Driving up compliance with TruTac
There are thousands of operators across the UK and Europe using TruTac-powered products, which the software and compliance specialist says offer a range of benefits to drivers and managers.
These include TruAnalysis, which provides tachograph evaluation, compliance reporting, online document management and automated reports. TruTac currently analyses in excess of four million driver duties each month.
National baker Hovis is among those to have enjoyed major success with TruAnalysis, says TruTac, having reported a 96 per cent reduction in compliance incidents in 2023 using the software.
Hovis operates over 350 HGVs and implemented TruTac at the beginning of last year, adopting the technology after a successful working relationship with parent company Microlise.
“Hovis has always had good compliance, and we took the view that we want to be one of the best at it,” said Adam Bassant, logistics director at Hovis.
“We included occasions of overspeed – when a driver goes over 56mph – in our metrics on the software, and we’ve been heavily focused on reducing them. In 2023, we reduced those incidents by 96 per cent.”
Hovis uses both Microlise and TruTac powered products. Bassant added: “Microlise sales director Lee Oliver is a real advocate for change. He’s what I’d class as an operator – he understands how our drivers think and what they need. I see great benefit in getting full visibility of driver behaviour from Microlise and compliance from TruTac.”
TruAnalysis, part of the TruControl portal, incorporates Earned Recognition dashboards and reporting at no extra charge for customers.
Said to be fully intuitive and easy to use, the DVSA-approved Earned Recognition feature transparently shares driver and vehicle KPIs to the DVSA, which helps lower the chance of time-consuming inspections for fully co-operative operations. Earned Recognition thus allows the DVSA to direct resources towards non-compliant operators.
TruTac, part of Microlise Group, was a ‘founder supplier’ of Earned Recognition in 2018, applying to both HGV and PSV operator licences, resulting in fewer roadside checks whilst sharing performance KPIs. Since launch, the scheme has won plaudits across the industry, including Trucklink EU, international distribution specialists.
After gaining Earned Recognition from TruTac, Trucklink EU depot manager Paul Whelan said: “For the most part, this has been made possible by TruTac. TruTac has been instrumental in helping us to achieve our performance targets and are always there when we need them. We regard them as part of the Trucklink team.”
For specialist waste and recycling management operator Enva England, accurate tachograph analysis was the key reason for selecting TruTac as its software systems provider, utilising its multiple tools simultaneously.
“It’s a credit to TruTac and shows how useful it really is,” explained John Stephenson, Enva England fleet manager.
“One of the other things we like about TruTac’s systems is that they talk to one another. For example, any time a driver raises a defect via the TruChecks walkaround app, we can plan that into our workshop via the calendar within TruFleet, so everyone can see what’s going on.
“I highly recommend the TruTac software for fleet, workshop and driver management as this is a one-stop shop for all fleet management needs, regardless of the size of operation.”
Discussing the success of TruTac software, compliance sales director Lee Oliver said: “It was the way of the world that operators who wanted to join the hugely successful Earned Recognition scheme had to have a tachograph analysis approved solution alongside an approved fleet maintenance solution; in most cases this was two different suppliers.
“We have the two products you need, both Earned Recognition-approved, giving TruTac dual accreditation.
“Earned Recognition operators share their information with the DVSA every four weeks. Transparency is key and ensures many operators avoid routine inspections, costing time, money and efficiency. Compliant drivers and vehicles help make our roads that little bit safer. In my opinion that’s the number one benefit to schemes like this.”