BBC Hails Tracking Devices For Helping 'To Win War On UK Vehicle Crime'

Pic: BBC/PA

It's not often the telematics industry gets mentioned in the mainstream media. So this morning's BBC Breakfast news report on how tracking devices are helping the UK motor industry to 'win the war against vehicle theft' was a really important moment.

The report was a response to the news that the number of car thefts has declined dramatically because of the use of telematics and other high-tech security features, such as immobilisers and smart keys.

The BBC reported that during the last seven years car thefts have fallen by around two-thirds and the vast majority of those thefts were of older vehicles, most of which were more than three years old.Last year 107,000 cars were stolen, down from 119,000 in 2010 and massively down on the 600,000 a year which were taken 20 years ago.

BBC transport correspondent Richard Scott reported that new cars in particular are becoming almost impossible to steal. And industry experts cited vehicle tracking devices as one of the main contributors to this dramatic change.

With 'smart keys' preventing thieves from starting vehicles on the road, many are now being loaded onto a trailer. But vehicles with sophisticated vehicle tracking systems - like ibox's Mates - are generally recovered quickly.

Andrew Miller, director of research at car insurance repair research centre, Thatcham, said the reduction in thefts was "due to the incredible improvements to a raft of security systems including alarms, locks, immobilisers, toughened glass and tracking devices".

Miller warned, however, that the industry couldn't afford to rest on its laurels as criminals were working hard to get round the new, high-tech security barriers. So vehicle tracking specialists need to stay one step ahead of the criminals by continuing to develop newer and more sophisticated devices. We are certainly committed to doing that, but it's nice to get a pat on the back from in such a high profile way.

Crimestoppers - How Telematics Can Plug The Gap Left By The Scrapping Of TruckPol

There was widespread disappointment in the UK transport industry this week when the Home Office announced its plans to cut funding for TruckPol, the specialist police unit set up to fight crime in the haulage industry.

The Government has decided that it can no longer provide the mere £50,000 a year it takes to run the service - despite that fact that recent statistics revealed a massive 59 per cent rise in lorry thefts.

The unit will now have to rely on private donations. TruckPol head, DC Sue Coutts, told roadtransport.com the unit has enough private capital to survive for at least 12 months, but that more money will be needed if it wants to continue fighting freight crime from April 2012. "Revenue raised from our private sector sponsors and EU project money continues to provide enough funding for TruckPol to continue. We are not losing any staff in the unit and, if anything, the unit is working well. Obviously though, now, more than ever we need more sponsors."

The cut seems pretty small-minded and couldn't be more badly timed. But it does present an opportunity for the telematics industry to step in and help combat the rise in lorry crime by producing tracking equipment that protects hauliers and their cargo.

At iBox technology our 'Check-mate' device has proven a popular and effective tool in helping fleet managers and drivers. system. Our system uses barcode or RFID technology to monitor stock movements on or off the vehicle at the POD. It can also be used to check on board inventories, such as plant and equipment, and allows drivers to conduct vehicle checks which generate exception reports that are sent directly via email to the fleet manager.

With private industry left to police the growing problem of lorry crime for itself, devices like the 'Check mate' seem certain to play a vital role. To find out more about the 'Check mate' and our other devices, contact iBox.

How To Stop Forklifts Being Lifted! The Genius Of Geo-Fencing

Fleet managers and vehicle owners are always facing new challenges. And we, as suppliers of tracking equipment, have to move with them.

An important recent development has been the addition of 'geo-fencing' to our vehicle tracking equipment.

Geo-fencing very simply allows users to set the geographical parameters within which a vehicle or piece of equipment should be operating. On the one hand it can show that vehicles have reached designated delivery locations. On the other hand, it can reveal that a vehicle or piece of equipment has strayed out of a designated zone, ensuring the fleet manager knows about it immediately.

At iBox technology we've seen this technology applied in a variety of ways. In the haulage and logistics business, for instance, it allows transport companies to detect - and if necessary, prove - that a delivery has arrived at the correct destination.

One example of the usefulness of this came when a delivery firm was charged a heavy penalty by a major supermarket chain for not having delivered a consignment on time. After talking to its driver, the delivery firm challenged this. They argued that he had been on the supermarket's premises, but had been held back from emptying his load by the warehouse manager's decision to give another, later delivery priority because of its perishable load. They were able to prove the driver was on the premises by showing them the geo-fencing data which showed that the lorry had arrived ahead of rather than behind schedule. The penalty was refunded.

Another example came when we fitted geo-fencing to a fleet of forklifts being operated by a warehouse company on a large, industrial estate. They had suffered a series of disappearances of their forklifts. One or two had been stolen and subsequently recovered. But others had simply gone astray. Within a week of having our geo-fencing equipment fitted, the company had discovered the cause of these mysterious disappearances.

They found that workers were using the forklifts to travel around the estate, far from where they should have been working. The new geo-fencing kept showing them leaving the designated operation zones, often to do 'private work' or even make social calls. Workers were often simply abandoning the forklift trucks at the end of the working day.

When they discovered this practice they launched a search of the industrial estate and quickly found the remaining 'lost' forklifts. Needless to say they didn't go missing in that way again - and staff didn't go wandering from their workplace as much either.

‘Task Manager’ System Delivers Big Benefits To Fleet Managers

Just issued a news release on our successful Task Manager facility.

The system, which comes as standard in each of iBox’s range of tracking ‘Mates’ and works in conjunction with a standard Garmin Sat-Nav, allows fleet managers to remotely update their vehicles with new or amended job details.

The system is remarkably simple - and efficient. As soon as the driver receives the new or amended job details - and presses ‘accept’ on the Sat Nav - he or she is given the updated destination and route details. The fleet manager is then able to track the progress of the vehicle and the new task via the iBox ‘Timeline’ display, which as well as showing the vehicle’s location, generates an Estimated Time of Arrival that is constantly updated according to traffic conditions.

“The Task Manager system brings several benefits to the fleet manager,“ said iBox Technology director Steve Green. “First and foremost, it removes the need for the fleet manager and driver to be exchanging telephone calls, something that can be hit and miss at the best of times. The manager can amend and add to the scheduled jobs remotely, without having to speak to the driver. And they can do that at any time of the day or night,” says Green.

The system dovetails perfectly with IBox Technology’s other features, in particular its Timeline display, which shows the progress of all vehicles within the fleet on a single screen. “Thanks to the Timeline display, this system allows the manager to monitor the progress of tasks, right down to the driver’s ETA at the client. This also means that the manager can be in direct contact with the client, keeping them up to date with the driver’s progress. It brings a huge improvement in efficiency and communication and helps put the customer’s mind at ease.”

“It’s proving a real hit with our clients, especially 3PL providers,” said Green. “It’s also got significant potential benefits in sectors such as the service industry. So, for instance, a client who has requested a maintenance or service specialist can be kept up to date with precise details about their ETA.”

iBox Technology - New ‘Task Manager’ System Delivers Big Benefits To Fleet Managers - MyNewsdesk

Meet The Ultimate Executive Assistant - The Sat-Nav PA

Ever feel lost without your PA? Ever wish he or she could be running your life wherever you are?

A Midlands businesswoman is pioneering a unique, new executive tool that may provide a solution -  a sophisticated, Sat-Nav PA built into her car‘s dashboard.

Like many top executives, Diane Williams, Operations Director of  the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, leads a hectic and meeting-filled week. New appointments are constantly being added - or removed - from her diary by her PA, often while Dianne is tied up in other meetings. As a result she is constantly relying on her office-based assistant to phone, text or email her with details of where she needs to be next - and when.

In an attempt to simplify her life, Dianne agreed to trial a new device by innovative UK telematics and fleet management company iBox technology.

iBox specialise in providing fleet managers with live data on their vans, trucks and lorries. Their boxes deliver a mass of live information - from a vehicle’s location and speed, to its fuel consumption, load weight and even its driver’s braking habits. They also allow a two-way communication between the vehicle and the office.

iBox adapted a special version of their Trac-Mate device for Williams, integrating it into her car’s Sat Nav. The device allowed her  PA to track her exact whereabouts - as well as her mileage, start and stop times and speed - as she got on with her week’s work. It even provided a ‘snail trail’ of where she had been that week.

Crucially, however, it also allowed two way communication and task scheduling between her PA’s computer and the in-car device so that whenever Dianne climbed into the driver’s seat and switched on the ignition, she knew where her next meeting was and what time she needed to be there.

Dianne was delighted with the impact the device had on her working life. “I’m in and out of the office all the time, going to lots of meetings, not usually that far from each other. I will often have my telephone off so if the next meeting is cancelled or there is a change of destination I may not pick that information up,” she explained.

“Even if you have your Blackberry it takes time to get the details of a change of location. You then have to go to a map website and get directions. It can slow you down.”

The iBox device transformed her working life.

“It was like having my PA in the car. She was able to manage my diary remotely. It left me free to focus on the things that are important, not be distracted by the worry of where I had to be and how I was going to get there,” she said. “I would switch on my ignition and the device would tell me where I was going next and tell me how to get there. It was a very efficient way of managing my time.”

Dianne believes devices like this have a number of benefits. “Nobody is carrying any fat in their staffing at the moment. If you put too much pressure on too few people you are going to have problems. You have to help them manage their time and provide them with access to information quickly. This allows you to achieve that,” she said.

“Secondly, there is a safety and security issue for women. As a woman going out all the time, this allows people to know where I am. I felt safer when I had this in my car. It also has real benefits from a corporate responsibility point of view. As a company, you are more able to protect your staff,” she said. “I’d thoroughly recommend this kind of technology for all sorts of businesses.”


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