Freight forwarding company reduces damage with Lamerholm's ImpactManager

Allport is one of the UK's leading independent freight forwarder and millions of kilos of goods move through its global  network every day.

Air freight centres at the country's major airports Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Coventry, Allport operate a state of the art monitoring system from Lamerholm, to ensure that forklift trucks are working to optimum capacity and only being operated by qualified personnel.

Designed to control vehicle access, monitor usage and ensure safety compliance across the range of forklifts, the use of ShockWatch ImpactManager RF helps Allport reduce cargo, infrastructure and truck damage at the freight centres.

Within the warehouses, goods are moved around by a fleet of forklift trucks and until installation of the ImpactManager system, unreported damage and unauthorised use of the trucks meant that too much time was being spent managing the truck fleet, as well as the added cost of repairing the damage both to the warehouse and the trucks themselves.

Collecting a range of data regarding use of the forklift, the RF version provides a real-time link between the trucks and a PC in the office, which is updated and relayed every 5 -10 minutes, so that the logistics manager can keep track of trucks within the network. ShockWatch ImpactManager RF is attached to the truck and transmits event data via a wireless network to the accompanying software. Users can monitor an unlimited number of trucks and these can be programmed to send data straight away or to wait until a number of pre-defined events have occurred. However, with incidents that have important safety implications, such as impacts, then an alert is sent immediately. Allport currently has the system monitoring up to 50 trucks.

For managers, ShockWatch ImpactManager RF provides a means to control access and identify specific users. This means that only trained operators will have access for use. By coding a simple to use iButton operator's key, only authorised key holders will be able to activate the ignition system. The PC software will also log details including relevant certifications held and will notify the manager when these are due to expire. Maintenance can also be easily scheduled using the software, with alerts being issued when required.