VOW has invested £750,000 in a transport management system designed to boost its commitment to the environment and deliver new levels of ease and efficiency to its network of dealers. VOW’s delivery network partner, Truline, has introduced the technology to run the 350-strong delivery fleet that operates from 16 distribution hubs nationwide.

Dealers are now enjoying practical benefits like being able to access real-time tracking, and proof of delivery information, via the VOW self-service customer portal. Truline bosses are also starting to collate the data on the fossil fuel savings and reduced carbon emissions that the system delivers.

The Truline fleet operates from seven on Sunday evening to seven the following Friday night, delivering more than a million parcels every month on routes that crisscross the country from Livingston in the north to Plymouth in the south. The tech might be complex, but the principle is simple: drops are optimised by dealer opening and closing times, and schedules that give the lowest cumulative mileage. The result is less fuel burned, lower emissions and considerable cost and time efficiencies.

Jonathan Rolfe, Truline Managing said, “we’re really proud of the commitment of the Truline team to get this up and running and the obvious benefits it is delivering for our staff, the dealers and the environment in the long term. It is completely bedded in now and we’re getting great feedback – anyone who has operated as a dealer will know how valuable it is to get the benefits of end-to-end traceability and instant electronic proofs of delivery.

“We’re also benefitting from the sophisticated vehicle tracking, which enables us to monitor and record driver performance and identify issues such as harsh breaking, poor cornering or speeding. Again, this will contribute to improvements in fuel efficiencies.”

With vehicles ranging from 44-tonne articulated units to 18, 12 and 7.5-tonne vehicles and vans, Truline is introducing the lowest emission Euro-6 engines to meet the latest environmental standards. The strategy is continual evolution as the next generation of electric vehicles and alternative fuels become available.