Packaging specialist PurePac has ditched paper-based vehicle checks and boosted efficiency with an integrated trio of TruTac systems.
The firm specialises in supplying recycled and reconditioned packaging products to the food and drink, perfumery, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries, among others, and has a zero packaging-to-landfill promise. Its fleet comprises four rigid trucks and one articulated unit, and it has made extensive use of TruTac’s TruChecks daily walkaround app since adopting it in April this year.
“We’re trying to make everything paperless here to be as environmentally friendly as we can, so getting the vehicle checks all done through the app was one of the most important things for us,” says PurePac’s Warehouse and Logistics Manager, Chris Brady.
“The drivers have very quickly settled into it and realised how easy it is to navigate. It saves them time, because they haven’t got to worry about writing stuff down or ticking boxes – they just do it as they go around the vehicle.”
The company has consulted extensively with its drivers and tailored the app to suit their requirements, which is one of the unique features of the TruChecks system.
“We can personalise it, which is a very good feature. Because every vehicle is different,” says Chris, “I’ve sat down with the drivers and got their input about what they want from the vehicle checks, so it doesn’t necessarily mirror what we had written on the paper version. We’ve taken some stuff out that wasn’t relevant and put stuff in that they felt they needed.
“We introduced a separate vehicle check together for an articulated vehicle. The drivers have had a massive input in telling me what they needed there, and the system’s flexibility really supported that.”
PurePac also uses the TruAnalysis tachograph analysis, reporting and driver debriefing system, and the TruLocation tracking system, which have helped to make more deliveries in a day.
“TruLocation creates a huge advantage for me as the transport manager, because it makes it easier to plan the afternoon,” says Chris, “it’s definitely easier for me to manage my time and the drivers’, because when I look at it and see how far away they are, I can have another vehicle ready for them, or I can make a decision as to whether I’ll have time to unload and reload that vehicle.
Chris further explains that from PurePac’s Daventry base, many customers are 45 minutes to an hour away, so if he were to plan an afternoon run and the driver was back at 2.00 pm it could take 45 minutes to unload and reload. Given the staff finish time is around 5.00 pm, there might not be time for another run.
“When I know they’re 45 minutes away, I can plan accordingly, and as soon as they get back, they change the card over, do a vehicle check, and off they go. It’s just made things a lot more efficient, and means we get the most out of a day.”
To learn more about TruTac products and how they can improve compliance and save time, contact TruTac on 024 7669 0000 or email sales@trutac.co.uk
