Stay-at-home orders due to outbreak means essential fleet vehicles can take advantage of quieter road network.

The enforced lockdown across the United States due to the Corona Virus outbreak has meant an increase in travel efficiency for essential commercial vehicles across its cities' road networks.

Fleet Service Management

Data processed from Fleet Service Management firm Geotab and their connected vehicles operating across seven major US cities shows an increase in average commercial speeds and a reduction in time spent waiting at intersections.

Compared to averages from February 22 to March 15 the data shows that across all seven cities there has been an average road speed increase of 16 per cent with New York City, the state with the worse outbreak, seeing the highest increase of 2o per cent.

Stopping times at intersections has reduced signigificantly with Atlanta having the largest reduction of approximately 17 per cent compared to the February 22 to March 15 period.

It all equates to less traffic on the road meaning residents are adhering to Government orders to stay at home during the breakout. Vehicles tasked with carrying out essential services, such as food deliveries to supermarkets, are able to reach their destinations quicker than usual in weekday traffic figures that resemble that of the weekend.

Mike Branch, VP of Data and Analytics at Geotab expanded on the analysis. "Examining connected car datasets at the city level helps provide some clarity and understanding about what is happening in our communities during unprecedented times such as this," he said.

"We have seen a noticeable decrease in traffic congestion based on average speeds and time spent at intersections. This means that with less traffic on the roads, commercial vehicles are able to get through typically congested major cities in a more efficient way, allowing essential drivers to get where they are going quicker."

Research from Verizon Connect shows some managers not utilising technology to offset basic tasks.

A survey into the behaviour of UK fleet managers has found the majority spend time on admin preventing them from focusing on daily tasks.

Interviewed

The research commissioned by Verizon Connect and conducted by Opinium interviewed UK 201 fleet managers who operate fleets of between three and 250 vehicles.

It revealed that two fifths of those interviewed spend 14 hours a week on general administrative tasks including route and schedule planning, the monitoring of driver behaviour and daily vehicle inspections.

The study also showed that less than half (47%) use fleet management technology to automate such tasks which Verizon says is the equivalent of nearly two full working days.

Fuel costs were highlighted as a particular concern for managers as was the search to find reliable drivers.

Derek Bryan, VP EMEA at Verizon Connect acknowledged that time pressure plays a huge part in fleet managers' day-to-day but said the use of technology can help negate this. "We know time is critical for fleet managers and many are tasked with trying to juggle lots of different tasks at one," he said. The introduction of a few simple technology tools can really make their life easier and help improve business efficiency."

WorkWaves's Route Manager made free for six weeks in UK and Ireland.

A collaboration between Leadent Digital and WorkWave means suppliers of critical goods and services in the UK and Ireland can access the fleet-management's route-planning software free of charge.

Swift Implementation

For six weeks essential industries will be able to utilise WorkWave's Route Manager platform which can be implemented in hours, the two companies say.

Firms on the front line are having to expand swiftly to meet demand for home deliveries and other services and it is hoped use of the software can help companies optimise their resources and support new and inexperienced drivers.

Leadent Digital's CEO Alastair Clifford-Jones said seeing the growth of essential industries during the Covid-19 outbreak influenced the collaboration. "When we saw so many organisations working so hard in these unprecedented times, we needed to help and this seemed the best way of using our skills and resources to support the national effort. We have seen companies growing very rapidly to meet demand and this could really help them cope."

For more details about the offer click here.

Bunzl Catering Supplies sign enhanced contract with fleet solution provider.

Bunzl Catering Supplies have extended their contract with fleet solution provider Microlise and supplemented its existing Proof of Delivery (POD) transport management solution with extra modules.

Modules

The firm, part of international B2B distributor Bunzl plc., have added Fleet Performance, Remote Tacho Download, Journey Management and Health and Safety modules to their current package.

Focused on the catering and hospitality sector where it sources, consolidates and distributes food packaging and hygiene products, the UK-based company conducts seven operating branches and a distribution centre.

In renewing and enhancing the partnership Bunzl hope they will make further improvements in efficiency, customer service and safety around its operational output.

"Extending the solution for us is a natural progression," said Phil Haskew, National Transport Manager at Bunzl Catering Supplies. "We have identified further workflow and customer service improvements we can make by introducing fleet utilisation, planning and health, safety and compliance management solutions."

Commenting on the deal, Nadeem Raza, Microlise's CEO said: "We are delighted to continue to partner with Bunzl Catering Supplies as they deliver a strengthened end-to-end cutsomer experience."

Microlise, the telematics and transport management solutions provider announces the acquisition of TruTac Ltd.

TruTac is the leading UK provider of fleet compliance and management software for Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV) and Public Service Vehicle (PSV).

The terms of the acquisition were not disclosed and as part of the acquisition, TruTac will remain an independent company as part of the Microlise Group. The acquisition underscores Microlise’s ongoing commitment to forge new partnerships and opportunities to increase product and service innovation to support its international customer base in the UK, France, India, Middle East, Australia and New Zealand. 

Microlise, headquartered in Nottingham, is the UK’s market leader of telematics and transport technology products, with over 500,000 connections around the world. Its Fleet Performance, Journey Management, Planning & Optimisation and Proof of Delivery products are used by fleet operators while its solutions are also successfully deployed by OEM partners including MAN Truck & Bus UK, JCB and Tata Motors in India.

Founded in 1990 and operating throughout the UK and Ireland, TruTac has successfully established itself as the leading designer and provider of fleet compliance software for HGV and PSV operators.  Its online product suite allows operators and transport managers to simplify and streamline tachograph and compliance management via one easy-to-use portal. TruTac’s range of products helps clients to protect their Operators Licence, reduce risk, increase fleet efficiency and reduce administration costs.

Nadeem Raza, Microlise’s Chief Executive Officer said: “We are delighted to announce this acquisition and we welcome the TruTac team to Microlise. This union strengthens our presence in both the HGV and PSV sectors, and complements our group offering of real-time fleet management systems to enable smarter and more accurate operational decisions. We have identified strong synergies between the businesses, particularly across the development of new products and services. We look forward to actively pursuing our ongoing mutual success.”

Terry Ramsey, Managing Director of TruTac added: “I am proud of everything TruTac has achieved in becoming the UK’s compliance software market leader and this is great news for both old and new HGV and PSV customers. Microlise and TruTac are guided by the same ethos and passion for transport and this union is a positive one. Combining our expertise will deliver greater customer and partner value across the commercial and passenger transport industries. I look forward to accelerating the development of new products and services and to entering new markets with a strengthened and complementary fleet management offering.”

Growth continues for market leading provider of video telematics.

Lytx^® announces results from 2019 that reflect the company's continued success and industry leadership. According to analyst firm Frost & Sullivan, Lytx has 60% share of the total video safety market - more than triple the share of its nearest competitor.

Brandon Nixon, Lytx chairman and CEO, said: "2019 was a phenomenal year for Lytx by any measure. It has been over 20 years since we created the first technology in the video telematics space. As we enter this new decade, our future is brighter than ever."

"Anyone can capture video from a vehicle," Nixon continued. "But we have billions of miles of data and experience across thousands of fleets that enable us to make an effective behaviour-change tool for fleets of all sizes. We decipher millions of hours of driving data a day and use it to deliver meaningful insights to clients that make a difference for their business. That's why more and more fleets are turning to Lytx. We understand the challenges they face day-in and day-out and innovate to exceed their expectations."

Innovation Fuels Client Success

Driving Lytx's growth and continued success is the company's relentless focus on customer-centred innovation, particularly in the fields of machine vision and artificial intelligence (MV+AI). Clients credit the company's advanced technology, commercial grade hardware, configurable and flexible solutions, all-in-one telematics offerings, exceptional customer service, and superior return on investment as the key differentiators that lead them to deploy with Lytx.

Today, more than 4,000 organizations, with fleets of all sizes and across all sectors, are experiencing the benefits of Lytx first-hand. In 2019, nearly 25% of new customers were fleets who switched to Lytx after using another video or telematics solution. The company also increased its base of protected drivers by 300,000.

A One-Stop Video Telematics Leader for Versatile and Converged Solutions

Lytx's product portfolio, which the company introduced in February 2019, is now established as the most robust, configurable, broadly adopted, all-in-one video telematics fleet safety and productivity solution on the market.

The Lytx Video Platform and DriveCam® Event Recorder are unmatched in capturing capability, built-in computing power and clarity of view. Lytx monitors billions of miles of driving data annually – processing video through both MV+AI-powered algorithms and validated by professional reviewers. This approach mitigates unnecessary information for clients and increases accuracy while exposing more risk and delivering specific incidents and insights directly to fleet managers' dashboards. Lytx clients receive the information they need to succeed and improve — no more, no less.

Mugundhan Deenadayalan, senior research analyst at Frost & Sullivan, said: "Lytx's diverse range of industry-first solutions, advanced machine learning and artificial intelligence systems, industry best practices, customisable product portfolio and unparalleled customer service have taken the company to a new level of excellence in the industry.

"Its practice of putting the customer first, developing superior science and technology, and leveraging the power of data and analytics to innovate and craft solutions is proven to improve driver behaviour, safety, and operational efficiency, thereby saving lives."

Looking Forward to 2020

In January, Lytx announced it had received the largest-ever investment in video telematics from global private equity firm Permira. This investment values Lytx in excess of $2.5 billion.

Lytx's ability to turn vast amounts of data into roadway insights through MV+AI only furthers its market leadership and competitive advantage in the $30 trillion global transportation economy. With over 120 billion miles of roadway data and the fastest-growing database of commercial driving data powering its advanced artificial intelligence algorithms, Lytx is uniquely positioned to continue leading the industry in 2020.

"The precision of our technology is unmatched in the industry. With the scale of our data, we can train our cameras to see and recognize anything of value to our clients," Nixon said. "The power and capability of our MV+AI technology only scratches the surface of its future potential. It presents a massive opportunity for our clients as we continue to fine-tune our offerings moving into this next decade. The number of ways we can help improve fleet operations are boundless." 

Route-planner start-up sees strong initial investment.

OptimoRoute, the route planner tech startup founded by former Yelp and Google engineers, announced it has raised a $6.5-million Series A round, led by Prelude Ventures. Participating investors include Congruent Ventures and Michael Stoppelman, former SVP of Engineering of Yelp and investor.

OptimoRoute helps companies of all sizes manage their mobile workforces, ranging from delivery to technicians. OptimoRoute’s industry-first platform includes system planning live dispatch, an easy-to-use mobile app for drivers and real-time order tracking for end customers. Users begin to see 10-30% year-over-year growth after introducing the system, while employees get more done in a day while also empowering them to do their jobs better and faster. 

Tackling the underlying 90-year-old “traveling salesperson problem” is one of the most intensely studied problems in optimization, and breakthroughs at OptimoRoute enable it to solve problems that are considered extremely difficult even for academic research engines. OptimoRoute is the first company to offer comprehensive pickup and delivery planning, up to a month in advance.  

Offering a fast user-friendly web interface and a simple pricing model, OptimoRoute has over 800 clients, and is used by everyone from large energy companies to small businesses. While 90% of customers are in the U.S., OptimoRoute is used in over 20 countries globally. Clients include Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline with 300 maintenance technicians; Telgian, which uses OptimoRoute to efficiently plan thousands of fire-safety inspections across U.S. each month, increasing the number of inspections by 70% while keeping the number of technicians the same; and Hardies, a Texas-based grocery delivery company using OptimoRoute, which is now delivering 14% more deliveries without increasing fleet size or working hours, but decreasing mileage by 20%.

“Prelude is excited to help OptimoRoute expand its reach and further develop its offerings for a multitude of mobile workforces,” said Victoria Beasley, principal, Prelude Ventures. “We strongly believe that OptimoRoute is set to have a huge impact on the route optimization market, saving time, money and resources, while also reducing carbon footprint, for their many diverse clients.”

OptimoRoute has spent over 5 years on in-house R&D developing algorithms to help create and organize schedules, while optimizing routes. Everything from the road network and travel times, to how much room is left in the van, to hourly wages, contractor costs, working hours and skills are taken into account to produce routes and schedules that get the largest amount of work done, while keeping driving and waiting times down.

“We are thrilled to be working closely with Prelude Ventures and Congruent Ventures to help us grow and meet demand,” said Marin Šarić, co-founder and CEO of OptimoRoute. “Every business with employees in the field, whether it's drivers doing deliveries or techs doing jobs faces a complex task of deciding who gets to go where, at what time and in what order.”

Šarić added, “Small business owners end up spending a significant part of their working hours organizing and reorganizing people, sometimes many hours per day. In large companies, planning groups and departments are formed with a primary goal of creating a schedule, a process that can take weeks. With OptimoRoute, the planning processes are cut down from hours to minutes every day.”

OptimoRoute's international team of experts and engineers bring decades of experience from Google, Yelp and Facebook. They have won awards at international programming competitions, such as the International Olympiad in Informatics and the International Collegiate Programming Contest, and have published machine learning and information retrieval research in leading publications.

The system is simple and easy to use. Orders are entered or imported to OptimoRoute. Based on the entered constraints like travel durations, driver work times, delivery/service time windows, vehicle load capacity, driver skills and vehicle features the system proposes efficient routes and stop sequences. Users can manually change the routes and the platform allows for 5-week advanced weekly planning, optimal dynamic re-planning and the ability to do multi-day routing of personnel across multiple states with overnight stays. 

Leading tool hire company experienced a 56% reduction in overall risk year-over-year...

Brandon Hire Station, one of the U.K.’s biggest tool and plant hire companies, has significantly improved its drivers’ safety records after installing video telematics and analytics solutions from Lytx. Collisions and risky driving incidents fell by approximately 56% in one year, while following-distance events were down almost 75%.

Lytx^® is a leading global provider of machine vision and artificial intelligence-based video telematics, analytics, safety and productivity solutions. The company has also helped Brandon Hire Station to improve driver safety and use video evidence to make it simpler to resolve insurance claims in the event of an incident. Harnessing Lytx video, Brandon Hire Station can provide drivers with a video clip of exactly what went wrong during a risky event, which allows for a more productive and personalised conversation.

Over a twelve month period, Brandon Hire Station saw the following improvements:

• 56% reduction in overall risk frequency and severity

• 77% reduction in following distance <1 second
• 74% reduction in following distance 1-2 seconds
• 46% reduction in collisions
• 31% reduction in late responses
• 25% reduction in other distracted driving incidents

Increasing the safety of your field service workers

“Our drivers have responded brilliantly to the introduction of Lytx,” said Stuart Conway, fleet manager at Brandon Hire Station, and highly commended ‘Commercial Fleet Manager Of The Year’ at the 2019 Commercial Fleet News Awards. “Overwhelmingly, they saw it as investment in their safety and their future and in the safety of other road users too. I’d like to think the very strong results we’ve already achieved are only the beginning.”

As well as implementing its video and analytic capabilities, The Lytx Driver Safety Programme has delivered prescriptive and customised coaching insights to Brandon Hire Station’s fleet managers. Lytx leverages video, motion and engine control module (ECM) sensors to present a superior and accurate view of risk, with greater than 95% accuracy across more than 60 risky driving behaviours – helping to filter out the noise and helps fleets focus on what’s most important.

“One major factor in our decision was that Lytx reviews the 12-second clips captured and uploaded by the cameras, and only sends us what we need to see,” Conway said. “Some of the other systems send you 15 hours of footage a day and we simply don’t have the capacity to go through all of that.”

Brandon Hire’s safety improvements were recently recognised when the company was awarded Commercial Fleet News’ 2019 Most Improved Fleet. The company has also achieved silver accreditation from the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS), and is aiming to achieve gold accreditation soon.

Moving forward, Brandon Hire Station is looking to develop its driver training further, as the company fully implements Lytx’s best-in-class Driver Safety Programme.

James Andrews will speak at the Microlise Transport Conference in May.