Paper and corrugated packaging producer DS Smith is rolling out Michelin solutions’ trailer telematics programme across its entire 207-strong fleet, after reporting zero trailer tyre-related breakdowns during a 40-unit, six-month pilot project.
The EFFITRAILER™ telematics units are being fitted to 207 single-deck SDC Trailers curtainsiders as factory-fit original equipment, and delivered as part of a rolling 18-month fleet renewal.
Featuring an on-board datalink, tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) and electronic braking system (EBS) data analysis, EFFITRAILER™ provides constant geolocation – making it perfect for the estimated 90 per cent of trailers in Europe that do not use trailer telematics.
Mark Abbey, General Manager, UK Logistics at DS Smith, says: “During the six-month pilot EFFITRAILER™ flagged up 22 potential trailer tyre-related issues, all of which we could rectify quickly. This helped us maximise fleet uptime and keep to our delivery schedule without fail.
“We’ve also improved efficiency across the pilot fleet thanks to the programme’s schedule-tracking tools, which keep a close eye on the location of our trailers when they’re sitting at mills and recycling partners, and alert us to under-utilised assets. In fact, we’re so confident in its efficiency-boosting abilities that once every trailer is fitted with EFFITRAILER™ telematics, we might even reduce the fleet by up to 10 trailers.”
EFFITRAILER™ can be installed on all trailers equipped with EBS, regardless of age or manufacturer, and is available regardless of current or future tyre policy.
The EFFITRAILER™ programme also features a commitment by Michelin solutions to reduce tyre-related trailer breakdowns by up to 50 per cent on all trailers equipped with the technology. This is made possible because the on-board TPMS system provides constant analysis of tyre status, helping to inform a proactive tyre maintenance and replacement programme – cutting fleet downtime, improving safety and reducing the potential for costly roadside breakdowns.
The telematics package can be specified with additional capabilities, including ‘asset ID’, which identifies what EFFITRAILER™-equipped asset is linked to which tractor unit, for better monitoring of subcontracted business. For reefers, it can also display the temperature inside the trailer, while a door opening sensor provides confidence and security for operators, flagging any abnormal openings off the logged route, or at unusual hours of the day.
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.
ends
MICH_SOL/061/17
