Northumbrian Water Limited (NWL) has teamed up with Ctrack to develop and implement an advanced telematics solution across its fleet of 900 vans.

Web-based Ctrack Online will be used, in combination with driver identification and real-time feedback tools by the company’s mobile workforce in the north-and south-east of England.

The telematics solution was selected following a competitive tender process based on functionality and ease-of-use of the technology.

Ctrack Online will replace a legacy system that was being used to schedule unplanned maintenance jobs, so NWL will significantly expand its tracking capabilities and increase the availability of operational insight and business intelligence within the organisation.

The telematics solution will be used to support five areas of the business – maintenance, water treatment, meter reading, commercial services and waste water. The fleet and scheduling teams, based at NWL’s headquarters in Durham, will be using the system on a daily basis, while a large number of business and operations managers will have controlled access to relevant information. An executive dashboard will also be used to provide a summary of business-critical data to the senior management team.

With NWL operating a pool of fleet vehicles across multiple engineers, the company will use a driver identification system to gain greater understanding of the status and whereabouts of its engineering team. By separating driver and vehicle data, the company will be able to monitor and report on six key performance indicators – driver behaviour, speeding, compliance, working times, utilisation and fuel costs. The information will also be used to support the investigation of vehicle collisions and fleet-related complaints from members of the public.

Kate Wilson, Fleet Manager of Northumbrian Water Limited commented: “Safety, and in particular protecting our drivers, is a priority for the business, so we needed a telematics solution that would not only focus on operational performance but also contribute to the wellbeing of our employees. Improving driver behaviour is key to operating responsibly, and the Ctrack solution will prove to be hugely valuable moving forward. The speed, simplicity and accessibility of the system means it can be used to support a wide range business and operational functions as well as target continuous improvement.”