Waste management specialist, Collard Group, has “revolutionised” its workshop and fleet management, thanks to the support of Truckfile.
The Hampshire-based operator, Collard, is now using Truckfile packages to keep its fleet of 140 trucks and 110 vans safe and compliant, and to ensure the smooth and efficient operation of its three in-house maintenance sites – which are soon to be joined by a fourth.
For Transport Manager, Lee Troddyn, the benefits are clear: “Probably the most outstanding advantage for me has been the way Truckfile gives me a broad, yet finely detailed overview of everything that’s going on with our vehicles and in our workshops.
“The information is so easily accessible, and I have a level of visibility that I could never have imagined previously, over aspects such as vehicle defects, rectification work, and compliance. The fact that our compliance score has remained very high throughout the challenges of the past 18 months just goes to show what a great team we have here.”
Truckfile’s system means that all vehicle safety checks, workshop inspections and any maintenance or repair activities carried out, from start to finish, are recorded electronically. Details are stored securely and permanently in computer files, which remain accessible. Truckfile is also a validated IT systems provider for the DVSA Earned Recognition scheme.
“Before installing Truckfile, our record-keeping was all paper-based – very old-school,” recalled Lee. “We felt it was time to take advantage of the benefits technology can bring. Compared to the way we used to do things, the change is like night and day. From my desktop, I can now click a mouse and see every piece of information I need for any vehicle.
“Keeping tabs on our workshops is far easier too. This is especially advantageous in the case of our busy Eversley site, which has five bays and is open 24 hours-a-day.
“Meanwhile, our technicians find the Truckfile handheld tablets very intuitive to handle. Using the system has speeded up and simplified the process of completing vehicle inspections and reduced the risk of human error in recording to almost zero.
“Importantly, all of this has been achieved with minimal upheaval, thanks to excellent support from the Truckfile team who have guided us through the installation and implementation process. I cannot praise their customer service highly enough.”
With more than 25 years in the business, Collard is a waste management and demolition specialist in the South of England. Trucks work from headquarters at Eversley, near Hook, as well as a network of five other sites across Hampshire, Berkshire and Surrey.
Collard’s fleet comprises skip loaders, tippers and ‘roll-on, roll-off’ rigids and concrete mixers, ranging from 7.5 to 32t gross vehicle weight, as well as tractor units that work with tipping, movable floor and low-loader trailers. Two of these are STGO heavy haulage units rated for work at gross train weights of 80 and 150t, respectively. The line-up is dominated by Volvo.
The company operates proudly under an ethos of sustainability and works to a zero-to-landfill target. Services offered to both commercial and domestic customers include demolition, earthworks, skip hire, haulage, waste management and recycling, aggregates and, most recently, sustainable ready-mixed concrete, produced using recycled construction and demolition waste.
