Trakm8’s Prime plug and play tracking solution has reduced downtime for a specialist asbestos company that was looking to eliminate installation and removal fees.
Pattinson Scientific Services Limited is an independent asbestos analytical laboratory and asbestos inspection body that provides a service to industry, local authorities and individuals, primarily in the north east but also on a national basis.
Although the company had initially used vans with vehicle tracking devices already hardwired into the vehicles, it had changed its fleet mix in line with business growth as some technicians wanted cars rather than small vans while others preferred different makes and models.
Now being rolled out on all new vehicles on the Pattinson fleet, the Trakm8 Prime device is available to buy online and plugs into the vehicle’s on-board diagnostics (OBD) port, delivering tracking while by coaching drivers out of bad habits such as engine idling and providing vehicle health alerts. Trakm8 Prime’s P11D management tool also cuts down on HMRC paperwork and accountancy fees, thanks to easy separation of business and private mileage.
Commenting on the benefits, Karl Reid, technical director at Pattinson Scientific Services, said: “We no longer need to pay someone to install the tracking units or remove them at the end of the lease – and this has significantly reduced vehicle down-time.
“In our line of work it is important that we can accurately locate our technicians, in real time,” added Reid. “With vehicle tracking, if there is an emergency situation, we can very quickly identify the nearest technician and divert them to respond. Trakm8 Prime is also very useful for us in determining the number of hours a technician has been on-site. As we invoice by the hour for some of our contracts, it provides us with a very accurate record.
“Furthermore, as safety is clearly a core value of our business, we also like the fact that Trakm8 Prime records and reports on incidences of speeding and other driver behaviour, allowing us to educate and train our drivers,” he added.
