Connexas Group has secured a contract to provide its innovative telematics platform, complete with vehicle tacking, driver behaviour and on-board camera technology, to the entire fleet of vehicles operated by one of the UK’s leading independent food wholesalers, Castell Howell Foods.
[aoa id=”1″]Based in Carmarthenshire, Castell Howell Foods operates a fleet of 282 vehicles, including 178 heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), delivering fresh and processed food products to customers across the UK. Operating a number of set routes, as well as ad hoc journeys, the fleet covers an average 61,000 miles per week.[/aoa]
Previously operating with multiple fleet management systems across their different depots, Castell Howell Foods took the decision to consolidate the fleet onto one platform at the beginning of 2019. Following an in-depth review of the market and their incumbent suppliers, the Welsh operator chose to deploy the Connexas Group’s full Verilocation product suite.
According to Simon Lillington, transport manager at Castell Howell Foods, the decision to implement the Verilocation system made sense for a number of reasons. He explained:
“Verilocation have an impressive platform, offering the latest in connected vehicle technology. The integrated nature of the platform, which includes real-time vehicle tracking, driver behaviour monitoring and a live streaming DVR multi-camera system, means we will be able to provide our customers with advance delivery information and an assurance of traceability.
“The platform is already helping our managers to improve efficiency by providing routing information and assisting when providing feedback to drivers on their behaviour at the wheel. By linking positive driver behaviour to our discretionary bonus scheme, we are incentivising positive driving behaviour and actively encouraging drivers to anticipate risks.”
Additional efficiency savings will be achieved with the use of Verilocation’s Remote Digital Tachograph Download solution which has also been deployed throughout the HGV fleet. This technology will enable Castell Howell Foods to save up to two man-days per vehicle, per year from manually collecting tachograph drivers’ hours data.
Andrew Overton, CEO at fleet technology and connected vehicle solutions provider, Connexas, said:
“We are delighted to be providing a fleet-wide solution to one of the UK’s leading independent food wholesalers, operating in a sector where customers demand the highest standards of service and full traceability. Using the Verilocation platform, the business can expect to benefit from a measurable return on investment over time, as a result of improved fuel efficiency and lower insurance premiums.”
