Trakm8 aids Autoglass safety drive
Vehicle glass repair, replacement and recalibration specialist Autoglass has partnered with technology provider Trakm8 to implement telematics solutions across its estate of technician vans, as part of a drive to enhance safety and efficiency.
With its fleet of over 1,000 vehicles travelling the length and breadth of the UK 24/7, Autoglass serves over one million motorists every year. It decided to partner with Trakm8 in 2018.
Andrew Ertl, fleet manager at Autoglass, said: “It’s no exaggeration to say our collaboration with Trakm8 has been transformative for our fleet.
“Our technicians travel the country every day and as the customer-facing part of our business, it’s paramount that they maintain their great reputation for customer service while on the road, too.”
Enabled by Trakm8’s comprehensive data, Autoglass designed a scheme to recognise and reward drivers that consistently achieve perfect scores in driving behaviour, speed limit compliance and idling time, thereby contributing to further improvements.
Since 2018, Trakm8 reports, Autoglass has reduced speeding events fleet-wide, reduced average idle time per vehicle by over 50 per cent, markedly improved driver behaviour from an already high standard, and improved insurance claim handling with the use of dash camera evidence.
Two Trakm8 products were deployed to help achieve this. The Connect 330, designed and manufactured in the UK by Trakm8, is a plug-in device which is easily fitted into a vehicle’s OBD (on board diagnostics) port, and streams tracking, CANbus and driver behaviour data to enable fleet managers to act even sooner.
The Trakm8 devices provide drivers with a number of indicators that will help them drive safely and more efficiently, says the company.
In the two years since the partnership began, Autoglass has consistently improved and has now achieved a speed limit compliance score of 98 per cent, while the reduction in idling time also contributes to reduced costs and carbon emissions.
The Trakm8 Connect 330 also makes it easy for Autoglass to ensure that only those drivers authorised to use their vehicles personally do so.
Autoglass has also deployed Trakm8’s RoadHawk Dashcam. The Roadhawk range of dashcams are proven to cut fleet at fault accident rates by up to 20 per cent and reduce insurance premiums by up to 10 per cent, says Trakm8, providing positive return on investment (ROI) in a matter of months.
Trakm8 also cites the dashcam range’s flexibility in providing only the data required by fleet managers. Autoglass did not require the dashcams’ audio capabilities, so this was disabled, providing reassurance to drivers while still providing crucial video footage in the event of accidents and insurance claims.
Andrew Ertl continued: “The Trakm8 Connect 330 has helped our fleet make gains in many areas. We’ve improved our fleets’ overall driving score to an industry-leading level, while reducing costs accrued from accidents, insurance claims and vehicle idle time.
“We’ve been highly impressed with how these products have worked and with their high ROI and we’re looking intensely at how we can further integrate Trakm8 telematics into our wider fleet management systems.”
Peter Mansfield, group sales and marketing director at Trakm8, added: “We’re really proud that Trakm8 products have had such a transformative impact on an established and well-regarded fleet operator, proving that telematics can have a significant positive impact on fleets of every size and shape.
“Our teams worked with Autoglass every step of the way on their recent drive to improve fleet standards and were in constant contact during the initial stages of installation to provide advice and guidance. We look forward to working with them in future as they bring the latest technology to bear in their drive to increase standards.”
