Fleet managers can make significant savings on fuel bills by using the new VL-CANbus system from VeriLocation. The single biggest factor to affect fuel consumption on a typical HGV, apart from load weight, is driver behaviour. VL-CANbus gives fleet managers control over driver behaviour by providing information by driver then ranking the key indicators within a company's fleet.
Successful trials
Four week trials conducted by several haulage companies concluded that savings of 5-10% could be made on fuel costs. For example, after testing VL-CANbus, Andy Wreford of Wreford's Transport in Northampton said: "We can save 5% of our fuel bills by using the VL-CANbus driver behaviour reports from VeriLocation." And with a typical vehicle using £50,000 of fuel per year, a 5% reduction equates to annual savings of £2,500 per vehicle.
Following trials of VL-CANbus Eugene O'Reilly of O'Reilly Transport in Dublin and Heysham stated: "This system will undoubtedly save us a fortune."
Bart Hovens of Kemira Growhow also concluded: "The combined VL-Fleet plus VL-CANbus system from VeriLocation is certain to bring significant savings to our hauliers. We wholehearted recommend the system."
Real time monitoring
A GPS tracking device enables fleet monitoring in real time over the web. It is combined with an advanced telematics system using FMS-standard protocols to extract raw data from the engine's CANbus (Control Area Network). The VL-CANbus monitors over 120,000 records a minute. This data is summarised into 'journey events' which are analysed to provide information about each driver's performance. The VL-CANbus is not manufacturer-specific so can be fitted to any type of commercial vehicle.
Performance indicators
The main indicators that can be monitored are: mpg by journey by driver, harsh braking or acceleration events, over revving, over torquing and engine idling where it's greater than a set period. The combination of these factors results in a score or rank for each driver, so good performance can be rewarded to achieve the best results in the short term. Specific training requirements can be identified for drivers whose performance is consistently poor in certain areas. In addition, VL-CANbus can be set up to provide instant alerts for events such as fuel siphoning or over speeding so that the fleet manager can be notified as soon as the incident takes place. Modifying driver behaviour using VL-CANbus can also result in other cost savings from reduced wear and tear and less downtime as well as lower accident rates.
Driver identification
The Driver ID Key Fob is a clever device that makes VL-CANbus even easier to use. It enables the driver of the vehicle to be automatically identified instead of the information being input manually into the system to eliminate user error. This small device is pre-programmed with the driver's details. When he or she turns on the ignition, the Driver ID Key Fob bleeps continuously until it is activated. At this point VL-CANbus is notified which driver is using the vehicle.