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Sign inThe Crown Group
Managing a growing fleet
Results at a glance
Fleet size:
70 vans
Industry:
Facilities management
Fleet goals:
Safer driving, less vehicle wear and tear
MPG increase:
8.5%
Dangerous driving :
91% reduction
Idling reduction:
25.5%
Based in the northwest of England, The Crown Group provides a diverse range of environmental and facilities management services within the rail, MOD, industrial, and commercial sectors. The company covers a large area, extending as far as the West Midlands and the northeast coast, with operatives travelling in the fleet of 70 vans to deliver tree surgery, landscaping, pest control, civil engineering, and construction services as required.
The 70-strong fleet follows a period of rapid expansion over the last 5 years for The Crown Group, which has seen significant increases in both vehicles and drivers during this time. Unfortunately, the surge in new drivers brought with it a variety of issues for the Crown fleet, including more speeding incidents, excessive vehicle repair costs, and spiralling maintenance expenses. The Crown Group knew they had to get these ongoing concerns under control to prevent any threat to future fleet expansion.
A glowing review
In discussing the company’s problems with fellow fleet professionals, The Crown Group received a recommendation to give Lightfoot a try from the team at Tesco. It was this testimony that led to Crown trialling our award-winning driver coaching technology, and they haven’t looked back since!
The free Lightfoot trial was carried out over 8 weeks, with Crown’s drivers initially travelling with the Lightfoot devices in blind mode. This allows our system to gather real-world data on the fleet’s driving behaviour, capturing insights such as average MPG, time spent idling, instances of dangerous driving, and how often the drivers are speeding.
After this 4-week phase, the next stage begins, with the devices switched live. This is when Lightfoot’s cutting edge real-time driving feedback kicks in, with drivers receiving audible and visual alerts to guide them back to smoother, safer driving. It can take some slight adjustment at first, but drivers soon begin to unlearn dangerous and inefficient habits, and better driving performance becomes intuitive.
The Crown Group was no exception, with the trial showing that it was possible to overcome the issues they’d been experiencing around driver safety and vehicle wear and tear simply by changing the driving style of the fleet.
After 4 weeks travelling with the in-cab coaching, our data showed that Crown were already benefitting from an 8.5% uplift in MPG, whilst dangerous driving had decreased by an incredible 91%.
The average driver score had risen from 74% - below the Elite Driver target level of 85% - to an impressive 94%, idling was down by over 25%, harsh events (such as rapid acceleration, harsh braking, and sharp cornering) were occurring 34% less, and speeding had been cut by nearly 10%.
By driving more economically, the fleet was also on course to cut average carbon emissions by almost 22 tonnes a year – the equivalent amount absorbed by a forest of over 1000 trees.
Ease of use
One of the biggest surprises about using Lightfoot for The Crown Group has been seeing the overall fuel savings and the significant reduction in CO2 emissions, both of which can be easily viewed within the Lightfoot fleet management portal. This provides the team with a quick and simple overview of how the fleet is performing, and also helps to highlight any issues that need to be addressed, such as vehicle faults, tax and MOT reminders, and instances of speeding within the fleet. This helps to streamline fleet operations for the management team at Crown, and ensures they can focus on what really matters.
Reflecting on the fleet’s experience so far, Wayne Barnett, Fleet Manager at The Crown Group shared his thoughts:
“I can honestly say that introducing Lightfoot has been one of the best decisions we have ever made with regards to fleet management. From day one, the team has been great to work with. Installations were seamless with excellent support, and similarly the technical help has always been swift when required. Support from our account manager has also been second to none. It’s just made the whole process easy from the get-go.
Of course it was initially more challenging for our drivers, but over time they’ve really embraced the system, which is reflected in our scores – we’re reaching over 90% week-on-week, and speeding and harsh events have massively reduced. Just as Lightfoot was recommended to us, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it for other fleets to use.”
8.5%
MPG increase
91% reduction
in dangerous driving
25.5%
idling reduction
Results that matter
The Crown Group now have the right tools at their disposal to successfully grow and manage their fleet, without the worry of increased fleet risk and hefty maintenance costs. Their drivers are continually improving thanks to the in-cab guidance they’re receiving, and The Crown Group can enjoy all the benefits of a safer, more efficient, and more sustainable fleet.
If you’re looking for an advanced fleet management solution that will help you reduce emissions, cut fleet fuel costs, improve road safety, and motivate and reward your drivers, then look no further.
Lightfoot can help you revolutionise your fleet for long-term, sustainable success. Make an enquiry or call us on 01392 340419 to find out more.
Ready to take your fleet to the next level?
Book your free Lightfoot trial today – no cost, no commitment, just a chance to experience the Lightfoot difference for yourself.