Returning to work after Christmas can be a let-down at times, but it can be downright frustrating if you find your fleet vehicles won't start! Year-on-year we see this issue crop up after Christmas - fortunately, it's avoidable with a bit of preventative maintenance.
Vehicle batteries are becoming smaller and smaller from the point of manufacture - 45Ah is now a typical battery size in light vehicles. Manufacturers are also adding items such as "Smart Charging" that can be very problematic for accessory power drawer e.g. the Ford Ranger. Fully charged these batteries will run flat on a vehicle left unused in around three weeks (or much less in some models), without any Smartrak electronics connected. Let alone other current drawing devices such as two-way radios, work lights, etc. And once an AVL is connected the time to run flat is more like two weeks. So, if the vehicle is not used from 22nd December to the 8th January then it will be marginal to get started. Worse, when the battery is partially discharged going into Christmas then it will almost certainly be flat on return to work.
Typically, this affects light/white fleet (e.g. Toyota Yaris), trade vehicles and specialised trucks/plant that are sporadically used and vehicles with ageing batteries.
If you have a master switch fitted, ensure you check it’s turned off. An auto electrician can see to this if the switches are still on.
Have a mechanic or auto electrician on stand-by in the new year to jump start any vehicles that may have had issues over the break. It may also be worth investing in a jump start pack to make the process quicker.
Disconnect the vehicle batteries before heading away. If no one is going to be driving the vehicles in your fleet for an extended period of time, work with your mechanics to disconnect the batteries. This way you can guarantee they'll be charged next year.
If disconnecting your batteries isn't an option, we've still got you covered. The Smartrak Timed Power-Off Harness will make sure the electronics don't draw too much power and completely drain your vehicles, but disconnecting Smartrak's hardware after a set amount of time - avoiding unnecessary battery drain.
Check out the Smartrak Customer Support Portal
"Employers in small construction firms tend to consider occupational risk management as the personal responsibility of the worker and failures in WHS outcomes as attributable to personal carelessness or a lack of knowledge or experience." (Lingard and Holmes 2001; Lingard 2000)
Normalising workplace health and safety (WHS) risks is easy to unintentionally do. Accidents happen in the workplace, and whilst some may be attributable to carelessness or lack of knowledge, it isn't an excuse for these risks to go unaddressed.
The review and analysis of all workplace accidents should be carefully undertaken, and where necessary protocols and interventions should be put in place to minimise the potential for risk or failure.
Driving is the highest rating WHS risk that employees face. With over 33% of all occupational fatalities in Australia as a result of road crashes. This figure is even more relevant when "80% of organisations believe their safety record could be improved" (Queensland Government Transport - Workplace Fleet Safety).
So what can you as an organisation do to minimise WHS risk and avoid normalising safety risks such as minor car accidents or workplace incidents that could otherwise be chalked up to personal carelessness or lack of knowledge or experience?
The introduction of telematics has seen fleets reduce the number of incidents by up to 80%. Introducing telematics into your fleet is the first step in understanding and visualising the risks being faced and looking at ways you can track and minimise them.
Rather than use telematics as the stick, consider ways you can use it to create a culture of safety and re-enforcement of positive behaviour. Reward drivers who are outperforming their peers in driver safety behaviour and where needed notify drivers of where they are creating undue risk so that they can reflect upon and change their behaviour.
Keep your staff on their toes and helping to drive changes in their own safety by helping develop a culture that makes staff aware of risks and methods to minimise potential risks. By taking every risk and safety concern seriously, risk won't be normalised and safety will be a primary concern all the way through the organisation.
Don't let workplace incidents go under the radar. Make sure that every workplace incident is recorded and addressed in a manner that will minimise the risk of it being repeated in the future. Once addressed, ensure that you're continually training your staff around these risks and making staff aware of new policies and procedures that are being introduced for their safety.
WHS risks will still become normalised unless staff feel supported by their employer and safe to report risks and incidents to their employer. Workplaces that are unsupportive of those who injure themselves in the workplace are unlikely to have all incidents reported to them for fear of job security and other negative consequences. By providing an environment that provides security and support in the event of an incident, staff are likely to report all incidents - big or small, ensuring your organisation is aware and able to mitigate all these WHS risks.
The Salvation Army is an international movement and a branch of the Christian Church. Since 1883 they have been fighting poverty and social and spiritual distress in New Zealand. The Army's mission is to care for people, transform lives and reform society.
Being a not-for-profit organisation, the Salvation Army needs to ensure that every dollar it raises is spent wisely and achieves the maximum return. The organisation needs to run lean and is constantly looking for ways to lower overheads and operating costs.
In April 2012 Smartrak installed GPS devices into five of the Salvation Army Family Store trucks operating across the Midland Division. Smartrak's online GPS solution gives management the data needed to make informed decisions on fleet operation, so they can run their vehicles efficiently and minimise unnecessary travel.
Graham Medland, Midland Division Secretary for Business Administration saw immediate results after the installation of Smartrak. "It was easy to monitor vehicle usage through both internet and mobile phone applications, ensuring that our vehicles are operating efficiently and that pick-ups and deliveries are successfully completed."
The Salvation Army's satisfaction doesn't stop there. "Smartrak staff made it very easy for us to understand how these devices operate. They were very friendly and accommodating," Graham commented.
With operations throughout the Far North, the Top Energy Group has interests in electricity generation, lines distribution, electrical contracting and customer contact centres. The Group's lines network stretches from North Cape down to Waipoua Settlement on the west coast and across to the Russell Peninsula on the east coast. It supplies electricity to over 30,000 consumers.
Top Energy started looking at fleet management software providers in late 2010. With approximately 130 vehicles working throughout a large geographic area it was expected that there was room to significantly improve fleet utilisation, reduce expenses and improve customer service.
Top Energy found that Smartrak included more features 'out of the box' than other competitor products on offer. The completeness of the solution and its proven track record were compelling reasons for Top Energy to choose Smartrak.
Top Energy has found the pool booking feature to be particularly useful in streamlining vehicle management. Significant savings in administration time have been achieved through the service tracking component of the fleet management software, while ensuring that service intervals are adhered to.
Group Procurement Manager Wayne Hunt says, "Top Energy is changing our vehicle management processes, moving from a location-centric model to a more centralised management model for compliance, maintenance and repairs. Smartrak's reporting, particularly the ability of the system to email suppliers of impending maintenance and service requirements, is excellent."
Smartrak's ability to report on frequency and location of use of a vehicle's 4WD system has provided significant long term savings for Top Energy. "It's played a role in providing data to rationalise the use of vehicles, and more specifically the type of vehicle. As an example, we're reducing the number of 4x4 utility vehicles in our fleet, replacing them with more economical vehicles," adds Wayne.
As with many large organisations, complaints involving vehicles can arise from time to time. Data collected by Smartrak's fleet management software has been used in these instances as part of the investigative process. Wayne says, "We've had instances where our staff were found not to be at fault, and in some cases additional driver education was required."
The key benefits have been:
Mark Maxlow, Auckland Council's Community Safety Programme Manager - Graffiti Vandalism Prevention, has found Stop Tags to be extremely beneficial over the past five years. "Stop Tags has successfully met our business needs. They've delivered a comprehensive database solution for our graffiti vandalism prevention service delivery that primarily supports our approach to eradication. The database assists us to clearly understand our service delivery levels and informs performance reporting. It's been an instrumental part of our region-wide approach to preventing graffiti vandalism."
With the establishment of Auckland Council following the amalgamation of local government organisations in the region, Stop Tags was able to fit seamlessly into their new business model. Mark says, "Right from the start we found Stop Tags to be responsive and flexible to our changing business needs. The service is flexible and scalable, so we know that as our needs grow so will the Stop Tags features. The growth and development that we have experienced with this product has given us the confidence to renew our formal relationship with Stop Tags."
No matter how great the product, it must also be supported by a great team of people. With the backing of award winning GPS tracking solutions provider Smartrak, the ongoing technical and after-sales support of Stop Tags is flawless. Mark Says, "Relationship management is exemplary, with the key people always being personable and professional. We always know that any requests we have are dealt with promptly and efficiently."
Jacqui Davis, Environmental Enhancement Officer for the Hastings District Council had this to say about Stop Tags.
Since the introduction of Stop Tags in early 2010 the system has been used to record all incidents of graffiti vandalism, including removal costs. A positive result from using the system included tracking a prolific youth burglar who left a trail of his tags when offending. This was the key to obtaining a search warrant to access his home, his prosecution for burglary and wilful damage charges and his subsequent custodial sentence.
The use of Stop Tags coupled with supporting programmes directly contributed in a reduction of 64% in spending on graffiti removal over a two year period. With Smartrak's support and advice the introduction and use of Stop Tags was a winner for Hastings District Council and the community.
- Jacqui Davis
Located in the heart of New Zealand's North Island, the Taupo District is in the centre of it all. The region has world-class natural attractions: Australasia's largest fresh water lake, a dual World Heritage national park hosting one of the best one-day walks in the world - the Tongariro Alpine Crossing and New Zealand's most visited natural attraction, the mighty Huka Falls.
In late 2011, Taupo District Council recognised the need to install GPS units in selected vehicles within their fleet. The Council sought to improve staff safety, increase efficiency, and to reduce much of the work associated with claiming Road User Charges for off road travel.
Taupo District Council's Georgiana Johnson says, "Councils are required to follow a stringent process when committing to capital expenditure. The process involves engaging with a minimum of three vendors to demonstrate and present their GPS systems."
Smartrak was able to show that it provided an all-round superior product. A combination of highly accurate and reliable GPS units, cutting-edge software and superior after-sales support made Smartrak an easy choice.
"Smartrak was selected for many reasons. We saw that they were an established and stable company with a proven history of great working relationships. Their pricing was competitive, their current feature set was impressive, and there were a number of new features under development." Georgiana explained.
"Since the initial implementation Smartrak has maintained a close working relationship, with service and support being of a very high standard. As council needs have evolved Smartrak has continued to provide an exceptional GPS solution," said Georgiana.
The key benefits have been:
Hutt City Council has been using Stop Tags fully since September 2011. Hutt City assisted with product development and was the first to make use of iPhone technology.
Graffiti Eradication Coordinator Delly Ranginui says:
"Stop Tags staff continue to be accessible, positive and responsive to our needs. Therefore I can thoroughly recommend the system to other councils. In my opinion, it is essential for this sort of work, providing statistical information for council and service providers. The data that Police can access is vital for apprehending offenders."
The Whangarei district covers a population base of 89,000 with about 27,000 employees working for more than 6,500 businesses. The area generates approximately half of the Northland regional economy. Aquaculture, forestry, agriculture, marine engineering and tourism are important industries for the region.
Whangarei District Council had three critical issues:
One of the most common reasons for installing a GPS tracking system is to monitor fleet usage to pinpoint where vehicle running and maintenance costs might be reduced. By collecting accurate data, fleet operators can immediately see inefficient use of individual vehicles as well as gain an overall view of the fleet's performance.
Smartrak's GPS tracking system also incorporates a number of options to ensure staff health and safety. Of particular interest to Whangarei District Council was Smartrak's personal locator. This compact, personal GPS device pinpoints the location of field staff who work in remote locations. By pressing the Personal Locator button, staff can immediately summon help in the event of an emergency. This can be critical in getting rapid assistance to an injured person.
Whangarei Council also chose to implement Stop Tags, a graffiti management tool to assist with the problem of graffiti, its cleanup, and the prosecution of offenders.
With improvements in fuel efficiency of up to 22% being reported by companies that use GPS tracking systems, the Council clearly has the tools and information needed to reduce their operating costs.
Health and Safety compliance has also improved. Council staff feel reassured knowing that assistance will be sent immediately in the event of a vehicle accident or other emergency situation.
Smartrak has the technology and people in place to deliver the most comprehensive and robust GPS solution available in Australasia. Rob Mackenzie said, "The effort and assistance provided by Smartrak was undoubtedly a key factor in our decision. They offered a very comprehensive system with many add-ons available. During our reference checking process we found many enthusiastic owners of the system who were as impressed as we were."
Safety is a primary concern to the modern-day fleet manager. Safe driving reduces insurance costs, keeps vehicles at maximum utilisation, reduces maintenance costs and fuel consumption. But most importantly safe driving keeps your staff members in good health.
On average, fleets experience a 20% accident rate per year. That's a huge number given the costs and risks associated with accidents. Reducing these accident rates should be your business's primary objective for developing a safer driving culture.
Breaking through the mental barrier with employees who have been driving for years, are more aggressive in their driving styles and who don't think they need safety training can be challenging.
The first step to driving change in attitudes is to get buy-in and recognition from senior management on the financial impacts of accidents. By educating them on the key metrics around accident rates, overall associated costs including on productivity, the drive to change will be more strongly supported from up top.
Some great starting points for this conversation are that:
You can quickly extrapolate from that the hard costs as well as the risks for staff, and if you already have a fleet management system in place, then there will be plenty of data in there to pull!
The next step is working with and educating your employees around the statistical relevance of accident data within the company and industry. Make sure your employees are aware of the risks on a personal level and relate it to their situation.
Finally, work with your employees around their driving performance. Create an individual record for every employee with information of their driving performance including accidents, recorded violations, speeding tickets and fleet policy violations and make sure these records are available to the individuals so they can see how they look on paper.
Once they have this baseline, integrate this driving performance into their overall employee performance reviews and make them attributable to their actions. Both managers and drivers should be held accountable for safe driving records, by making their records visible and responsive, drivers and managers are more likely to recognise what risk profile they are and can alter their behaviour to address it.
It's important for managers to remember that it's just as important to recognise drivers who perform well, not just punishing those who are at risk. The company should be championing those who engender a safe driving culture, not vilifying those who haven't yet altered their behaviour.
