Located in Barra do Corda, Maranhão, Cobesa is an authorized distributor of Coca-Cola brand products and operates a mixed fleet of over 35 vehicles, including trucks and motorcycles.
Until September 2021, manually filling out vehicle checklists was the primary method for monitoring driver behavior, and in the quest for more in-depth data on the fleet, the company began investing in cutting-edge technology such as Telemetry.
As a result of his constant dedication, Nilo Gonçalves, Fleet Manager at Cobesa, identified that he could further improve fleet data analysis through INFLEET’s Integrated Fleet Management System. In October 2021, a strong partnership was formed.
Solution
To comply with the company’s routine process, all drivers fill out a document called a checklist. However, one of these drivers used to conceal information, marking the checklist as if the vehicle he used were operating normally every day.
While using INFLEET’s integrated Fleet Management platform, Nilo set an ambitious goal—to reduce fuel costs. Initial analyses focused on factors such as:
- Sudden acceleration;
- Sudden braking;
- Sharp turns; and
- Idle time.
The next step was to delve into the data to find answers. Drawing on his years of experience and intuition, Nilo identified on the platform that engine idle time was too high. Upon thoroughly investigating the issue, the driver in question (from the checklist) reported that the vehicle had not been turned off for some time.
The vehicle defect affected engine idle time and, consequently, increased fuel consumption. To address one of the causes that could be driving this increase, the fleet manager established the following rule with the drivers:
“For trips with more than 10 stops, the vehicle must be turned off at every stop to make deliveries.”
Nilo Gonçalvez, Fleet Manager at Cobesa.
It was through data analysis, combined with the fleet manager’s experience, that Cobesa was able to correct drivers’ behavioral errors and achieve positive results in fuel savings—an item whose price has been rising steadily.
Result
In just under six months of using the INFLEET integrated fleet management platform, Cobesa has been able to develop and implement new strategies to improve driver behavior.
This approach raises awareness among employees, reinforces their commitment to following company rules, promotes driver safety, and ensures a significant reduction in fleet costs.
The numbers demonstrate the strategy’s success:
- A 25% reduction in fleet idle time, comparing January and February.
- Through Telemetry, it was possible to identify a mechanical failure in a vehicle, which contributes to fuel waste.
- Change in driver behavior. The manager established a tolerable average for engine idling: for motorcycles, the figure could not exceed 3% per month, and for trucks, 10% per month.
Conclusion
As the case above demonstrates, the INFLEET integrated fleet management system is effective and delivers results.
There’s nothing better than having a state-of-the-art tool as your ally, helping to mitigate problems and providing actionable data focused on improving the performance of your fleet as a whole.
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