Six months of using Masternaut Three X’s advanced web-based satellite tracking service with its innovative driver hour monitoring functionality has convinced retail logistics company, TT Express, to extend its usage to its entire fleet of HGVs.
Currently fitted to 16 of its vehicles, Masternaut is delivering major benefits by enabling better management of drivers and vehicles in line with the Working Time Directive and providing intelligence for improving route planning and, therefore, reducing the fleet’s carbon footprint.
TT Express is a nominated carrier for MAKRO, TOYS 'R' US and Littlewoods Shop Direct, as well as providing daily deliveries to Argos and Woolworths, and provides specialist consolidation services for these high profile brands. This requires TT Express to collect goods from suppliers and bring them back to its 120,000 sq ft secure warehouse for sorting, storage and then building up into pallet-loads of orders for delivering to each location. This complex operation ensures that only full trailers are sent to stores, cutting down on the number of vehicles used and journeys made up and down the UK road network. The company employs the latest technology to help it optimize its operations, passing the benefits onto its customers as improved service.
“We’ve been a serious user of tracking systems for many years. Last year we decided to look at alternative solutions and chose Masternaut as it offers much more flexibility than other systems. The absolute deal clincher for us was the ability to interface the HourTrak function with the vehicle’s tachograph. This gives us a superb level of detail for each vehicle and driver, enabling us to accurately monitor actual driver hours in real time as well as providing historic data for each and every journey. This information has simplified scheduling for future jobs and ensures that we are fully compliant to the Directive as we have full details of each driver, whether on route, resting or even on holiday,” says Peter Shepherd, General Manager, TT Express.
By making drivers fully aware of the level of information available via Masternaut – from satellite images to minute-by-minute records of vehicle movement – has encouraged a positive change in working habits.
“Using the live information and the historical reports, we are able to work with our drivers to ensure that they use the most cost-effective routes and make best use of their time and availability. This has big implications in helping us to reduce fuel bills and making us a much more environmentally responsible company,” says Peter Shepherd.
Peter Shepherd also highlights the utility of the system allowing authorized users to access the system from any PC with an Internet account. “I like the fact that Masternaut is very easy to use and is Internet based, so I can access it whenever I need to even from home. Another useful feature is how it integrates with our Transport Management software, giving a seamless link between the live tracking and back office systems,” he concludes.
