THE DEFINITIVE TRUCKING SITE

June 2008

DESTONE TRUCKING IS a tipper operation and tipper trailer manufacturer based in  Vereeniging with a fleet of 13 side tippers running a fixed route of 155km between Leeufontein in Mpumalanga and Lathabo in the Free State. Simon Skelton is Destone Trucking’s fleet controller, a man who swears by FM technology to help improve driver and fleet efficiency. “We run the FM Communicator through an outsourced managed service that generates simplified reports giving us vital feedback on how our drivers are doing when out on the road. Before installing the system, we frequently had drivers taking the wrong routes, over speeding was common, as was negligent driving and excessive idling,” he says. “The FM Communicator gives us real-time information on vehicle position which assists in servicing our customers better. While we have strict driving hours, the system has helped improve driver productivity and they are financially rewarded for conveying more loads per shift.” 

To add to its fleet and risk control infrastructure, Destone Trucking has invested in DriveCam in-cab cameras that record what happens in the cab and on the road ahead of the truck whenever a harsh movement of the truck is experienced. “These cameras will give us a much clearer idea of our drivers’ behaviour behind the wheel. We don’t want it to be seen as a policing tool, but rather a safety system that can help improve their productivity and perhaps even save their skin in the event of a collision with a third party,” concludes Skelton.