H&M Removals takes safety seriously, using MiX Fleet Manager because safety and compliance matter.

With over 24 years of experience transporting household and office furniture across South Africa, H&M Removals has gained a reputation as one of the most trusted brands in the furniture removals and the self-storage business.

The company delivers higher standards of safety by using only premium wrapping and packing materials and custom storage/transportation boxes.

In April 2013, H&M Removals took the safety of its customers’ belongings to a new level: the company’s fleet of 35 vehicles needed onboard vehicle telematics to maximise the safety of en-route freight and improve the running costs of day-to-day operations.

H&M Removals identified driver behaviour issues as the leading cause of inefficiencies within the company’s fleet and the highest risk to cargo and road safety.

Without a complete fleet control solution in place, the company was at risk of drivers using vehicles for personal business, travelling long and late hours, and over-speeding, which could cost the company more when it comes to maintenance, fuel and traffic fines, and result in non-compliance with the company’s industry-leading safety standards. The company also needed to find a way to track any differences between pumped fuel and used fuel, in order to reduce operating costs.

More control, more savings
H&M Removals’ fleet controller turned to the internet to find a way of reducing the risks the company was facing and discovered that MiX Telematics’ track record for delivering measurable results – which directly impact driver performance, efficiency standards and total running costs of a fleet – spoke directly to the company’s own values.

Working through Tectra Telematics, a local MiX Telematics channel partner, H&M Removals chose to roll out a complete fleet management solution, based on in-vehicle telematics, using a two-phase approach. First, 17 vehicles that regularly travelled long distances received onboard computers, while training on how to configure and use the MiX Telematics web portal was provided at the company’s Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg branches.

Working directly with MiX Telematics and Tectra Telematics, the fleet manager learnt how the new system could track driver scoring, fuel consumption and speeding, along with how to perform a comprehensive range of other fleet management functions such as costing of parts and maintenance, and reporting and maintenance management. The second phase saw installation on the remaining vehicles in the fleet.

Today, H&M Removals operates a complete MiX Fleet Manager solution, comprising FM Communicator onboard computers and real-time vehicle tracking units.

Control and awareness changes behaviour
The MiX Telematics solution has enabled H&M Removals to design and implement a comprehensive driver performance management system that, with corrective training, has improved the average driver ratings from 85% to 96%. The company reports that by making drivers aware of MiX’s unique safety standards, the risk of accidents across the fleet has been reduced.

Over-speeding warnings and excessive idling notifications, combined with other driver behaviour monitoring parameters, have further helped H&M Removals to reduce day-to-day fuel consumption – going from an average of 2.4 km/l to 2.7 km/l. This, combined with greater control over used versus pumped fuel, using measured fuel reports, has contributed to significant savings.

Since the solution combines driver scoring, detailed event logging and after-hour vehicle tracking into a single, automated report, the company has also been able to exercise greater fleet management control without requiring additional fleet controllers or resources. Today, H&M Removals also relies on the system to help manage driver licences, PDP and COF and continues to receive support from MiX Telematics and Tectra Telematics.

“The MiX Telematics Fleet Manager solution has, since 2013, achieved maximum uptime and produces highly accurate reports in terms of logging and live tracking. We’ve only experienced outstanding performance, with no challenges detected during the roll-out of the system. We will continue to rely on MiX Telematics for our fleet management needs into the future,” states Angela Julies, fleet controller, H&M Removals.

Fast Facts

Customer: H&M Removals
Country: South Africa
Business: Removals, storage and logistics
Industry: Transport and distribution
Total fleet size: 35
Connected vehicles: 35
Vehicle type: Trucks
Customer since: April 2013
Channel partner: Tectra Telematics
Subscription: MiX Fleet Manager
Aims: Improve fleet control, reduce operating costs

Results: Reduced fuel consumption, driver scoring up from 85% to 96%, fewer speeding tickets, 100% compliant vehicle utilisation.

About MiX Telematics
MiX Telematics is a leading global provider of fleet and mobile asset management solutions delivered as software-as-a-service, or SaaS, to customers in over 120 countries. The company’s products and services provide enterprise fleets, small fleets and consumers with solutions for safety, efficiency and security.

About Tectra Telematics
Tectra Telematics is a South Africa-based MiX Telematics channel partner, specialising in web-hosted management and tracking solutions for vehicle fleets, material handling equipment, construction plant and high-reach access equipment. The company was formed in 1999 and operates throughout South Africa, with offices in Cape Town and Johannesburg.

TWA offers an ideal platform to maximise brand exposure through the publishing of a two-page cover story targeting the right audience. To secure your print or digital booking, contact Vinny Reddy +27 (0) 11 233 2600 / vinny@3smedia.co.za