Robert Wiseman Dairies, one of the UKs largest and most respected milk processing companies, is on target to reduce carbon emissions by 7% equating to almost 5,000 tonnes of CO2 now that it has completed installing Isotraks Active Transport Management System (ATMS) across its 900 vehicle fleet. The massive carbon emissions reduction will be linked with an overall fuel consumption improvement target of 1mpg.
Isotrak and Wiseman Dairies have been working together since March 2008, as a result of the clear and objective business case demonstrated by Isotrak through the use of its unique Transport Efficiency Analysis (TEA). Isotraks TEA observes normal operations in a representative sample of fleet vehicles, to indicate how improved efficiency could deliver fuel cost savings, reduce carbon emissions and improve customer service.
In the case of Wiseman Dairies, the TEA indicated potential fuel savings of 5% could be achieved by implementing Isotrak systems including the optional Driver Style Monitoring module powered by CANbus engine telematics data, which monitors and reinforces best-practice Safe and Fuel Efficient Driving (SAFED) driver training across the fleet.
Once Isotraks business case had been presented and agreed by the Wiseman Dairies Project board, the relationship extended to a fully operational proof-of-concept phase encompassing 120 vehicles from three locations. During this phase Wiseman Dairies substantially outperformed the TEA by achieving a 7% saving across the 120 strong sample fleet, managing to save 231 tonnes of CO2 in just three months to the end of March 2009.
Kirsty Cooper, Logistics Manager of Robert Wiseman Dairies, comments: Isotrak has an excellent pedigree, a blue-chip client list, a business-focused offering that just works and a real commitment to get us up, running and supported. We bought on the basis of an objective business case and are already reaping the benefits.
Craig Sears-Black, Sales & Marketing Director of Isotrak, adds: When we started working with Wiseman Dairies, we knew immediately the challenges we would face in addressing the needs of such a diverse, sophisticated and widely dispersed transport fleet. However, thanks to the managements excellent buy-in and a real drive to succeed, they have already saved much more fuel than we expected, and still have huge scope to achieve further cost and carbon savings.
Wiseman Dairies first contacted Isotrak to discuss trailer-tracking solutions, with the aim of achieving better control of the companys 300 trailers, whose location and utilisation varied widely. Although Wiseman Dairies had experimented with trailer tracking previously, it recognised the superior calibre and scope of Isotraks solution, plus its impeccable pedigree as a long-term supplier to household names such as Asda, Marks & Spencer, Sainsburys, Tesco and Eddie Stobart.
However, the relationship quickly developed into a full installation of ATMS, allowing Wiseman Dairies to complement and sustain benefits from its in-house SAFED training programme see Case Study below.
A contract was finalised in March 2009, with a phased roll-out commencing soon after. This has encompassed an extremely wide range of makes and types of vehicles, including light commercial vans (LCVs), a variety of rigids, and articulated trucks as well as refrigerated trailers and tankers. With Wiseman Dairies operations extending from Pensilva in Cornwall to Keith in Moray (northern Scotland), Isotraks in-house hardware installations team have covered the length of the British Isles in order to complete the fitting of satellite tracking and telematics hardware.
Now that installation of the whole fleet is complete, Wiseman Dairies can measure and optimise delivery turnaround time, driver breaks and resource utilisation. ATMS delivers insights into the quality and efficiency of the Wiseman Dairies transport operation, to all stakeholders, through a standard web browser. Using the insights ATMS provides, the company expects to develop an increasingly sophisticated suite of key performance indicators (KPIs).
Plus, while completing the initial roll-out of ATMS, Wiseman Dairies is already returning to its original goal of setting up trailer tracking, recognising that there are significant benefits waiting to be realised through better utilisation of its trailer fleet.
A longer-term goal for Isotrak within Wiseman Dairies will be to look at the opportunity to provide visibility of jobs across the whole transport network, delivering continually updated ETAs to destinations via the Isotrak job management module. Linking seamlessly with existing third-party systems, to augment their value, is a particular area of Isotraks expertise.
Case Study: using Driver Style Monitoring to reinforce SAFED training
Wiseman Dairies selected Isotraks optional CANbus engine management interface as a core part of its installation. Via CANbus, Isotrak measures parameters such as harsh braking, overspeeding, use of cruise control and idling time, to generate a simple red, amber, green scorecard (see Fig. 1, right) that forms an integral part of the daily driver debrief.
From this, Wiseman Dairies can now highlight where individual drivers could benefit from the companys SAFED training programme, as well as recognising where superior skills already exist. Previously, average fuel consumption data was only available through laborious manual analysis on a weekly basis, making it much more difficult to link cause with effect. Now, drivers are eager to find out how well they have driven at the end of every day.
Isotraks daily debrief screens also permit Transport Managers to discuss with drivers how their driving style has impacted on fuel consumption. Transport Managers are already welcoming the fact that vehicles now return earlier to depots, and in smaller clusters, indicating the deep-seated change in approach that Isotrak systems have facilitated.
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