The local transport sector’s aims of attaining regional powerhouse status in the medium-term, has meant the function of commercial fleet management is one taken up by an increasing number of businesses.
Whether this function is performed in-house or outsourced to a third party, it holds a number of benefits to the fleet owner, from tracking the total cost of ownership, to monitoring driver behaviour and mitigating against the risk of theft and fraud.
“In one case, we discovered that a driver of one of our clients was working together with employees of (a local retailer), using their truck to transport stolen clothing. We were able to remotely cut the ignition, and they were apprehended,” says Ernst Beukes, founder of Sholela Investment Holdings.
The local company last year launched its ‘iTrackerX’ tracking device, after it was itself registered in 2011, and since then have grown their humble fleet service to just over 150 clients nationwide.
“We aim to see ourselves differentiated from others in the market through our strategy of selling a partnership, not a product,” he says.
“Yes our aim is to eventually become the biggest market-share holders in the sector, but more significantly we want to become the buzz in the industry, to have tracking associated with the ‘iTrackerX’,” Beukes says.
Some of the product’s features include tracking the total cost of ownership (from initial sale to petrol and service costs), a fuel level sensor that allows the fleet manager to remotely monitor the amount of fuel left in the tank, and video surveillance.
“There are various risks associated with running a fleet. You want to be able to see for example any illegal consumption, or if people are stealing fuel,” Beukes says.
“Certain vehicles are required to be kept within a certain area. So through our system we would create a ‘geo-fence, and as soon as that vehicle leaves that area, it is picked up,” he says.
The system also helps to simplify client billing, able to monitor and record how long a vehicle spends at a specific sight, and even what ‘engine hours’ it put in.
“Graders for example are difficult to bill per hour, so if you can pull a report and see how many engine hours it has performed, that is more accurate,” Beukes says.
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