A proactive approach to fleet maintenance has myriad benefits for road transport companies whose obligations now span driver safety, uptime improvements and meeting chain of responsibility regulations. If the health of a company can be viewed through the condition of its commercial vehicles, running a safe and productive fleet requires a regular service and maintenance routine to ensure potential issues are detected and addressed to avoid costly emergency repairs and unplanned downtime.
Tracking maintenance and fleet mobility are among the advantages offered by global telematics provider EROAD. Based in New Zealand, the company delivers automated service scheduling and a defect identification process which it says will reduce the risk of unexpected repair costs through full audit trails, resolution and certified repair. Predictive maintenance is created through usage based data that generates reports that capture the original inspection record and provide proof, according to EROAD, the fleet is safe and compliant.
As a telematics platform, it provides data and analytics for a complete view of the fleet so that fleet managers can be up to the minute with scheduling repairs and maintenance, a must in an industry where commercial vehicles are subject to constant wear and tear.
With safety of paramount importance in the supply chain, and productivity gains critical to driver engagement, EROAD helps monitor driver performance and identifies unsafe driving behaviours such as harsh braking, cornering or speeding so it can be addressed quickly to reduce the long-term impact on the vehicles. Key metrics such as mileage, fuel usage, time lapses and engine hours are all tracked to provide a complete picture of the monitored vehicle performance, assisting fleet managers reduce idling and enhance fuel efficiency.
Knowing the Australian environment is unique, EROAD has fine tuned its mobile application for local conditions to meet the needs of Conroy Removals, a trans-Tasman removalist company with branches in Brisbane, Townsville, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. It deploys up to 50 vehicles daily. Drivers have been made aware of harsh braking and excessive speeds through the in-cab features of the EROAD system, enabling drivers to self-correct or receive additional coaching. Speed infringements have markedly decreased since Conroy Removals installed EROAD says IT Administrator Kingsley Gordon.
“EROAD’s comprehensive data has allowed us to discuss speeding with our drivers and show them the specifics of when, where and how fast,” he says.
Generating reports which capture the original inspection record, along with its resolution and who it was that actioned each item keep each vehicle road worthy and expedites the planning of budgets, asset utilisation and staffing. For Kingsley having the vehicles in good working order for longer periods of time also helps boost the likelihood of a return on investment.
“It’s definitely made us more proactive in keeping the trucks safe. Because maintenance is simpler to manage, we’re able to keep on top of things a lot more easily,” he says.