AES achieves zero accidents and no unplanned downtime

AES Auto Electrical Services has removed unplanned downtime and had zero accidents for four years after embracing road risk management through Driving for Better Business.

The Bedfordshire-based business runs nine Ford Transit vans, from which its mobile engineers fit and maintain camera systems, air conditioning units, telematics systems and more across the PSV, HGV and LCV sectors.

It also operates AES Fleet, a fleet management and compliance consultancy.

Richard Stansfield, AES managing director, is adamant that fleets should not consider crashes as inevitable. He said: “Collisions are preventable. If you manage road risk correctly from the start and ensure compliance and training throughout, then the result is a safe fleet.”

Stansfield believes the fleet’s running costs are also reduced by approximately 25% each year through preventative maintenance. He explained: “Reactive maintenance is always more expensive and creates unplanned downtime.”

Stansfield cites brake pads as an example. If they are regularly checked and replaced, not only will the vehicle brake efficiently and safely but the discs won’t become damaged. “Conversely if you let the pads wear too far, you are suddenly replacing 10 discs as well as pads,” he said. “Regular maintenance prevents damage.”

The company is now using tyre pressure management systems and over-inflated tyres affect braking performance, while under-inflated tyres use more fuel.

AES also takes an active interest in driver welfare and mental health. Drivers have accommodation provided after long journeys, so they do not drive when tired. Both senior managers have taken mental health awareness training, so they know how to offer appropriate support.

“A van is a tool. However, if you put someone tired or unwell behind the wheel it is a weapon,” Stansfield said.

“My ethos is about getting everybody home safe to their families every night. That’s my underlying goal,” he added. “We do everything we can to make that happen – and that’s the ultimate business benefit.”

The company starts by checking all driver licences regularly through FleetCheck. It trains all its drivers in thorough walk-round checks and defect reporting every morning and keeps a spare vehicle on fleet so that any defects can be addressed rapidly without a loss of productivity.

Webfleet Solutions telematics systems are integrated into its MANTIS LIVE camera systems, and this means that any exceptional incident such as harsh braking, an emergency alarm, or near miss is seen as an alert, the footage can be checked, and Stansfield immediately feeds back constructive criticism or praise to the driver as appropriate.

Each incident can be resolved with notes showing what action was taken, so the company has a through audit trail of continuous improvement and close management control. Stansfield believes cameras are not only commonplace in UK life, but also essential for capturing a full narrative of what happens on the road, and coaching drivers appropriately. As they give instant evidence of collisions, they also expedite a fleet’s first notification of loss (FNOL) and help settle no-fault claims which would otherwise have been settled 50-50.

As a result of its proactive maintenance and continuous driver training programmes, At a time when many are seeing their fleet insurance premiums rise, AES has seen a £2,000 reduction in fleet insurance costs for the second year running, which across nine vans is substantial. It has had no collisions in four years.