Rotronics Support Haulage Fleet of Over 600 Vehicles

Technical Service Trainer Lewis Clark visited a national distribution and haulage expert in March 2021, to conduct a battery product demonstration for Fleet Engineers.

The Brief

Rotronics were contacted by the national distribution and haulage experts, about a potential battery management solution for their fleet of over 600 vehicles. The company specialises in haulage, express freight, logistics, warehousing, and distribution services.

Due to fleet expansion plans, the distribution and haulage experts identified the need to invest in a full battery management programme, to reduce battery defects and increase distribution productivity.

A Fleet Engineer within the company explained the requirement for battery testers and chargers, in order to identify battery faults on new vehicles entering the workshop. Rotronics used this information to create a bespoke battery management brief, enabling us to provide the correct products for the programme. The Fleet Engineer had used the Midtronics EXP1000HD battery tester in a previous role and was impressed with the quality and performance of the equipment, allowing the identification of battery faults before they become costly non-starts.

The distribution and haulage experts were also looking to resolve warranty issues caused by limited battery management data, as well as battery defects occurring on brand new vehicles. When new vehicles entered the workshop with battery faults, it was difficult for managers to confirm warranty claims, as there was limited data available to back up the claim. Without successful warranty claims and battery health data, the company was experiencing increased costs in their battery replacement budget.

In addition to warranty management, Fleet Engineers were interested in battery management equipment for use with AGM and Regular Flooded batteries, to support fleet roadside breakdowns caused by onboard electronics and driver facilities.

How We Supported

During the product demonstration, Lewis demonstrated a full battery management programme, including one Midtronics EXP1000FHD tester, one Midtronics PRO 50/2 charger, and a year’s subscription to ROBIS, our remote battery management platform. The demonstration was conducted with COVID compliant measures to protect the health and safety of staff involved.

Accessories such as Amp Clamps and Printers were also demonstrated to expand the current battery health visibility at one of their UK sites, allowing technicians to print results off on demand.

The EXP1000FHD was suggested to the distribution and haulage experts to allow for their technicians to record individual VIN and fleet numbers, so senior management can identify exactly which fleet vehicles have been tested in the workshop. ROBIS has full compatibility with the EXP1000FHD platform, providing workshop managers with live fleet battery data visibility for warranty claims.

The Midtronics PRO 50/2 charger was also recommended due to its combination of charge acceptance and battery conditioning for 12V and 24V fleet batteries.

The Importance of Battery Management for Haulage Vehicles

For companies within the haulage industry, it is important to ensure vehicles are working in top condition to prevent roadside breakdowns and non-starts, which may impact upon company reputations, productivity, and revenue opportunities. The service offering of distribution and haulage companies are entirely focused on vehicle capabilities, meaning breakdowns can have a huge impact on service quality.

The equipment provided to the distribution and haulage experts, allows technicians to test and charge fleet vehicles as they enter the workshop. It also provides assistance to roadside breakdowns teams, visiting vehicles across the UK.

Our partnership with the distribution and haulage experts now provides them with battery data visibility to one of their sites, with a future national expansion planned across the UK.
The bespoke battery management programme is supported by training presentations, to ensure technicians understand how to fully use the equipment to produce the best return on investment for the fleet.

If you are interested in a bespoke battery management programme, please contact us, or call 0121 514 0605.