Turners enhances driver compliance with Descartes’ SmartCompliance

Posted by fionastewart on 20th May 2016

Descartes Systems Group announced that one of the largest independent haulage companies in the UK, Turners (Soham) Ltd., is using Descartes’ SmartCompliance™ solutions to gain efficiencies and improve driver safety compliance across its road transport operations. Driver compliancy and operations efficiency are top priorities for Turners,” said John Burbridge, Group Quality and Compliance Manager at Turners. “The successful use of Descartes’ SmartCompliance solutions has had a significant positive impact on our fleet of more than 1,200 vehicles.” Since Turners’ initial rollout of Descartes Smartanalysis™ for tachograph analysis, the company has been able to automate and better manage compliance with the UK drivers’ hour and EU working time directive regulations. As a result, infringement levels have been reduced by over 50%. By layering additional complementary solutions like Descartes SmartDownload™ and Descartes SmartLicence™ to meet evolving requirements, Turners has also been able to save hundreds of hours of manual effort per week ensuring their drivers are licensed and compliant. The authorities in the UK continue to focus their efforts on enforcement of drivers' hours, tachograph data and driver licensing to ensure road safety and promote a level competitive landscape between commercial road transport operators. Descartes' SmartCompliance solutions help fleets of all sizes efficiently address these regulations. These solutions include:
  • Descartes Smartanalysis - a cloud-based tachograph analysis solution that helps customers, like Turners, meet legal obligations with regard to drivers' hours, working time, and tachograph use;
  • Descartes SmartDownload - an automatic remote vehicle download solution that provides ready access to digital tachograph data essential for managing compliance and dealing with issues in a timely fashion; and
  • Descartes SmartLicence - an online tool for verifying and managing driving licence details launched in 2015 to address the challenge of the UK Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s abolition of the paper driving licence counterpart.
“We’re pleased to help Turners improve compliance, achieve greater operational control, and save time and money across its fleet operations,” said Pol Sweeney, Vice President of UK Sales and Business Management at Descartes. “Thousands of road transport operators across the UK and Europe rely on Descartes’ SmartCompliance solutions to meet evolving legislation affecting commercial fleets and drivers while mitigating the risk of penalties for non-compliance.”