Pothole repairer spot on with Masternaut Three X satellite positioning
Telematics company Masternaut has helped a pot-hole repairer machine to be spot-on thanks to the latest satellite tracking technology from Masternaut Three X. The DP Road Patcher is part of a fleet of plant and vehicles operated by DP Cold Planing, one of the UK’s leading specialist highway maintenance companies.
DP Cold Planing will be using the Masternaut Three X web-based vehicle tracking solution to improve the management of its large fleet of Mercedes, Scania, JCB and Wirtgen vehicles and plant. The DP Road Patcher is the only machine of its type in the UK that allows potholes to be fixed on the spot by a single operator.
DP Cold Planing has ambitious growth plans and the real-time system will underpin the future development of the business. In addition, the company anticipates substantial savings on fuel usage through improved utilisation of its resources as improved control over its carbon footprint.
Dave Cross, Business Development Manager, DP Cold Planing: “When we purchased the DP Road Patcher we knew it was time to upgrade our telematics solution. Our original system didn’t provide the flexibility we needed to support our business plans. It was clear that Masternaut would not only provide us with real-time accuracy to pinpoint our equipment and make better use of our resources – equipment and people – it would grow with us, providing a host of opportunities to develop the system as our business evolves. It also underpins our approach to environmental responsibility by allowing us to improve routing and reduce unnecessary engine idling,”
Running over the Internet, Masternaut enables the management team to gain a literal big picture view of activity on a large Plasma screen in the company’s main office as well as on PCs. Dave Cross also has PDA access using the Masternaut Rapide mobile version of the system, which he uses when he is off site.
The solution utilises driver ID Keys that link individual drivers to the vehicles. This provides the advantage of locating the nearest available operator with the appropriate skills to react to urgent jobs as well as identifying precisely who is driving each vehicle at any one time. It also enables the management team to monitor the safety of operators from the moment they set off from base to the time they return at the end of their working day.
Simon McBride
See also:
