The project, led by Fraikin, also included Masternaut telematics systems and forward-facing cameras from SureCam.
The aim was to improve safety and reduce the environmental impact of the retailer’s 3.5-tonne commercial vehicle fleet, capturing operational data on vehicle performance, as well as monitoring driving habits to help develop training for the customer’s 8,000 drivers.
Minimising fleet downtime was crucial, so Fraikin worked with field-based engineering services provider Diareyes, creating an out-of-hours schedule for the installation, which was completed over two months.
“When working out the fitting schedule we had to consider a number of factors, not least the location of the 300-plus relief fleet which has assets constantly moving from store to store. The logistical challenge was to minimise the need for re-visits so that we were able to keep on schedule and on budget,” says Lorraine Sculley, Fraikin’s fleet management account director.
Fraikin trained the supermarket’s regional managers on the use of the telematics and camera systems, who then trained close to 8,000 individual drivers. For any subsequent issues, Fraikin offers 24/7 support to the customer’s team.
The final stage of the project centred around the analysis and reporting of the newly acquired data – which primarily comes from Masternaut’s dashboard-mounted device (pictured) that gives live feedback on driver behaviour. The telematics data can also help with fleet utilisation.
Fraikin is using the telematics data, with any required SureCam footage, to supply a weekly report highlighting how each vehicle is performing.
“We were quickly able to show how important the information this technology provides can be – our initial report highlighted that idling times were excessive across the fleet,” says Sculley.
“By monetising that data, we could show exactly how much that idling time was costing, meaning the customer could implement immediate changes to reduce costs and environmental impact, too,” adds Sculley.
Fraikin is now working with the retailer to add more functionality, including data from each vehicle’s CAN-bus system. This will be used to monitor faults and facilitate predictive maintenance, or to adjust schedules based on how intensively each vehicle is operating.