Hi-tech set to improve haulier’s safety and environmental performances

Bowker Transport, the Preston-based haulage business, is aiming to improve its driver safety, reduce fuel use and cut CO2 emissions through a fleet management system.

It will use an integrated Webfleet fleet management and VisionTrack camera system, supplied by Nelson-based Daisy Communications, across its fleet of 225 HGVs.

Mark Brewell, IT manager at Bowker Transport, said “Before Webfleet, we had to collate information from three different systems. Now we can see everything we need to know instantly via the Webfleet dashboard.”

The company’s driver app is being integrated with its IT gear, allowing jobs and instructions to be sent directly to a driver’s tablet, while Webfleet’s truck-specific navigation helps drivers avoid not just traffic, but also low bridges, narrow roads and sharp turns.

Brewell said: “Our drivers have described it as a real gamechanger, giving them immediate advice and feedback to help them drive more safely and efficiently.”

Webfleet’s powerful insights are being used to confirm the comparative fuel efficiency of different truck brands to check they are delivering on their performance promises.

A Direct Vision Standard 360-degree, AI-based camera solution from VisionTrack has been integrated into the same system, allowing Bowker Transport’s traffic desks to view vehicle data alongside camera footage on the same screen.

Brewell added: “If there is a customer issue or an incident, we can view the camera images in seconds. Unlike our previous system, it is automatically uploaded into the cloud.”

The investment is an important step in Bowker’s journey towards achieving net-zero carbon emissions goals. The company is running a 12-month trial switching its fleet and forklift trucks at the Droitwich depot to HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) fuel which produces 90% less greenhouse gas emissions than diesel – with no vehicle modifications needed.

The company has also invested in one of the UK’s first fully electric Volvo FE 6 wheel rigid trucks which will operate from its Preston depot.

Mark Dermody, at Daisy Communications, said: “This is an excellent example of how Webfleet’s open API approach can enrich multiple third-party applications in real time, providing efficiencies not seen before and a market leading safety package, all through a single interface.”