The Hoddesdon-based operator has 37 vehicles, including 14 large coaches (53/57-seaters) and two 70-seaters. The rest of the fleet comprises midi vehicles and minibuses.
Golden Boy had been using another tachograph analysis supplier for eight years, but decided to look at TruTac’s solution when the software business partnered with the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT).
The resulting system, called CPT Tacho Analysis, is fully web-based, with digital and analogue tachograph analysis and automated reporting, designed for PSV operators.
Golden Boy has been using the system since November 2015.
Transport manager Andy Wing says: “The biggest time saver for us is when it comes to monitoring the working time directive – previously our drivers would use time-sheets and at the end of the day we would have someone in the office actually adding up those times manually, putting them on to a spreadsheet. However, the TruTac system records everything for us and displays it in the way we want, so I can see it live and can see who’s coming near the driving time limits and who’s not.”
With 43 drivers’ cards to process, the time saving on administration is easily 15 hours a week, says Wing.
In terms of compliance Wing is pleased with the automatic generation of infringement letters feature of CPT Tacho Analysis. He is also happy that the system can analyse both domestic hours and EU hours – Golden Boy’s work is mixed but the majority of it is EU hours.
Additionally, moving to CPT Tacho Analysis has saved Golden Boy money. Under the previous system, Golden Boy had to pay for every vehicle data download and driver download but with the TruTac system the company now only pays for the driver card downloads, and they receive a significant discount for being a CPT member.
“The fact that the TruTac system is specifically aimed at PSV operators helps the business overall,” adds Wing.
“We operate very differently to HGV operators. This system from TruTac is specifically aimed at PSV operators and I don’t think there are many tacho software companies that do that.”