June 29 2020

Fleet & Transport investments lead to significant carbon reduction performance improvements

Delivering promises is at the heart of everything we do at Yodel, and so is the safety of our drivers and our impact on the environment. With this in mind, we have invested in technology to support our efforts in these areas by allowing us to track our fleet in real time, and the status of each delivery and collection being made. This also allows us to ensure our drivers are operating their vehicles in the safest and most fuel-efficient way

One piece of technology that we have recently invested in is Microlise. Since 2017, Microlise has monitored several factors such as the speed of an individual vehicle as well as the location of our fleet. The tool allows two-way communication between the driver and their depot-based traffic office. This function enables the reporting of and proactive response to any issues or delays that may be occurring, resulting in customers receiving their deliveries when expected.

Keeping our drivers safe throughout the day is really important too, which is why we have fitted every tractor unit with a panic button, enabling drivers to alert their depot traffic office of an emergency, the office can then contact the driver to understand the issue in more detail, and to advise or help resolve it in the best way possible.

We encourage all of our drivers to operate their vehicles in a safe and efficient manner. We have the ability to view the driving styles of each driver and Driver Trainers in each vehicle operating centre who are able to provide bespoke training where it is needed. Drivers also have the means to monitor their own driving styles by using an app, providing guidance on how they can build on their driving skills. Due to this, over the past few years our fuel efficiency has improved, as the number of excessive idling hours has reduced by over 3,000 hours. The business continues to work with our drivers in becoming more efficient and to further improve these figures.

In November 2019, we introduced additional technology to our fleet in the form of SmartDrive; a set of cameras to aid our drivers during their daily routes. Rear facing cameras on both sides of the tractor units and a forward-facing camera not only record everything, but monitors shock sensors, speed, braking and swerving, helping us to pro-actively provide coaching opportunities to identify activities where individual drivers can reduce their risk.  Currently, our core fleet of 271 tractor units are fully installed with, and are using both Microlise & SmartDrive, which along with the great progress of our drivers who are taking on board the safety advice and coaching they have received, is helping the business to reduce its carbon footprint.

As a company, we aspire to be excellent with regards to our environmental impact. Our approach engages all aspects of our business, including our fleet and transport. Our investment made in technology and our fleet, which are all under 3 years old with the latest Euro-6 engines, has so far led to a significant improvement in our carbon reduction performance.

For information on how we can deliver for your business, please fill in your details on the form to the right, and one of the team will get back to you shortly.