With EutelTRACS drivers can know precisely how much time they have been on the road, at a client (or roadside restaurant), in a tailback, etc. ‘We can use this information to adjust the schedule,’ says Martien van Wijngen, Managing Director of Van Wijngen Transport in Hazeldonk. This brings an end to discussions with drivers about driving/rest times or route changes. ‘We see immediately whether it is possible on a certain day to travel from Bordeaux to Toulouse to load a shipment scheduled to leave the following day. This helps us win a few hours’ time,’ he states. Even though the driver may have preferred to spend a few more hours in Bordeaux.
Greater efficiency, decisiveness and availability
Schedule optimisation resulting from the tracking-and-tracing solution has demonstrated major advantages. ‘We benefit more from the precise location and time data than before. This results in greater efficiency, decisiveness and – more importantly – availability for our clients,’ says Van Wijngen. ‘As a transport entrepreneur, you aim to transport your clients’ goods from A to Z as efficiently as possible for the lowest price and, more importantly, on time,’ he states. This leaves little room for the whims of drivers. ‘Drivers must simply complete their assignments. They do not act independently, doing the job as they see fit and as they wish,’ says the entrepreneur.
Drivers feel more involved in operations
Since the system’s introduction, which was discussed at length with all of the drivers, his experience is that his drivers have achieved greater professionalism. This happened not because they felt that we checking up on them, but because they feel more involved in operations, even if they are far away from Barendrecht, driving along the French or Belgian countryside. ‘They feel connected with the base office and know that they can contact the planning manager at any moment without worrying about potential errors of communication,’ explains Van Wijngen. This also gives drivers peace of mind. ‘There were obviously also drivers who didn’t appreciate this way of working with the company,’ the entrepreneur relates. They were given the room to reach their own conclusions and decided on their own to leave the Van Wijngen organisation.
The new system has also brought an end to confusion on the floor and amongst the drivers. In addition, our scheduling options have grown enormously – ‘optimised’ in Van Wijngen’s words – as planners are able to focus on their work, rather than constantly chasing down drivers and making guesses about the drivers’ actual location and work load. ‘We have substantially increased efficiency and reliability,’ assesses Martien van Wijngen. He says he could no longer work without EutelTRACS and the associated FleetVisor services.