Fuelling fleet efficiency with real-time vehicle telematics

By Darryll Finch, Propositions Manager at O2 UK

When you invest heavily in any high-value specialist solution, you want to make sure it delivers the promised return and helps change your business for the better. Learn how a top UK engineering firm did just that withO2 Smart Vehicle, powered by Geotab.

Vehicle telematics technology is advancing fast. In the past, vehicle telematics solutions offered little more than the ability to locate a vehicle on a map. Today’s technologies, by comparison, can transmit rich information that offers businesses a real-time understanding of fleet performance. And many organisations are starting to discover just how powerful the benefits of these solutions can be.

That was the situation at the UK’s largest geo-technical engineering firm, Van Elle. With around 180 vehicles and over 100 rigs, their previous tracking system let them see where their vehicles were on the map, and… well, that was it. As Tom Lindup, Group Managing Director, put it, “We wanted more.”

“Other companies could do driver behaviour and tracking, but no one else could get that detailed information from on-board diagnostics about how vehicles are performing on a day-to-day basis,” Tom added.

So we introduced Van Elle to O2 Smart Vehicle, powered by Geotab. Our fleet telematics solution brings the story of vehicle performance and driver behavior to life – in real-time, all through a small plug-and-play device that is covertly installed into a vehicle’s OBD-II port.

Alongside second-by-second location information, O2 Smart Vehicle provides live engine and vehicle diagnostics, improves fuel efficiency, and offers deep insights into vehicle safety and driver behavior.

For Van Elle, the benefits were instantly noticeable. Greater business efficiency. More proactive vehicle maintenance. Safer driving experiences. Each step forward has proven truly significant. And for organisations that install O2 Smart Vehicle, there’s typically a 5-10% reduction in fuel costs, a 5-10% increase in productivity and a 10% drop in idle time.

Their success so far is fuelling a desire to accelerate the digital journey at Van Elle. “We constantly want to innovate,” said IT Manager, Gavin Long, “and we are keen to explore new technology and new solutions.”

“We are always ready to take the business forward and are constantly in a position to work in new sectors. We know that the key to being able to take the business forward is by integrating advanced IT solutions into the growth of the company. That’s what most excites me about this technology and what else O2 have to offer.”

Watch the case study video in full, or get in touch with me to discuss what O2 Smart Vehicle’s real-time telematics could mean for your business.