Openreach has begun an early adopters trial of Geotab telematics, according to FleetPoint. If the trial succeeds, the company will roll the technology out across its entire fleet of more than 23,000 company cars and commercial vans.
The UK network infrastructure business describes its fleet as the second largest commercial fleet in the country. Its engineers drive millions of miles a year, and Openreach says driving is one of the highest-risk activities its people undertake.
What the trial covers
Volunteer engineers are testing the system and validating the user experience. They will also help Openreach assess how richer vehicle data can make the fleet safer and more efficient while reducing environmental impact. Their feedback is meant to shape the system before any wider rollout.
Openreach says the data will give it more detailed insight into vehicle health and driver behaviour. The stated aims are:
- Identifying potential maintenance issues before they cause breakdowns, reducing unplanned downtime.
- Understanding fuel consumption and vehicle utilisation, including how often vehicles are on the road and where efficiencies may exist.
- Informing the transition to lower-emission vehicles, where decisions on which vehicles to replace, and when, depend on accurate data.
Driver feedback and privacy
Geotab shares driving data directly with drivers through an app. Engineers can see their own behaviours and correct them, a self-coaching approach FleetPoint contrasts with simply monitoring drivers.
The companies say the system was designed with employee privacy in mind, including controls that limit data collection outside working hours. Openreach also worked with its recognised trade unions, the CWU and Prospect, on the trial.
Judy O'Keefe, Openreach's Director of Fleet Management, said the trial will help the company "better understand how our fleet is performing so we can improve safety, reduce downtime and provide our colleagues with the best possible support." Aaron Jarvis, Geotab's Vice President EMEA, said establishing trust is "just as vital as the insights generated by the data."
What is not yet known
The source does not give a trial size, a timeline, a rollout date, hardware details or any measured results. The full deployment is conditional on the trial proving successful.
For now, the story is less about a finished deployment than about how a very large operator is introducing telematics: volunteers first, union involvement, limits on off-hours data collection and driver-facing feedback before a fleet-wide commitment.
Sources
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