Council adopts new fleet management software to solve VOR issues

London Borough of Tower Hamlets Council is aiming to eliminate unexpected vehicle off road (VOR) issues after adopting new fleet management software.

The local authority, which operates 350 commercial vehicles including 3.5 tonne vans, refuse trucks, cage tippers and specialised road sweepers, is now using the FleetCheck Professional platform

Saad Mia, fleet co-ordinator at the council, said: “As a council, we oversee a wide range of essential services, from pest control and waste collection to school transport and facilities management.

“Relying on a specialised fleet of vehicles, we wanted a more cohesive approach across all of these departments to streamline fleet processes and increase their effectiveness.

“Especially, we wanted to reduce or eliminate VOR issues. If a vehicle is unavailable, we often can’t deliver a service, so it’s very important for us to keep the fleet on the road.”

Adopting FleetCheck has allowed Tower Hamlets to take a more thorough and proactive approach to maintenance thanks to real-time scheduling, custom alerts, and cross-team collaboration that has driven higher levels of compliance.

Saad said: “Previously, outdated or difficult-to-access information caused oversight issues, such as missed MOT tests, permit expiration dates and TG99 temporary vehicle prohibitions. These lapses meant operational disruptions and unexpected VOR events.

“Previously, the fleet operations were largely paper-based and the main challenge was trying to gather all our information together in a single place and access it quickly.

“Through FleetCheck, we’ve been able to create a central database for scheduling.”

Automated alerts have replaced spreadsheets, and the ability to customise and leave notes on the system has been game-changing for us, he added.

Currently, its VOR rate is zero, which Saad said was a “huge step forward”.

The platform is also being used to create efficiencies in a wide range of other areas.

“The software is very simple to use and easy to customise,” he continued. “For example, we have set up customer alerts for parking permits.

“That was previously carried out on spreadsheets but our handling using the platform is now much more efficient.”

Peter Golding, CEO at FleetCheck, said: “We’re very pleased to be working with Tower Hamlets Council. Our user base includes many local authorities and government bodies, and we were able to quickly gain insight into their fleet needs and deliver on their priorities.”