Stows Waste Management
Streamlining Operations With Cutting Edge Technology
Our main focus is the customer. From the time they call up, to the time they get the invoice, our aim is to have a seamless flow of good service.
Teletrac Navman’s fleet management technology transformed Stows Waste Management by:
Delivering real-time visibility across the entire fleet
Enabling digital transformation to eliminate unnecessary paperwork
Maximising fuel tax credit claims
Challenge – Reducing Paperwork and Unnecessary Costs
Stows Waste Management has been in operation for over 120 years. Beginning with a horse and cart in 1892, the fourth-generation company has steadily become one of Melbourne’s leaders in the collection and disposal of waste across multiple industries, including hospitality, industrial, domestic and commercial.
Based in Melbourne while servicing regional parts of Victoria, Stows Waste Management employs a staff of around 20 team members, all of whom consistently strive for excellence. It has a fleet of 14 vehicles, mostly liquid tankers as well as two hook lift trucks, two low-clearance vehicles for underground carparks and one portable unit.
Stows’ success has been built on a commitment to building long term relationships, first by gaining a thorough understanding of the requirements of its customers, followed by providing exceptional customer service. Additionally, the company is always continuing to invest in its product and service offering to ensure it remains at the forefront of waste management technology.
As part of its operations, Stows uses a range of auxiliary equipment and spends a lot of time driving off-road. Manually calculating fuel tax credits for this travel is a time-consuming process, and the company often resorted to averages for claims, meaning it missed out on hundreds of dollars each year.
At the same time, many of Stows’ processes were heavily paper-based, including fatigue run sheets, checklists and document storage. Every time a document needed to be updated, a team member was required to go into every truck and vehicle to replace it manually.
Stows was introduced to Teletrac Navman’s suite of advanced telematics solutions to address these challenges. Discovering how Teletrac Navman’s FTC Manager platform could pay for the system itself in fuel tax rebates was a turning point. Imran Darwiche, General Manager at Stows Waste Management, began to investigate how Teletrac’s solutions could drastically improve operations while saving the company money in the long run.
SOLUTION: Creating New Efficiencies & Saving Money
When we looked at other solutions, they weren’t actually solutions. They didn’t have the number of modules Teletrac Navman did, they didn’t have the support network behind them. Teletrac Navman’s sales staff were extremely helpful, helping us to navigate through what we needed out of the system.
With support from Paul Stow, Managing Director of Stows Waste Management, to implement Teletrac Navman’s FTC Manager, Stows quickly reaped the benefits of the technology. The company was able to retrospectively claim credits from several years back, promptly bringing more money back into the business and in turn, paying off the system immediately.
Stows also implemented Teletrac Navman’s in-cabin driver device and GPS tracking solutions, both of which, according to Imran, “created a whole heap of efficiencies and allowed us to save time.” Previously, pre-trip truck inspections were done on paper and the information manually entered into the system. Now, as soon as an operator identifies an issue in their checklist, the operations staff is alerted that the truck requires repairs, whether minor or major.
Not only has this allowed important documents to be updated across the fleet in seconds, but shifting from paper-based operations to digital methods provides Stows with the ability to generate comprehensive reports, from driver hours to vehicle use, with a few simple clicks. No more having to sort through stacks of paper –staff can draw actionable insights from data instantly, such as, which vehicles are used the most and whether it’s worth buying additional types of vehicles that get consistent use.
“The drivers love the fact that the system actively keeps them safe on the road, alerting them when it’s time to take a break”, says Imran. Teletrac Navman’s system also ensures drivers don’t run into any potential obstacles such as low bridges, allowing Stows to streamline truck routes and keep drivers safe.
According to Hannah Stewart, Operations Manager at Stows, the biggest benefit to the fleet has been visibility. The company’s previous GPS tracking system would take a while to refresh and didn’t provide the most up-to-date locations. As Hannah says, “with Teletrac Navman, the system is very current, allowing us to give customers very precise ETAs which they like.”
Stows is in continuous discussions with Teletrac Navman, always looking to see what new solutions are being developed and how they can implement in their operations.
Results
Since implementing Teletrac Navman’s FTC Manager, driver in-vehicle technology and GPS tracking solutions, Stows Waste Management has achieved the following:
- Real-time visibility across the entire fleet
- Maximised fuel tax credit claims for auxiliary/off-road usage
- Eliminated paper documents to streamline processes and improve data transparency
- Retrospectively claimed fuel tax credits for past years
- Generated comprehensive reports with ease
- Improved vehicle maintenance
- Streamlined truck routes for better customer service
About Stows Waste Management
Stows Waste Management has been one of Australia’s leaders in the collection, transport and disposal of waste for over 120 years. Founded in 1892, the fourth-generation Melbourne-based company employs a small staff of around 20 team members, managing liquid and solid waste across multiple industries, including hospitality, industrial, domestic and commercial.
Teletrac Navman is continuously investing in their software and updating their systems, allowing their clients to get the best usage out of it.