“All the driver then has to do is press the ‘navigate’ button on his touch-screen and away he goes. The system already knows the delivery address and routes the truck accordingly. Should we need to monitor his progress along the way, we can do that in real-time through our mapping screens – so there’s no need to disturb the driver once he’s underway.

“Once he reaches his destination, the driver clicks the ‘arrived’ button on his touch-screen, (a safety feature of Scania OnBoard only allows the touch-screen to be used when the vehicle is stationary). That instantly informs the traffic office he is on site.

“If he’s there to collect a load, he then presses the button marked, ‘depot collection point’. He then picks up his consignment and carries on his way. Once he arrives at the drop-off point he presses the ‘arrived’ button again.

“The drop is confirmed by pressing the ‘delivery’ button, at which point the driver feeds in a Proof of Delivery number. This is transmitted back to us, giving an instant record that the goods have been received. The driver also enters the name of the person accepting the load.

“In most cases, the delivery confirmation also automatically raises an invoice, as our Scania OnBoard system is linked into our existing office software. But should there be a non-conformity issue, the driver can enter details there and then so we are made aware and can rectify the problem without further delay.

“As soon as the job’s done, the driver presses the ‘dropped’ button and the truck on our screens in the office turns green. His next activity then appears and the process is repeated – there’s no more to it than that!

“In terms of efficiency, the system is excellent. Firstly, it combats the old problem of drivers losing the piece of paper with all their jobs on it. Those days are now well and truly behind us. The traffic office also has a reliable time sheet and Driver Log shows us whether anything untoward has been going on, such as harsh braking or excessive idling time.

“As well as this, we use the fuel data Scania OnBoard provides to identify where further training is needed to help drivers get the best from their vehicles. Although we regularly replace our trucks every two years, I am anticipating moving the systems from vehicle to vehicle three times to give us a six-to-eight year life cycle for each unit. On fuel savings alone, I anticipate our payback period will be around half that time.

“But Scania OnBoard offers other savings too. There’s less paper moving around, less number crunching and less admin time being swallowed up. Our telephone usage has reduced dramatically and we don’t have to spell out addresses one letter at a time any more – and if you get one letter in a Spanish address wrong, the driver can end up miles away!

Well accepted
“At Continental Express, the system has been extremely well accepted all round. Our admin staff appreciate its ease of use and the fact that it takes the hassle factor away. Our drivers like it because they get satnav. Even our older drivers – with whom I was expecting a few problems – have taken to it. Their phones aren’t ringing every five minutes and they know we know they’re doing their job.

“Everyone received Scania training before we went live with the system and even the training manuals were tailored to our own specific needs. That made for a seamless transition and we’re certainly not looking back.

“As far as Continental Express is concerned, Scania OnBoard is now well and truly on board – and from my point-of-view, it’s certainly something that’s here to stay for the long haul!”

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