'Integrated solutions are the future for satnav and telematics'

A recent survey by UK GPS specialist Navevo reveals that the London Lorry Control Scheme, amongst other regulated HGV routes, tops route-planning concerns for professional drivers and fleet managers alike.

Transport professionals and haulage managers said features to help them follow approved HGV routes were a leading factor in GPS service choices, second only to avoiding height restrictions a long time requirement.  In the case of the London Lorry Ban (also known as the 'ERN'), helping drivers stay on approved roads is seen as critical in avoiding heavy route contravention fines.

In Navevo's research, drivers even suggested they would put in considerable extra mileage to stay on familiar routes, rather than find the correct ERN routes whilst travelling through London. This illustrates the need for wider integration of professional routing applications such as Navevo's ProNav Dimension HGV navigation software, which includes an ERN feature to keep drivers on approved routes that are quicker and more fuel efficient.

Commenting on the results, Navevo's CEO Nick Caesari said, "HGV navigation technology has evolved considerably over the past year and is now finally starting to be recognised by the haulage industry as a vital component of any fleet management system. Since the launch our ProNav Dimension software we have seen a significant increase in enquiries from major haulage companies looking to incorporate navigation into their day to day operations. We are now working towards an integrated software solution in conjunction with telematics systems and tracking providers, making such services more widely accessible to the haulage and transport industry."  

The company's ProNav Dimension software includes features such as London Lorry ban routing, Dynamic ETA, and a full suite of customisable attributes for optimised HGV and large vehicle navigation.

Caesari continued, "We believe that integration is the future for the SatNav and telematics industries and we are keen to take an increasing market share from competitors such as ALK by offering unique and unrivalled HGV routing and data features that meet the increasing challenges faced by the haulage industry today."

Navevo currently supplies their Dimension software for the ProNav PNN300, the company's professional GPS unit (released in August 2010) and is also available for use on other hardware platforms including ruggedised laptops, handheld computers and GPS enabled Smartphones.

Research was conducted amongst 267 drivers and managers in the largest nationwide survey for London haulage professionals.  The amount of good vehicles travelling through London overnight is more than 50,000 a year.