GO WEST TOURS
Implements next generation fleet management
technology to fine tune operations
CHALLENGE
Go West Tours is Western Australia’s leading supplier of modern charter, rental and tour vehicles, servicing the mining, education, tourism and government sectors as well as private parties. It has become one of Australia’s most respected integrated transport providers, employing more than 200 staff across seven agencies.
As part of the organisation’s growth strategy, the business wanted to ensure it continued to offer the latest technology system to clients to track and manage vehicle speed, driver fatigue, maintenance and safety. Go West turned to Teletrac Navman to develop a bespoke solution with the broad range of capability it required.
Teletrac Navman’s solution specialists worked closely with Go West to create a tailor-made system including passenger scanning, fatigue management, geo-fencing, speed management, GPS vehicle tracking and electronic document management. The custom solution provided comprehensive data harvesting and analysis so the business could track each trip electronically and improve reporting accuracy.
While making the transition to a fleet management system and telematics, the COVID-19 outbreak unfolded which required Go West to implement contact tracing technology and manage social distancing with a very short turnaround time. It needed technology that would facilitate these requirements quickly and seamlessly.
Managing complex change is often challenging and has to be done in a careful manner, but we found the Teletrac Navman platform was really easy to use which helped us get buy-in from staff,” said Go West Tours Director David Haoust. “We found when the platform was successfully adopted, it allowed people to explore other capabilities beyond the fundamental functionalities of GPS tracking, speed control and driver fatigue management.
SOLUTION
Go West Tours implemented Teletrac Navman’s comprehensive suite of telematics solutions in more than 100 of its buses. A key part of the solution is an in-vehicle compliance and productivity tool, alongside telematics that provides GPS tracking capabilities, speed management and card reading technology.
With electronic pre-start capabilities and a new digital process to manage documentation, such as risk assessments, the business streamlined complex compliance requirements while ensuring safety and easy measurability. Teletrac Navman understood the sensitivities of the cultural change required to get the drivers on board with the new processes and platforms. The team hosted a series of onboarding sessions for the staff at Go West Tours so they could quickly and effectively adopt the new technology.
This change also had to coincide with the acquisition of 50 new 50-seater buses being rolled out over two months across five different mining sites. Tablet style data importing, work diary logging and electronic pre-starts were new to bus drivers but training and the user-friendly nature of Teletrac Navman’s product suite helped Go West achieve the all-important acceptance from drivers while meeting the implementation deadline.
The whole process also occurred not long before the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in a change in operations. New requirements such as contact tracing needed to be implemented immediately and Go West turned to Teletrac to quickly implement the technology. Teletrac was able to rapidly provide functionality such as identifying passengers as they boarded buses using RFID cards and QR codes to coincide with the new contact tracing legislation.
Introducing new and innovative technology into our business is just as nerve racking as it is exciting. Trialing a new product is crucial. The success we’ve experienced using Teletrac Navman’s technology has given us the confidence to explore new features of the system to address existing business needs, such as more fine-tuning of vehicle maintenance and driver management.
RESULTS
The platform has allowed Go West Tours to have improved control over its business. The technology helps senior managers make more informed decisions, promoting greater transparency. Haoust says the business now has the data to assess and discover better ways of doing things, and an improved sense of what’s going on in the organisation. The data generated from the platform has generated significant efficiencies, such as setting up geo-fences around mining sites and using high-definition location data to track fuel use onand off-road for more accurate fuel tax credit calculations so the business can maximise Australian Tax Office (ATO) claims.
The accuracy of the data and clear reporting around safety and security has enhanced the offering that Go West Tours can make to the biggest mining companies in Australia. At the same time, the in-cabin systems have empowered drivers to feel more engaged with the business, leading to greater levels of driver performance and work satisfaction. The system has also generated significant safety benefits. Speed alerts when a vehicle breaches the speed limit provide peace of mind and empower drivers to maintain professional and safety standards. The messaging service on the in-cabin tablet allows drivers to share information about any potential road or traffic hazards during a trip so other drivers can avoid that area.
“Drivers love the messaging system and are even using it to share safety information like the state of sections of a road,” says Haoust “That’s something they’ve done off their own back, showing what a positive relationship they have with the system. When drivers don’t feel like they’re just driving a bus and they have this cutting-edge technology as part of their day to day, it makes them feel more valued and shows that they’re executing a really important job.”
About Go West Tours
Go West Tours is Western Australia’s leading supplier of modern charter, rental and tour vehicles, servicing the mining, education, tourism and government sectors as well as private parties. It has become one of Australia’s most respected integrated transport providers, employing more than 200 staff across seven agencies in Western Australia. Enjoying a reputation for providing safe and reliable transport, the company is the preferred choice for Australia’s blue-chip companies, particularly in the mining space. It has established strong relationships with resources companies to develop tailored transport solutions that meet clients’ unique needs.