JLA, supplier of commercial laundry, catering, heating, and fire safety equipment, has partnered with Applied Driving to deliver advanced digital driver training.

The company said the partnership forms the basis of JLA’s mission to prioritise fleet safety across its national 400-vehicle operation.

An initial trial has led to increased road safety diligence and awareness, with the training focused on areas including in acceleration, braking and cornering.

Lisa Winnard, HR director at JLA, said: “Ensuring the safety of our engineers is of the utmost importance to us and our partnership with Applied Driving supports that.

“At first, we undertook a six-week pilot of the integrated solution – covering 35 drivers in our western region – and were pleased with the results.

“Our drivers showed high levels of engagement with the gamification elements of the system, while the automated nature of the technology meant we were able to minimise our management involvement.”

Applied Driving’s Companion+ has integrated with Inseego’s fleet tracking software via API, to allow driver behaviour data to be analysed to generate Triggered Training where at-risk driving behaviours are identified.

The solution, delivered by Applied Driving in partnership with Novuna Vehicle Solutions, enables drivers to receive targeted email or SMS safety messages followed by safety videos and e-learning modules.

Meanwhile, a weekly performance report for both employees and managers provides a summary, including a ranking system to help encourage healthy competition through gamification.

Any persistent issues will result in notifications sent to the relevant manager for supportive intervention.

Winnard added: “By bringing together technology systems from Applied Driving and Inseego, we are creating a dynamic and automated driver and behavioural safety management solution for our fleet of close to 400 vans. It’s keeping our drivers safe.”

Nigel Lawrence, director of Client Partnerships at Applied Driving, said: “We recognise the benefits of utilising technology to deliver driver training solutions.

“Through Companion+, we are evolving our offering to grow integrations with telematics providers, alongside our existing app-based option, to deliver flexible and targeted training solutions for all company and grey fleet operations.

“This is making our intelligent fleet safety and driver-management technology increasingly appealing to vehicle operators of all types and sizes.”