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Telematics system set to cut Tesco’s fuel bill by £5m

27th August 2009, Page 16
27th August 2009
Page 16
Page 16, 27th August 2009 — Telematics system set to cut Tesco’s fuel bill by £5m
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By Christopher Walton

TESCO IS AIMING to cut its annual CO2 output by 10,000 tonnes and save about £5m a year in fuel costs after itting Daimler FleetBoard telematics systems to its distribution leet of 1,800 trucks.

The £2.2m deal follows a sixmonth trial of 25 Mercedes-Benz Axors working from a distribution centre in Lichield, Staffordshire.

Tesco initially hoped for a 4% fall in fuel consumption as a result of implementing the vehicle management software and hardware. However, use of the FleetBoard Vehicle Management system achieved an average reduction of 7.2%.

Transport director for the supermarket giant Alex Laffey says: “The FleetBoard system has been well received by the drivers at our Lichield operation, who have embraced it with enthusiasm. I’m conident this experience will now be mirrored nationally.” Daimler FleetBoard hardware can be lineitted at Mercedes-Benz truck factories, as well as retroitted to all makes of modern commercial vehicles, and while Mercedes trucks form the bulk of Tesco’s leet, the hardware will be itted to DAF vehicles that are used in Scotland.

FleetBoard analyses driver performance, including revving, harsh braking, idling, speeding and ‘green band’ driving. In the irst four weeks of the Lichield trial, no instruction was given to the drivers and they averaged a score, against the criteria, of 73 out of 100.

After the irst month of the trial, 50 drivers with good, average, and relatively poor individual scores were given a one-hour brieing on defensive-driving techniques. The FleetBoard system was explained and weekly reports on their performances produced. At the end of the six-month trial, the drivers’ average score had risen to 93 out of 100.

Tesco project manager Mary McKenna says: “The drivers love the FleetBoard system and are instinctively competitive about their individual scores.” ● Look out for an interview with Tesco transport director Alex Laffey in CM 10 September.


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