Here’s how he saved £330,000
Dynafleet Online helps haulage companies reduce their costs and increase their profits. Benefits that customers in Britain, in particular, are well aware of. Britain is where the system has been operation longest and where it has most users.
R
ugby is the Midlands town that has given its name to the game which, thanks to Jonny Wilkinson’s last-gasp drop-goal in extra time, has become one of England’s most popular sports. It is also the brand name of the cement that world-leading construction materials manufacturer RMC Group transports to its customers every day of the week.
“We deliver more than 3.6 million tonnes of cement throughout Britain every year”, says logistics manager Rick Sheehan.
At a time when fuel prices are climbing steadily, the company can boast that it has actually reduced its fuel costs by no less than 7 percent in one year. This corresponds to a saving of more than £330,000. And all this despite the fact that the company has actually expanded its operations.
The savings are the result of a far-ranging action package that the company launched in July 2003. Together with the purchase of new trucks, RMC’s UK Cement Division decided to increase its cost efficiency by training its more than 300 truck drivers to drive defensively and economically. For this purpose, the company needed some form of technical aid that could measure and follow up the drivers’ on-road behaviour.
This was when the choice fell on Volvo’s transport information system, Dynafleet Online.
“Fuel economy was perhaps the most important parameter when we examined the various makes before committing ourselves to this investment. The fact that we finally went with Volvo was not because Volvo’s trucks are more economical than others, but because Volvo could offer the right technology so we could exploit the trucks’ potential to the full”, explains Clive Oakley, the company’s business process manager.
“Dynafleet was the tool we needed so we could take control of our fuel economy”, he continues.
All the drivers underwent a half-day training course in fuel-efficient driving techniques. Those who did not meet the target went through an additional course on the company’s 51 kilometre long test track in Scunthorpe. With the help of Dynafleet’s real-time data, the drivers could immediately see how various manoeuvres affected the vehicle’s fuel consumption. The results were not long in coming.
“Dynafleet was very well received by the vast majority of our drivers. After all, we all want to be better at our jobs. Now every driver had the benefit of a tool that immediately showed it was possible to drive 9 miles per gallon instead of 7 miles per gallon the previous week. That prompted a fantastic response.”
“It also gives supervisors a factual basis for ongoing evaluation of our drivers. If we see that any driver is under-performing, we can quickly have a chat with him to see if it is the truck, the type of assignment or his driving style that is the problem”, says Rick Sheehan.
Dynafleet is now in use every day at the company’s logistics department. Every month, the system collates a wide range of transport statistics for each driver and also for each truck. The statistics form the basis for internal competitions, where the drivers are spurred on to drive better, more safely and more economically.
The company also has five full-time Driver Development Officers whose sole purpose is to regularly evaluate the drivers and give them further training.
“What we have to remember is that Dynafleet is “only” an aid”, says Rick Sheehan.
“It’s all about increasing people’s awareness and about changing habits. Today it is perfectly natural for our drivers to use the cruise control, to avoid unnecessary idling and to drive in the highest gear as much as possible. It is this change in mentality that has brought about results”, explains Rick Sheehan. “At the same time”, he adds, “Dynafleet is about more than just improved fuel economy.”
The system has also helped shorten repair times since the company uses Dynafleet’s service calendar. It provides information about which vehicles are scheduled for service and provides a warning if service is required earlier than planned.
“There are in addition a whole range of spin-off benefits. Both driver tiredness and vehicle wear have dropped with the new system. By driving more economically, we contribute to a better environment. And we have several examples of accidents that we know would have ended very dramatically if the drivers involved had not learned to drive defensively.”
In addition, Dynafleet has functions that the company has not yet had time to start exploiting.
“Not least among the as yet unused facilities is the ability to communicate with drivers via SMS messages instead of via voice calls on mobile phones. However, this requires new procedures that we are currently developing.”
And what about the future?
“More of the same”, laughs Rick Sheehan.
“We’ll continue training and developing our drivers with the help of Dynafleet. It has quite simply become part of our regular operation. If you took the system away from our drivers today, they would probably respond as though you had cut off their right arms. Dynafleet helps them, and the entire company, to be better.” ■
Facts: Dynafleet Online in brief
Dynafleet Online has many functions that can help transport companies be more efficient and increase their profitability.
Here are a few.
■ Summary reports Detailed information about the vehicle’s utilisation and the driver’s driving style.
■ Discrepancy reports Shows vehicles and drivers who deviate from the company’s fuel consumption goals.
■ Fuel reports Detailed and precise overview of the fleet’s fuel consumption.
■ Mileage reports Rundown of the fleet’s exact productivity per driven distance and driving time. Just like the fuel reports, these reports provide an overview of the fleet’s performance.
■ Time reports Overview of driving time and breaks per driver.
■ Environmental reports Information about the haulage operation’s environmental effects.
■ Service calendar Provides, among other things, information about which vehicles are scheduled for service in the near future. Also warns if service is required earlier than planned.