Paper and corrugated packaging producer DS Smith is the latest company to sign up to Michelin solutions’ newly-launched EFFITRAILER ™ telematics programme, fitting the system to 40 single-decker trailers.
The EFFITRAILER ™ system is built upon the installation of dedicated trailer telematics equipment, featuring a tyre pressure monitoring system, electronic braking system (EBS) data analysis and an on-board datalink. Once installed, the equipment also enables constant geolocation of every EFFITRAILER ™ -optimised asset in a company’s fleet.
Mark Abbey, General Manager, UK Logistics at DS Smith, says: “The EFFITRAILER ™ system offers a host of services which will help streamline our operations, boost efficiency, and cut tyre-related downtime. The system’s real-time data reporting and analysis allows us to proactively spot and alleviate any tyre-related issues before they result in a roadside breakdown, ensuring our logistical operation continues to run like clockwork.
“Another key selling point for us is the system’s geolocation data which, combined with its schedule-tracking tools, will allow us to improve fleet routing and efficiency over time,” Abbey adds. “The EFFITRAILER™ system gives us confidence that trailer tyre-related downtime will continue to be minimised, and that our reputation for excellent customer service remains well-founded.”
Uniquely in the market, when a company signs up to an EFFITRAILER ™ contract , Michelin solutions will 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 logistics analyst. If Michelin solutions does not achieve this goal, the company will refund the cost of all breakdowns over and above the contractual terms.
The real-time data generated by EFFITRAILER ™ telematics is sent to a dedicated fleet manager’s web portal, and details each asset’s mileage, exact location, 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.
Abbey adds: “Our trailers often sit at our mills and recycling partners, and being able to locate each asset in real time – and ensure when we get there to hook up that the trailer is ready to go, and all the tyres are at the perfect pressure – offers considerable peace of mind.”
Michelin solutions prepares monthly and quarterly reports as part of the programme, highlighting important information such as utilisation rates and empty run mileage, plus trends and any changes across a company’s EFFITRAILER ™ -equipped trailer fleet.
This reporting is not simply a mass of complex data, but highlights key figures and offers a clear overview of actions and results. This allows informed business decisions by identifying underused assets and revealing opportunities for streamlined fleet utilisation.
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. The solution is aimed primarily at fleets operating at least 100 trailers on any brand of tyres, 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.
DS Smith is a major European manufacturer of recycled corrugated case materials and specialty papers. The company, which has a commitment to using sustainable materials, employs 2,200 people within its paper division across nine paper mills in Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and the UK, producing 2.8 million tonnes of paper annually.
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