Fareham Car & Van hire has said it has reduced the risk of breakdowns by fitting Trakm8 Prime telematics.

The Gosport-based company has installed 45 telematics devices across its hire fleet, which includes Ford Transit vans and minibuses, as well as Mercedes-Benz Sprinters.

Trakm8 Prime offers real-time vehicle battery status and diagnostic trouble code alerts, as well as driver behaviour scoring.

Lauren Stone, executive support officer at Fareham Car & Van Hire, said: The vehicle health features of Trakm8 Prime are really helpful to us as a hire company. It means that we can sort out problems before they cause a breakdown.

“We have quite a lot of vehicles on long term hire and they all undergo monthly checks to make sure they are in the best possible condition.

“With Trakm8 Prime, we can immediately see if something needs sorting out on a vehicle, rather than finding out weeks later.

“We solve a little problem before it becomes a big one.”

Fareham is using the telematics’ system’s driver behaviour scoring system, which monitors heavy acceleration, over-revving, harsh braking and sharp cornering.

The company has also used Trakm8 Prime to set up geo-fences – virtual boundaries around its premises. Whenever one of its vehicles crosses a geo-fence, the system sends a notification to the user.

Stone added: “The alerts that let us know when vehicles have left and returned to the company address are extremely helpful as they provide a clear digital record of when a vehicle was hired and when it was returned.”