Geest boosts efficiem
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by Juliet Parish • Food haulier Geest's Stansted depot has improved its del i v cry record by 10% by using in-cab computers to help drivers avoid traffic jams.
The Trafficmaster system was fitted to three trunking vehicles nine months ago; the Essex depot now hits 95% of its deadlines, compared with its previous 85'0.
Trafficmaster's range is being extended from the M25 area to take in more than 1,600km (1,00) miles) of motorways and linking A-roads in the South-East and Midlands. General Logistics. which developed the package, says that it will cover the whole country by 1995.
Trafficmaster works through a network of 800 sensors which are fitted to bridges and monitor traffic speed. If it falls below 30mph the monitor sends a message to a central computer which relays data to users, via in-cab monitors. These monitors show traffic speeds, with reasons for holdups, with close-ups of any areas selected by the user.
I I Royal Mail uses Trafficmaster in a different way. Rather than equipping its entire fleet with monitors it has installed one in a traffic office: "We find it is effec tive if the driver checks before leaving and then are any changes while I route we can alert him radio telephone," sa] company.