Middlesbrough Council drives up safety with Fleetclear
Middlesbrough Borough Council has implemented technology from vehicle safety and telematics specialist Fleetclear to help improve the safety, compliance and efficiency of its fleet.
The council’s refuse, recycling and van fleet is equipped with DVR Live camera systems, vehicle tracking, telematics and anti-rollaway technology. Data from all the equipment is consolidated via the Fleetclear Connect software platform, giving the team visibility across the fleet’s operations.
Dale Metcalfe, waste, recycling and enforcement manager for the council, oversees the day-to-day delivery of waste services, paid-for services and the council’s enforcement arm.
“Like many fleet operators, we were facing increasing pressure around health and safety and compliance,” he explained.
“Fleetclear has enabled us to stay up to date with any changes, and the technology has also improved how we operate by helping us run our waste management fleet as efficiently as possible. For example, the telematics functionality ensures we use the right routes and that all drivers follow the required legislation when on the road.”
Dale added: “The onboard camera systems provide drivers with a 360° view around the vehicle, which is particularly valuable when manoeuvring large vehicles in busy or hard-to-access areas. It also means drivers can see where operatives are at all times during collection rounds.”
The council describes the transition and installation process as very smooth. Ahead of the introduction of mandatory food waste collections this March, a new fleet of food waste collection vehicles, along with seven new recycling vehicles, are due to arrive in Middlesbrough in the coming weeks. All the vehicles will arrive equipped with safety technology, fully configured and ready for work.
Council supervisors have access to a web-based, customisable dashboard, allowing them to view detailed information about each vehicle as well as individual driver performance.
Dale concluded: “We are also considering trialling a new Live Lane Information System (LLIS) from Fleetclear on some of our refuse collection vehicles. It uses AI to detect live traffic in adjacent lanes and activates a sign at the rear of the vehicle to alert crew members to approaching traffic.”
