Ralph Davies Accelerates London Operations with AI-Driven Fleet Safety

Delivering on Their Mission

To achieve its mission, Ralph Davies operates a modern, mixed fleet designed specifically to meet the operational needs of its customers. The fleet includes multi-temperature-controlled units for its food-only palletized network and tankers for transporting powders and liquids. Vehicles come from a range of top manufacturers, including Mercedes, Scania, Volvo and DAF tractor units.

Safety in all aspects is central to Ralph Davies’ operation, from ensuring secure, visible ingredient deliveries to protecting drivers and vehicles. The business runs a state-of-the-art warehouse capable of holding over 20,000 pallets of goods and featuring 12 live bays, a traffic light system and added value solutions such as crushing or restacking to meet customer needs. The facility also offers drivers and staff excellent amenities, including laundry facilities, a brand-new canteen and leisure facilities to support the welfare of staff.

The Search for a New Partner

When Ralph Davies’ previous camera system supplier failed to provide adequate after-sales support, the team knew it was time for a change.

Martin Cartwright, Transport Manager at Ralph Davies, explains:

“Our previous supplier outsourced the repairs and maintenance to third parties. This created communication challenges, and the service wasn’t up to the standard we expected or needed.”

“One of our Directors mentioned hearing positive feedback about Fleetclear, so we invited them to present and demonstrate their solution. We were so impressed we decided to switch on the spot!”

“Among other benefits, Fleetclear has its own team of mobile engineers and a dedicated software platform, meaning we can track our vehicles and monitor drivers all in one place.”

Ralph Davies in London!

Many HGV operators were caught off guard by Transport for London’s (TfL) new Direct Vision Standard (DVS) regulations this year, with some even forced to consider subcontracting their London loads due to non-compliance. Ralph Davies faced the same challenge.

Fleetclear responded with a straightforward, hassle-free DVS compliance solution: a Progressive Safe System (PSS) enhanced with AI-based camera detection technology.

Martin shares:

“Fleetclear not only installed the PSS equipment on our vehicles incredibly quickly, they also guided us through the entire compliance process with TfL. They provided everything we needed to prove compliance, including installation certificates and photographic evidence.”

The Fleetclear PSS system is a compact, fully integrated solution featuring a Blind Spot Information System (BSIS) and a Moving Off Information System (MOIS) for full DVS compliance. Its AI control module uses two HD cameras to dynamically detect hazards and provide driver alerts, to reduce the risk of collisions.

• One AI camera covers the nearside of the vehicle while filtering out false triggers like road furniture or stationary traffic.

• The second MOIS camera monitors the front blind spot, alerting drivers to vulnerable road users when moving off.

Martin adds:

“Ensuring the Ralph Davies vehicles are compliant has made a huge difference to our operational efficiency. It facilitates our groupage strategy into London, positively impacting our bottom line.”

All safety technology, video footage, tracking, and telematics are easily monitored via Fleetclear Connect, a web-based platform that consolidates data and simplifies fleet management workflows.

Looking Ahead

With plans to replace up to 10 trucks over the next six months, Ralph Davies intends to make Fleetclear Connect a standard specification across its fleet.

Joshua Phillips, Finance Director at Ralph Davies, concludes:

“Our experience with Fleetclear has been nothing but positive. Their support far exceeds what we’ve had from other suppliers. They truly take the time to understand our business and are extremely responsive.

“Standardising with Fleetclear improves efficiency across our fleet. The Fleetclear Connect platform gives us deeper operational insight and makes data analysis simple. We plan to use it in the future to optimise driver performance, improve fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.”

‍