Unlocking Success Through Telematics
CMS, a courier company, has successfully cut down on its maintenance costs by upgrading its fleet management system. Like many logistics and fleet managers, the company is focused on running an efficient fleet while ensuring top-notch customer service. This is crucial for CMS, a well-established provider of international mail, courier, and e-commerce services.
Founded in 1968 in New York and now operating from London with offices in Frankfurt and Paris, CMS aims to be a comprehensive service provider for both local and international clients. The company operates a fleet of 29 vehicles and employs 60 drivers, consistently striving to deliver high-quality service while maintaining sustainability. They set specific targets to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
To reach these goals, CMS turned to Geotab’s telematics technology, which helps monitor vehicle and driver performance. This technology aims to enhance fleet safety, productivity, and efficiency. Geotab Go, a compact device that plugs into a vehicle’s OBD II port, provides features like GPS, g-force monitoring, engine and battery health assessments, and expandability for additional functionalities.
The MyGeotab software allows fleet managers to access all vehicle and driver data from various devices, making fleet management more seamless. To comply with regulations, CMS drivers use the Geotab Drive app, which simplifies vehicle inspection reports and driver identification through smartphones or tablets.
To motivate its drivers, CMS took advantage of the Driver Challenge add-in available in the Geotab Marketplace. This tool uses gamification to make driving more engaging and competitive, awarding drivers with badges and medals based on key performance indicators. Initially, the aim was to reduce fuel consumption and driving complaints while lowering accident rates.
Currently, CMS uses this feature to monitor driver behavior, such as speeding, harsh acceleration or deceleration, and seat belt usage. This monitoring has shown positive results, with an average improvement of 1.2 km per liter of fuel for each vehicle. The friendly competition among drivers has also led to notable reductions in speeding and vehicle abuse, resulting in fewer speeding tickets and decreased maintenance needs.
By ensuring all 35 drivers correctly use the app to assign vehicles and perform daily checks, CMS has achieved greater transparency in its operations. This enables them to monitor which driver is using which vehicle during different shifts. Real-time data relayed to MyGeotab provides detailed reports on driver logs, remaining hours, and violation alerts, enhancing overall fleet management.
With the ProPlus package, CMS can access real-time updates on vehicle and driver performance, further aiding their efforts to maintain an efficient and cost-effective fleet.
