SAFETY-FIRST COLLABORATION DRIVES INNOVATION 18th May 2023

M Group Services Plant & Fleet Solutions (MGSPFS) — the fleet management operating business of leading essential infrastructure services provider M Group Services — has teamed up with Samsara to develop the next generation of in-vehicle safety systems to protect drivers and road users.

The new solution is an industry-first collaboration that integrates Samsara's Connected Operations Cloud with a 360-degree camera solution from UK-based fleet safety systems provider Motormax. It warns drivers if a vehicle is being overloaded or if cranes, booms, or stabilising legs are not stored correctly.

The new system was Highly Commended at the recent Global Fleet Champions Awards and is now being rolled out to part of its fleet, providing an extra level of protection for both drivers and other road users.

“At M Group Services, our key safety message is that nothing is so important that we cannot take the time to do it safely," said Tony Draper, Head of Safety, Health, Environment and Quality (SHEQ) at M Group Services Plant & Fleet Solutions.

"Our job is to keep the number of road traffic incidents involving our fleet to an absolute minimum because lives and jobs are at stake if we don’t. That’s why we turned to Samsara," he said.

Working partnership forges greater safety

This new solution is just the latest development between MGSPFS and Samsara to improve fleet safety across more than 9,000 vehicles used Group-wide.

The companies started working together in 2020 when Samsara came on board to help MGSPFS address one of its core values: putting people's health, well-being and safety first.

As a result, MGSPFS installed a Samsara video-based safety technology solution to part of its fleet, including dual-facing artificial intelligence (AI) dash cameras. This solution is the foundation of a long-term safety programme for the business.

"Fast forward to today and this new industry-leading solution shows what's possible when you combine MGSPFS' commitment to safety with connected smart solutions that can make it happen," said Max Eversfield, Enterprise Field Solution Consultant at Samsara.

"By harnessing vehicle telematics and 360-degree vehicle cameras and feeding them into Samsara's cloud platform, we have taken fleet safety to a whole new level. This solution is about using technology for good. It's about using technology to make our roads and vehicles safer. It’s about a commitment we all have to look out for one another," he said.

While Tony Draper at MGSPFS is wholly focused on the safety of drivers across the Group and other road users, he's also a vocal advocate for connected operations and the value of data. He's seen first-hand the transformative power of data within a fleet, not just on a day-to-day operational level, but across the business as well.

"If you can harness the data, you can find out so much about your business," he said.

"If we can see fault codes as they appear, rather than waiting for something to go wrong, we can find out how the engine is running. For instance, the technology allows us to work out miles per gallon (MPG) and carbon dioxide emissions and then overlay this information alongside other data such as safety scores and individual driver performance to improve efficiency. This helps us build upon an excellent environmental, social and governance (ESG) rating for the Group, which is recognised as a global ESG leader by independent, international risk ratings agency, Sustainalytics.

"By taking this approach you don't just get data on individual areas such as fuel consumption, instead, you get the bigger picture. Suddenly, without even realising it, you're using all these data touchpoints to help move your business strategy forward," he said.

What's more, the implementation of a single platform across the whole business means improvements in one area have seen tangible improvements and benefits across the Group.

A focus on one area of the business can impact the entire fleet

Tony continues: "By using technology to change driver behaviour, you start to see a decline in the amount of fuel used. You're not seeing as much wear and tear on a vehicle. Our drivers arrive at their destination with a better mindset. They're not as stressed out."

Ultimately, though, any conversation with Tony always returns to the issue of safety. And he is convinced the use of technology to help drive a safety culture is paying dividends.

"One of the things we've learned is that when you start slowing people down, then you start getting them to look at what they're doing. They slow down around corners and harsh braking and acceleration is reduced. They're more courteous to other road users.

"Because we've now got technology in place that coaches our people as they drive, it's like having a passenger next to them," he said.

And it’s that reassurance for Tony, the drivers and the management team, that is so important to the ongoing relationship between M Group Services and Samsara. It shows that by working together, technology firms can deliver tangible benefits for those fleets committed to digital transformation.