Member Article

Technology drives efficiencies at North East haulier Elddis

Technology developed by a Cramlington company is helping to drive environmental improvements at a leading Durham transport and distribution firm.

Mandata (Management & Data Services) Ltd has been working with Consett-based Elddis Transport, to implement innovative software including its Manpack3 transport management system, to help the company to manage costs, simplify operations and reduce its carbon footprint.

The investment is paying dividends for the haulier’s 150-strong commercial vehicle fleet, which clocks up more than nine million miles per year delivering products for FMCG blue-chip clients.

In addition to success in national industry awards, Elddis has recently been recognised for its environmental achievements, winning the Corporate Responsibility and Environment Award at The Journal North East Business Awards – an accolade befitting the investment the company has made in Mandata’s state-of-the-art technology as well as other environmental innovations such as the introduction of aerodynamic spoilers to improve the fuel economy of its fleet.

Manpack3 has been developed by Mandata specifically for haulage operators and incorporates advanced features which bring together every element of operational information into a single easy-to-use PC-based system with links to vehicle and driver PDAs out on the road.

The technology, which tracks vehicles and monitors driver behaviour and vehicle performance levels, is so advanced that it allows processes to be automated, eliminates time consuming repetitive tasks and gives operators full visibility of their fleet in real-time, as well as alerting them to any issues.

Using the technology has enabled Elddis to make improvements to its vehicle fleet performance and the safety of the 220-strong driver workforce.

Specifically, the management team can monitor a range of important performance indicators all at the same time including vehicle performance, driver behaviour, and fuel usage.

Training programmes are on-going to educate drivers and raise standards by tackling specific issues identified by the Manpack3 system while daily reports on fuel economy, fleet-wide idling times and vehicle speeds identify where further efficiencies can be made.

Richard Toner, Elddis Transport’s commercial manager, said Manpack3 is an important part of ensuring the company remains at the forefront of the haulage industry and that its activities can be sustained over a long period.

“Manpack3 is a major asset to our business, delivering wide-ranging benefits. Our ability to make such positive progress in the reduction of our carbon footprint has largely been down to being able to monitor driver behaviour, keep vehicle speeds down and tailor our driver training courses to focus on making specific improvements,” he added.

“Mandata has worked closely with us to understand our business and deliver a solution that gives us a major advantage through effective fleet management. The system is integrated across the business, providing instant visibility of our entire operation, when we need it.”

Steve Platt, Account Manager at Mandata said: “We are proud to have been working with Elddis for the past 20 years. We are helping them to achieve significant advantage through the use of technology that delivers a real commercial edge.”

“There’s a lot of interest in Manpack3, which is a class-leading technology, from other operators across the UK striving to achieve operational efficiencies and comply with social, environmental, commercial and legislative pressures.”

Mandata is the UK’s market-leading provider of integrated, real-time transport and logistics software. It also manufactures telematics and in-cab equipment and is committed to producing world-class solutions for vehicles and trailer fleets, where hardware and software are designed and built to complement each other to deliver significant operational, cost and environmental benefits.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Mandata .