Road transport and fashion logistics specialist P&H Contract Services is to fit Michelin solutions’ EFFITRAILER™ system to 20 trailers as part of an ongoing fleet renewal, after the telematics package proved “incredibly useful” during a pilot scheme.
Michelin solutions’ EFFITRAILER ™ system is built upon the installation of dedicated trailer telematics equipment, and includes an on-board datalink, tyre pressure monitoring system, and electronic braking system data analysis.
The three-year deal includes the six EFFITRAILER ™ -equipped Cartwright trailers used in the pilot, while an additional six Don-Bur trailers will have the equipment installed by Michelin solutions technicians. This 12-strong fleet will then be joined by two new Don-Bur double-deckers and six more single-deck Cartwrights later in 2017, with these eight additional trailers coming direct from the factory equipped with the system. All 20 will operate from P&H Contract Services’ Rochdale depot.
Shaun Gent, Director at Heywood-headquartered P&H Contract Services, says: “During the pilot we were impressed by the sheer amount of data EFFITRAILER ™ provides. Being able to both track our fleet in real time and constantly check on the assets’ tyre pressures and weight distribution is incredibly useful, and allows us to handle any trailer tyre-related issues promptly, with no disruption to day-to-day operations.
“As a result, we saw tyre-related breakdowns drop to zero on the six pilot trailers, and we can’t wait to roll out additional EFFITRAILER™-equipped units later this year. By installing the system, we can confidently assure our customers that we know exactly where their order is at all times – and we can even tell them when it will arrive, to the minute.”
Once installed, the equipment enables constant geolocation of every EFFITRAILER ™ -optimised asset in a company’s fleet.
The real-time data is sent to a dedicated fleet manager’s web portal, and details each asset’s mileage, the length of any periods of abnormal downtime or ‘wait-time’, the ‘unhooked’ or ‘towed’ status of the asset, whether the trailer is overloaded, and the current pressure and temperature of every tyre on every axle.
Uniquely in the market, when a company signs up to an EFFITRAILER ™ contract, Michelin solutions will also commit to reducing the number of tyre-related trailer breakdowns by up to 50 per cent – a commitment validated after diagnosis by a Michelin solutions logistic analyst. If Michelin solutions does not achieve this goal, the company will refund the cost of all breakdowns over and above the contractual terms.
Michelin solutions has launched EFFITRAILER™ in Europe, and the telematics system can be installed on all trailer types equipped with EBS, regardless of age or manufacturer, and is available regardless of current or future tyre policy. This makes it suitable for the estimated 90 per cent of trailers in Europe which do not currently use telematics.
Established in 1987, P&H Contract Services is a specialist in Internet order fulfilment and fashion logistics. As well as its Heywood headquarters and a second site in the Greater Manchester town, the company’s fleet operates from depots in Dunstable, Gateshead and Rochdale. The company also provides warehousing facilities, and can further support clients with picking, packing and pallet distribution services.
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