Rochester business develops technology to help logistics industry navigate Smart Motorways
Online portal helps fleet managers and LGV operators ensure their drivers are compliant
Compliance risks are expected to rise as Smart Motorways become mainstream
London, UK - 28 October 2019
A Rochester-based commercial vehicle compliance company, Plumwood, has launched a new online portal that allows fleet managers and LGV operators to view how well their employees are driving in real-time.
The technology can be used to highlight which drivers regularly fail to meet compliance checks - such as speeding or failing to take frequent breaks - potentially saving operators from facing hefty fines or loss of their operator license.
With Kent’s first Smart Motorway due in a couple of months, experts have warned that more checks will be needed, as cameras are likely to catch more drivers falling foul of speed limits.
Drivers who fail to observe Smart Motorway speed limits could rack up sufficient penalty points on just a single journey so as to be unfit to drive, increasing the onus on fleet managers to check their licences on a more frequent basis.
The 6.5 mile stretch of Smart Motorway on the M20 is currently under construction and is expected to be complete in March 2020.
Launched a decade ago, Plumwood is a Rochester success story, turning over £250,000 annually.
Gary Wood, the local businessman who founded the company, hopes launching this new technology will help him meet his ambition of doubling the size of the business over the next couple of years. He attributes his confidence to invest in this new software to the financial insight into his business provided by QuickBooks.
“We know that the introduction of Smart Motorways has been daunting for vehicle operators, especially when it comes to ensuring their drivers are safe and compliant,” said Gary. “The latest iteration of our technology will help managers identify drivers putting their business at risk.
“It’s not always easy for small Rochester businesses to make an investment decision on this scale. I’d encourage any other business owner thinking about doing something similar to use a tool like QuickBooks to get to grips with their finances. It’s amazing how easy an investment decision becomes when you have the right data at your fingertips.”
With QuickBooks, businesses can organise all their financial records and access a real-time dashboard showing their business performance. Its invoicing tool reminds customers of payments, tracks transactions and makes direct deposits, helping save time and make processes more efficient.
Nick Williams, Director of Sales at Intuit QuickBooks said, “One of the biggest challenges for growing businesses like Plumwood is taking control of your finances. QuickBooks provides a smarter way to run a small business so owners can have the confidence to invest and drive growth.”
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