FleetWatch Online - 57-The Tacho Fights On

If you're really old, you'll remember the days when gramophone records were made of wax. In fact, Elvis stepped into Sun Studios in Memphis in the mid 50s and had his first hit cut on a wax disc. The world of music technology has come a long way since then and now we can download our favourite tracks using cell phones and laptops. In the trucking business the analogue tacho chart could be compared to a wax record and a high-end GPRS-based FM system report to an MP3 track. The fact is, despite its somewhat 'antiquated' technology, the tachograph continues to provide fleet managers with valuable information regarding trucks and their drivers. Paul Collings finds out why.

For many years now, truck OEMs have been fitting tachographs as standard equipment to their vehicles, primarily to give transport operators a record of engine activity and driver behaviour. These wax-coated paper discs are generally stashed away in a filing cabinet and only analysed by a 'tacho-expert' when an accident or serious vehicle malfunction occurs and warranty disputes between supplier and customer arise.

There are people however, who use tacho charts more proactively, with impressive results. Trucksurance, a dedicated truck fleet insurance brokerage is one example that via its Risk Management service successfully uses the tacho chart to not only improve driver performance but also put money back in operator pockets.

Risk manager for hire
B-Cool Transport is the dedicated transporter for Jaranza Boerdery, a fruit farm situated in the Mpumalanga border town of Komatipoort. The fleet started in 2002 with the purchase of two Scania 6x4s and now consists of four Scania 6x4s and one Isuzu rigid freight carrier. The Scania truck tractors pull refrigerated semi-trailers, delivering avos, mangos and citrus fruit to Richards Bay, Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg.

"The trucks had tachographs when we bought them," says Pelser, who heads B-Cool Transport, "but the tacho charts weren't checked on a regular basis. Speeds weren't monitored either. We run refrigerated trailers carrying temperature sensitive avocado pears for export and we needed tighter control of our vehicles."

When B-Cool chose Trucksurance as its insurance company, a path to improved fleet management was opened. "Trucksurance have a dedicated Risk Manager in the Lowveld region," explains Pelser. "She convinced us that by analysing every single tacho chart we could implement a proactive risk and driver behaviour management process that would impact positively on our bottom line."

The Risk Manager in question is Janine Gillespie, a woman passionate about improving the way trucks and drivers perform. "I first analysed
B-Cool tacho charts in 2003, running data gathered from the charts through the custom-built Trucksurance tacho-analysis and reporting software. A tacho report highlights speed peaks and cruising speed, low speed driving conditions, gear changes including 'green-band' driving, excessive idling, start up and shut down procedures, fatigue, tampering, days on shift and driving hours as well as mileage driven within a given period. They look pretty simple, but tacho charts can tell you a whole lot about how your vehicle and driver have been behaving."

Tacho technology is moving forward from the original 'behind-the-dial' version to electronically-driven versions. Digital tachographs are yet to make an impression in SA, but when they do, fleet managers are gonna sing!

Scores and incentives
A Trucksurance tacho report comprises a list of the above-mentioned driving situations against which each driver is given a score, tallying up to a total overall score. "B-Cool drivers were averaging around 65% when I began the analysis in 2003. They're well over 90% now on average," says Gillespie. "Drivers' bonuses are linked to their performance and the insurance premium on the truck is also positively influenced by B-Cool's drivers performing above 90% on the tacho analysis/Risk Management program, qualifying for a 10% premium discount on all vehicles with scores assessed quarterly and premiums adjusted accordingly."

The intervention is working, says Pelser, who has seen diesel consumption improve from 2.4km/litre to 3.3 km/litre on the route between Komatipoort and Durban. "We've only had two minor accidents in the past year but both were caused by a third party. Initially drivers resisted the lower speed limit imposed on them because they generally came from operations where speeding is 'encouraged' to allow for quicker turn around times and it takes at least a month for the drivers entering the analysis programme to adjust to driving slower. When they see how diesel savings and better driving effect their pocket they embrace the concept of tacho analysis and reporting."

Unitrans Agricultural has an extensive timber truck fleet equipped with tachographs. The Trucksurance Risk Management programme implemented at the Piggs Peak division in Swaziland has been so successful, Unitrans has extended the programme to other depots around the country.

Swazi truckers - Louis Lombard, co-owner of Timberland Services with driver Sandile Mkhonta. Lombard has 12 trucks, five of which run tachographs. He also uses a Geotab passive electronic FM system on seven vehicles as well as tracking units on all his vehicles. After hearing what Ms Gillespie has done for Unitrans at Piggs Peak via tacho analysis, he is now one of her clients.

Satellite for exceptions
Interestingly, B-Cool's trucks are fitted with satellite tracking units that could serve a similar function to the tachographs but are only called upon to 'exception' report on vehicles when a tachograph is malfunctioning or is tampered with, explains Pelser. "The reason we use tachographs to manage our fleet and drivers is because of the risk management service Trucksurance offers along with its discount incentives. It is perhaps an old-fashioned method but it does work."

Old fashioned it sure is, with Gillespie having to drive great distances to collect tacho charts from her many clients in Mpumalanga and Swaziland and then spend hours analysing them. "I think there is something to be said for the 'tactile' nature of a tacho chart. Drivers literally have a hands-on relationship with them and this perhaps helps keep them in the 'green band', so to speak. Sure, tampering does occur, drivers bending tacho needles to make it look like they weren't speeding or attempting to restrict stylus movement using chewing gum and such like skulduggery, but it's easy to spot a false tacho," she says.

A Mondi-Peak Timbers fire truck will last longer with a hands-on Risk Manager relaying tacho reports to management about driver behaviour.

Border boredom - B-Cool trucks pass through Swaziland and tachographs help report on how much time is wasted at border posts.

Looking ahead
Pelser and Basson plan to expand their operation with new farmland in Mozambique. "We'll need about fifteen trucks then," says Pelser, "and then we will seriously consider a fully digital Fleet Management system. Right now, the tachograph is going a long way to entrench our philosophy: a truck driver must be manager. Drivers must have integrity and be able to sort themselves out. My drivers are managers. They understand now that every cent you save adds up and information helps you save bigger."

Their days may be numbered, but analogue tachographs, if properly managed, can do almost as much as a full FM system.

Fire fighters
"We are a bunch of foresters and monitoring vehicles is not our core function," says Themba Vilane, area manager, Peak Timbers, Piggs Peak, Swaziland. "That's why, despite the fact that Mondi owns the nine fire trucks in the reserve, we subcontract both the drivers and the fire fighters."

Gillespie has recently been tasked to Risk Manage the nine trucks and their 18 drivers who have some 20 000 hectares of mountainous plantation to defend against ravaging infernos. "When you consider that each truck costs R800 000, you're talking a capital outlay of over R7 million. We need to protect that asset and weekly tacho reports allow us to gather trends and get a good indication of what each driver is doing," says Titus Dlamini, silviculture manager at Peak Timbers. "We also need reports for management and thus far there has been an improvement as far as driving is concerned. There is still room for improvement as far as speeding is concerned, but when you consider the speed limit in the plantations is 40kph and the drivers are hurrying to put out a fire, this is understandable."

According to Vilane, before Gillespie was contracted, " management only intervened after an accident, whereas now, we've systemised the prevention of accidents. By having outside independent analysis, there is unbiased feedback given to the contractors on how their drivers perform. Management reports are a useful tool in safety meetings where we are able to determine driver compliance with our safety procedures."

Says Gillespie: "Analysis on these particular drivers shows excellent driving performance under very stressful conditions, with speed being the only real negative area. This is improving however and it is early days still. By tying up vehicles logbooks with the tacho charts, it can also be determined whether the PTO was engaged (for pumping of water) and whether or not the PTO was being used appropriately."

"Drivers are incentivised through healthy in house competition," says Vilane, "and have recently been heard over the radio when en route to a fire, cautiously enquiring if they should drive at 40kph or if they can drive faster."

Trucksurance's Janine Gillespie with B-Cool drivers, Piet (left) and Jan (second from right) with B-Cool owner, Riaan Pelser.

Mining the waxy niche
Trucksurance and Gillespie have certainly positioned themselves effectively in that sector of the truck transport industry that does not want to shell out for digital FM systems. And it's a sector that includes small operators and large corporate fleets. So what if it's something of a paper chase and the reporting isn't 'real time'. If there's a smile in the bottom line, things must be going right. Scratch on needles, scratch on!