Cambridgeshire safeguards waste fleet

GCW has established itself as a sustainable and forward-thinking service and currently has two major development projects running side by side. The introduction of a separate food waste service with a brand-new fleet of 20 food waste collection vehicles; and the electrification of its fleet, which is well underway with a solar farm already under construction and charging pods installed at the depot.

A diverse region Cambridgeshire features densely populated towns and cities such as Huntingdon, Peterborough and Cambridge City alongside miles of unspoilt countryside characterised by small market towns and quaint villages. This offers a unique set of challenges to GCW’s fleet operations, and the maintenance of high safety standards is a top priority. For over 8 years GCW has been installing technology to its vehicles to ensure the safety of its residents, vulnerable road users and crews.

Camera systems are invaluable

GCW has fitted LIVE camera systems from Fleetclear to its 53-vehicle fleet of refuse collection vehicles as well as 3 sweepers. The system helps to assist with incident resolution such as accidents, health and safety failings, service complaints or false insurance claims. The recorded footage provides critical evidence to establish the circumstances of the incident and prevent unwarranted liability.

Robin Moore, Fleet & Asset Manager, Greater Cambridgeshire Waste said:

“The camera systems are invaluable. Since we’ve been using them, we’ve been able to disprove countless false allegations of damage to cars or private property.

“The system is fantastic. We can find and download the relevant footage within minutes and see immediately if any of our vehicles were involved. This helps to dispel issues before they become time-consuming and potential expensive. Prior to having the cameras installed the most common complaint would be that one of our vehicles had driven past a stationary vehicle during collection rounds and damaged it. The clarity of the footage is such that we can now clearly see if any damage is present before our vehicle goes near it, which is often the case.”

Fleetclear also offers a Managed Service, which means that the cameras are monitored remotely and equipment failures are reported immediately, so that any issues can be rectified quickly. This means there are no more incidents of missing or unreliable footage, which can be a problem with some vehicle CCTV systems.

A clear view of drivers and vehicles

The LIVE camera systems enhance safety by monitoring driver behaviour and make sure that drivers adhere to safety guidelines and maintain a high standard of conduct ultimately reducing the risk of accidents and incidents. In turn this contributes to improving operational efficiency by ensuring smoother operations and reducing vehicle downtime.

Robin added:‍

“We use real footage to illustrate any areas of concern, improve health & safety best practice or to enhance driver training during our quarterly toolbox talks with crews.”

Trustworthy blind spot monitoring

GCW also has Reverse Radar fitted to the waste and recycling fleet. With the ability to simultaneously detect up to 16 targets, stationary or in motion, the Fleetclear system features advanced technology and can be depended on to actively monitor blind spots.

Robin said:

‍“The radar removes the likelihood of any rear end collisions and blind spot incidents and safeguards the bin lifting equipment.”

Keeping Britain’s ‘everyday-cycling capital’ safe

Around a third of trips made in Cambridge City Centre are made by bike. So, it’s no surprise that GCW decided to fit a cyclist warning system to the fleet.  

Robin explained:

“The number of cyclists on our roads is on the rise, and the centre of Cambridge is a ‘cycling jungle’. The safety of our residents is a priority and if there is effective technology available to mitigate the risks of accidents then we want to take advantage of that.

GCW uses Fleetclear’s Cyclear™ solution, which has an LED warning sign and audible speaker to alert cyclists of potential hazards. Tested and proven in the UK, Cyclear™ minimises false alarm with intelligent sensor control that filters out street furniture and sends instant alerts to the driver.

Robin added:

“We’ve had Cyclear fitted to every vehicle, which means we can be flexible about which vehicles we use for collections, even in areas where there are lots of pedestrians and cyclists. It’s been working very well for us, and we are fortunate that we’ve had no fatalities caused by our vehicles.”

A supported service

Robin commented:‍

“The after sales support Fleetclear provides is of a high standard. Their engineers are always on hand to resolve any niggles, and they are happy to help with any request. If we send an email, we get a prompt reply.”

“When we have new starters it’s easy to arrange training and we can record the sessions and play them back when needed.”

Everything on one system

Robin added:

‍“We want our colleagues to be able to access the information they need from one platform. We’ve started using Fleetclear Connect, which consolidates information about all our equipment in one place. Users can access the information they need via a customisable dashboard.  

“It makes life much more straightforward. We don’t need to train staff on different software packages and our reporting processes are simplified and standardised. We can produce detailed reports on specific aspects of our fleet operations, vehicles and driver behaviour and ultimately use that information to further improve the efficiency of the service.”

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