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TELEMATICS AND FUEL
Page 35
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Measuring and cutting consumption with the R:COM on-board black box Fuel is McCulla's second biggest expense. Consumption is measured by vehicle and by driver using the R:COM telematics system, developed by Blue Trees Systems in Galway. This is a black box on-board system which performs a number of functions, says McCulla director Brian Beattie. 'We build loads with the Manpack system and use R:COM because it is a very innovave system which works well for us. Although it gives us information about fuel economy and how the truck is being driven, via the engine's CAN-bus system, we don't just use it to measure vehicle and driver performance. The GPS co-ordinates allow us to link the information to help flag delivery times for our customers who can then view them through the secure portal on our website.
"We are even getting a alin monitor screen so we can flag up late deliveries on it to the traffic planners. R:COM has been very successful for us; Blue Tree have used us as a reference site and Mandata are working with them on integrating their Manpack system with it."
Most vehicles are performing to expectations on fuel, says Beattie, with the 13-kre Volvos proving to be a big improvement over the old 12-litres. "The 480 FHs are returning 8.25mpg at the moment and that's at 44 tonnes out and back."
McCulla is moving to Euro-5 early with two new-shape Volvo FHs recently joining the fleet. "We've decided to standardise on SCR," Beattie adds. "After some initial difficulties with AdBlue supply, we never have a problem now. Drivers buy it on their fuel card and we have a 1,000-litre IBC in the yard from which they also top up. Euro-5 is still on an RPC and it gives us a discount on the Maut and in Switzerland. We also deliver to food distributors and bakery suppliers inside the London LEZ without having to pay."