New system to record vehicle condition for truck and trailer rental05 November 2014

Disagreements with rental companies about vehicle condition could soon be a thing of the past, with the launch of a new app from Dawsonrentals Truck & Trailer.

The company has invested £50,000 designing a system, which is used on tablets and smartphones to record a vehicle's condition at the start or end of a hire period.

It allows both parties to inspect, record and sign agreements electronically with photographic evidence attached, if needed.

"Collection and return conditions have always been a contentious area, right across the industry," says John Fletcher, managing director of Dawsonrentals Truck & Trailer.

"Largely, this has been because companies have relied on paper-based systems that have unavoidably been less than perfect."

Once signed off, the information is emailed to the customer and to Dawsonrentals central system. A paper copy is also printed for the driver.

The system has been tested and has now been rolled out to all 24 UK branches.

"We want absolute transparency of the handover and return process – something that relies on factual, properly recorded details that have been agreed openly and honestly by both parties," adds Fletcher.

The company is also testing a new 'drone' camera that flies over the vehicle, taking photographs of the roof.

Results to date are "extremely encouraging", says the company and, when testing is complete, overhead images will be added to the app record.

Author
Laura Cork

Related Companies
Dawson Rentals Ltd

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