Abbey Logistics adopts new fleet maintenance system

Abbey Logistics is rolling out a new fleet maintenance system from Freeway Fleet Systems across its four workshops to help improve vehicle reliability and utilisation.

Engineers and technicians are being equipped with rugged tablets for digitally recording time and work activity.

Synchronised in real time a Freeway central asset maintenance system, the mobile devices and management software will give Abbey 24/7 visibility of the status of all maintenance work and costs associated with parts and labour, it says.

Paul Jamieson, head of finance at Abbey Logistics Group, explained: “When it came to managing the fleet, our previous system was fine for monitoring vehicle and parts costs but that was only giving us half the picture. Missing was any information on arguably our most important single asset and that is labour.

“With Freeway’s tablets in the workshop, we have visibility of all work in real-time allowing better co-ordination with the workforce, improving uptime.

“We also gain vital insights such as an accurate cost allocation per asset. That allows us to make properly informed decisions on how to improve the way we work.”

Abbey Logistics Group operates almost 1,000 liquid and powder trucks and tankers. Having recently invested more than £4.5 million on new vehicles and trailers, Abbey says it maintains a tight control of vehicle maintenance to ensure high safety standards and avoid breakdowns.

Abbey had previously implemented a system to manage compliance and maintenance but with the business expanding, a more integrated and comprehensive system was required that would provide better management information and a platform for future expansion.  

A key feature of Freeway is that it extends digital working into the hands of staff in the workshop and Abbey is equipping technicians with tablets to digitally record their timesheets, inspections and job cards.

As well as the core functions of managing services, inspections, defects and compliance, Abbey is implementing Freeway for managing stores for digital parts issuing and stock control, with automated replenishment on impress stock.

Abbey will also be using Freeway’s driver app so drivers can use their mobiles to record their walk-around safety checks, giving the workshop immediate visibility of any issues so decisions can be made immediately on the urgency on the rectification of any reported defect.

“Crucially Freeway joins up the dots between the fleet team, the operations team and drivers,” said Jamieson. “For example, the introduction of a live, paperless defect system is one way we can ensure the fleet is proactively maintained and 100% compliant at all times.

“Freeway is brilliant as it gives us a single point of access to all the information we need; it is fully integrated and represents a significant step up in our system capability.  

“It is particularly good at providing an insight into our performance and costs, down to individual parts and people, so we can be fully informed when making business decisions,” Jamieson added.