Renault Trucks is to use real-time tracking information to speed up the response times of its roadside assistance recovery vehicles and improve reporting.

The manufacturer will install location-based technology into 80 trucks that can be tracked by GPS in real time by head office staff.

Management staff can use a web portal to track vehicles, allowing the company to rapidly identify and dispatch its fleet to customers needing assistance.

It will also enable the company to improve service levels by keeping customers informed of the roadside assistance vehicle's position and estimated arrival time.

‘This will play a key role in making our operation more productive by providing key information to effectively analyse what's actually going on,’ said aftermarket service manager Andrew Walker.

‘Visibility of operations enables us to make real-time adjustments on the day to improve the effectiveness of our recovery technicians. With the addition of this technology, our service has become a market leading, industry first operation.’

Walker says historical reporting will still be used to conduct more long-term analysis to highlight where Renault Trucks can tighten up its operations.

The firm chose Cybit to provide its online telematics product Fleetstar-Online.

All vehicles are fitted with a small electronic, which is tracked by GPS in real-time and transmits data to Cybit's online control centre. Users can access the information anytime from a standard web browser.

The technology is scalable with an easy upgrade path so that it can evolve to meet changing business needs.

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