The decision to fast-track the rollout to the fleet of Mercedes Sprinter and Ford Transit vans was made following a return on investment evaluation over a six-month period. During this time Iceland reported a reduction in fuel costs of over 10%, a 40% reduction in accidents overall, lowering of the average cost of each accident by 20% and reduced maintenance and repair costs.
Commenting on the findings, Alex McKinlay, commercial fleet manager of Iceland, said: “The Roadsense system has proven itself to be an invaluable operational tool to control the cost of our fleet. The driver behaviour module automatically sends out a report each day to each store so the individual store managers can see how their drivers are performing against our company guidelines.
"The report allows us to monitor individual driving styles and retrain drivers whose scores are in the red. We found that drivers with red scores proved to have a 40% increased risk of having an accident compared to other drivers and the cost of their accidents was 21% higher on average, which was a startling revelation.
A year ago, when we first used the system, we had a significant number of red score drivers. By explaining to them the benefits of driving responsibly and the impact it has not only on their own safety but that of their local communities and the environment, they have embraced the system and this month, for the first time, we have achieved green scores throughout the fleet.
"An unexpected outcome is the benefit to our customers. We have seen an improvement in customer service as vehicles are now leaving the stores earlier and arriving on time so complaints from customers are very low indeed meaning they are more likely to shop with us again and recommend us to their friends and family."