CONNECTED
CONNECTED FLEETS CONFERENCE: LESSONS LEARNED
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@DieterQuartier & Benjamin Uyttebroeck
@uytteb
More than 100 fleet and mobility professionals gathered in Brussels on 28 and 29 January to share best practices and the latest trends in last mile deliveries. This is what they went home with.
FLEET EUROPE #114
A room full of managers eager to learn about last mile delivery and connected commercial fleets.
What challenges do today’s LCV fleets face in an urban context? How can fleet management and finance be optimised with connectivity and telematics? What does the future of delivery look like? That’s what the attendees set out to find out, each bringing their experience and expertise from commercial fleets, postal services and parcel delivery companies, online retailers, logistics companies and a wide range of specialised suppliers. These are five lessons the attendees took home after this year’s event.
your procurement to 1 Plan avoid unnecessary costs, but
build in a flexible layer to absorb temporary needs.
“A van is more than a car,” said Michiel Alferink, Vice President International Commerce & Sales, Athlon International. Choosing a van should be determined by maintenance intervals, by tyre lifecycles and by other aspects that can have a direct influence on availability and costs. At the same time, peak demand requires flexible solutions, which is why Athlon offers rental vehicles that can be used to supplement traditional leased fleets.
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hardware is one thing, 2 The the human element another.
Driver monitoring and coaching are key to keep variable costs at bay. Benjamin Kaehler, Head of eDrive@ VANs, recommends fleets to scan all vans as they enter and leave the depot. This has shown to significantly improve driver behaviour, as they know even the smallest damages will be noticed. Importantly, it also reduces downtime and incidents that can potentially damage a company’s image.
