-installed hardware. These open approaches are the future of fleet management."

The implementation of this new partnership is expected to commence in Europe in the second half of this year.

New technology helps fleets manage rising costs

Digital Innk has launched a reporting suite after extensive testing with fleet operators, suppliers and daily rental firms.

Set within the ViSN platform, it allows users to create bespoke reports from all the data they have access to in real-time.

Angela Montacute, CEO of Digital Innk, said: "Real-time management information is crucial for businesses that want to stay competitive and agile. It allows managers and decision-makers to access up-to-date and accurate information about the company's operations, performance, and overall health.

"We worked in close partnership with fleets and suppliers to design the ViSN platform from the ground up.

“Our users highlighted the need to report in real-time and develop a range of reports that could drive more effective decision-making. Using the latest technology, users can simply drag and drop data to build reports meeting internal requirements.

"It's clear that technology has a pivotal role to play in driving down the cost of operating a fleet.

“Our platform is designed to drive efficiency and brings a new model to the market. We estimate that the average supplier will save over 60% in transaction fees over the leading competitor."

The reporting suite also enables users to filter data by average job cost, manufacturer and model to allow users to assess which vehicles are performing best and create hotspots to identify issues.

Montacute concluded: "We are constantly evolving our technology to meet the needs of the fast-moving fleet industry. In the future, suppliers will be able to publish lead times on repairs with live data, enabling fleets to route vehicles optimally."

Mission Zero and DEKRA join forces to raise standards of fleet accreditation audits

Mission Zero has appointed global standards and practices advisors, DEKRA, as one of its principal auditing providers, to raise the bar on transport audit standards, while ensuring fleet operators receive the best possible audit experience.

Nick Caesari, CEO of Mission Zero, said “Mission Zero is a customer centric fleet accreditation scheme, by operators for operators, and our ‘customer first’ ethos means we have to ensure that the audit experience our customers receive is second to none, and supports operators throughout their Mission Zero journey.”

The partnership with DEKRA means they will be undertaking the majority of Mission Zero audits, as well as collaborating on the continuing development of the audit standards programme.

Caesari said “DEKRA is a global powerhouse when it comes to safety, standards and auditing. Crucially, they also share our values, passion and commitment for change; they are the obvious partner for Mission Zero to provide the best possible audit experience for our customers.

“Since inception, Mission Zero identified that a different approach was required to ensure the customer experience was maximised through transparency and a high level of support on the day of the audit but also before and after through online resources, which is all aimed at making the audit experience valued.”  

In response to this, Mission Zero auditors discuss results throughout the audit, which are subject to final quality assurance approval, to ensure that operators fully understand what is expected by the standard and have every opportunity to demonstrate compliance.

Auditors also signpost the wealth of free resources (policies procedures, risk assessments etc.) that are available from Mission Zero so that customers can quickly address any gaps.

Caesari said “We don’t use words like ‘fail’, nobody fails a Mission Zero audit, they just haven’t met the requirements as yet, but it is our role to ensure that our customers fully understand what is required and what support is available to help them.”

Jon Sweet, managing director of DEKRA UK, added: “Mission Zero’s fresh approach to both raising audit standards and customer service is fully aligned to our own values so we were very keen to partner and work alongside them to help support fleet operators, as well as the growth of the Mission Zero scheme.”