Challenge:
Prior to the installation of fleet management technology, the dispatch team would radio through the job details and were reliant on phone reception to call and locate drivers. This meant the team was always making educated guesses on locations of drivers and assets, and was heavily reliant on paper, constantly duplicating and transferring documents causing a lot of errors. While implementing Teletrac Navman technology from 2005, they attempted to replace their then smaller fleet in 2008 with a less comprehensive app, but soon found they started missing the functionality they had gotten used to.
The biggest return on investment we’ve seen as a result of installing the fleet management software is undoubtedly the improved fleet utilisation. By having a bird’s eye view of our full fleet, we now only use the closest vehicle for the job. It also helps with dispatch, as we now know how many cars a truck is loaded with and can therefore easily maximise utilisation throughout the day.
- Stuart Gerring, General Manager
Solution:
Parks Towing primarily use real-time tracking functionality in its towing trucks and battery vans when they are out doing call-out services through AA. It is great for customer service, as well as safety, as the team can provide accurate ETAs to AA – so if a family is stuck a long way away, it’s helpful for them knowing how long it will take for help to arrive.
The technology has also proven to be an invaluable Health & Safety tool, something the team wasn’t expecting. The dispatch team can use it to constantly make sure their drivers are ok when driving through blackspots in rural areas. Parks Towing & Garage has also recently taken the leap to electronic Road User Charges with Teletrac Navman’s RUC Manager – the biggest gain has been eliminating the complexity and administrative workload of manual processing.
Results:
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Increased Productivity and Efficiency: Dispatch to drivers is streamlined, eliminating wait times for the next job and ensuring operations run smoothly.
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Enhanced Monitoring and Maintenance: Speed monitoring provides valuable reports to identify poor driving behaviour, while maintenance alerts cover various aspects, including COF reminders and servicing schedules.
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Improved Compliance and Cost Management: The use of Electronic RUC ensures vehicles are compliant on the road at all times, reducing unnecessary expenses and improving claims for on-site towing operations.
About Parks Towing:
Parks Towing are industry leaders in the recovery and salvage of vehicles, servicing the greater Canterbury area. As a team they always strive to ‘Take the Problem Away’ for both their customers and teammates. Parks Towing is Canterbury’s oldest and most trusted towing company, servicing the South Island for over 95 years. They offer towing, heavy recovery, breakdown roadside assistance, commercial fleet servicing, machinery transport, vehicle storage, and has an automotive centre and engineering workshop. Parks Towing has 55 staff, a full fleet of 60 vehicles and assets, and have a 28,000 sqm storage facility.