Leading heating, plumbing and air movement materials supplier TG Lynes has invested in state-of-the-art technology to warn its delivery drivers of potential hazards on the road. TG Lynes, based in Enfield, is in the process of adding Brigade’s Sidescan Predict® system to its entire fleet of HGV vehicles. The intelligent
Chris Rekowski, Sales Negotiator at the Keyline Swindon branch, has qualified as an HGV driver thanks to the company’s ‘Warehouse to Wheels’ programme. Having joined Keyline in September 2017, Chris has received his HGV licence and now, in addition to his current role, he will be acting as a backup
Pie, the tech company bringing end-to-end visibility to fleet management solutions, today announced it will launch its official, digital London Lorry Route Approver (LLRA) app, next month. The LLRA app will sync direct with Pie’s popular LLRA routing engine, currently the most up to date and comprehensive HGV routing system
BDC 321 : Oct 2024
Leading heating, plumbing and air movement materials supplier TG Lynes has invested in state-of-the-art technology to warn its delivery drivers of potential hazards on the road. TG Lynes, based in Enfield, is in the process of adding Brigade’s Sidescan Predict® system to its entire fleet of HGV vehicles. The intelligent side detection system has been developed for rigid vehicles with large blind spots. Six ultrasonic sensors on the side of the vehicle detect objects and vulnerable road users, whether they are stationary or moving. The technology calculates the risk of collision and alerts the driver either visually or audibly, depending on the risk. TG Lynes plans to have the technology installed on a quarter of its distribution fleet by March next year Andrew Ingram, General Manager at TG Lynes, said: “We are constantly looking for new and innovative ways to make life easier and safer for all of our colleagues. “It is crucial that vehicles with complex blind spots utilise technology to help reduce collisions. “Brigade’s Sidescan Predict system is one of the most technically sophisticated products available. It will offer peace of mind to our drivers and false alarms are significantly reduced, meaning they can be confident in the accuracy of the warning.” TG Lynes has used other Brigade safety products for more than 10 years. Used in conjunction with driver training and regular internal safety briefings, TG Lynes has managed to avoid any serious incidents with vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders and motorbikes. Andrew added: “Safety is a top priority for us. The protocols and safety equipment we have put in place, in conjunction with internal and external training, have enabled us to reduce near-miss incidents and has eradicated any side-swipe incidents and road traffic collisions.” The Sidescan Predict® system remains switched on when the vehicle’s speed is below 22mph, regardless of the indicator selection, and cannot be deactivated by the driver. Emily Hardy, Marketing Manager of Brigade Electronics UK: “Unlike existing systems, which simply register the presence of a potential obstacle, Sidescan Predict® is constantly gathering data in a vehicle’s vicinity. “This provides additional benefits to operators by significantly reducing false alarms and increasing confidence in the accuracy of warning alerts. We are delighted to add Sidescan Predict® to our range of commercial vehicle safety systems and we are confident that it will make a positive impact to road and worksite safety and preventing fatalities.” As well as the HGVs, TG Lynes’ fleet also includes 3.5 tonne vans and an electric bike. TG Lynes offers a daily delivery service to sites across London, the South East, East Anglia and the Midlands, with the first vehicles on the road for 6am. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Chris Rekowski, Sales Negotiator at the Keyline Swindon branch, has qualified as an HGV driver thanks to the company’s ‘Warehouse to Wheels’ programme. Having joined Keyline in September 2017, Chris has received his HGV licence and now, in addition to his current role, he will be acting as a backup driver. The programme is open to all Keyline branch staff and takes four to six months to complete. Those on the course receive introductory training on the roles and responsibilities of drivers, as well as a tailored programme of driving tuition before taking their practical test. At the end, a category C licence is received meaning the driver can take charge of vehicles weighing over 3.5 tonnes. Warehouse to Wheels allows Keyline to utilise existing loyal members of staff, instead of relying on agency drivers, and Chris was recently presented with his licence by Jason Southern, Keyline Swindon Branch Manager and Paul Tkocz, Assistant Branch manager. Jason commented: “The Warehouse to Wheels programme highlights Keyline’s commitment to staff development and ensures we have quality drivers who exceed our customers’ expectations. Since joining Keyline, Chris has become an invaluable member of the branch team and has shown great dedication in ensuring our customers receive the best service possible. Congratulations to him for gaining his HGV licence.”
Pie, the tech company bringing end-to-end visibility to fleet management solutions, today announced it will launch its official, digital London Lorry Route Approver (LLRA) app, next month. The LLRA app will sync direct with Pie’s popular LLRA routing engine, currently the most up to date and comprehensive HGV routing system available. The announcement is the first major product update from the company since it rebranded from ‘Pie Mapping’ to ‘Pie’ in March last year to reflect its wider vision of revolutionising the freight industry with a holistic solution for planning, tracking, visibility, efficiency and compliance. The app still boasts all the features of the current cloud-based LLRA, such as generating HGV compliant routes (tailored to the vehicle size, avoiding various width, weight and height restrictions) as well as securing instant, automatic approval from local councils. It also uses Mapbox and OpenStreetMap technology to deliver real-time, compliant routes with live traffic conditions and turn-by-turn instructions, as well as send alerts when the driver goes off a London Lorry Control Scheme (LLCS) compliant route. This eliminates the chance of a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN), an offence that can cost up to £500 for a first time, and £800 or more for a second. Being a mobile app, it has the added benefit of empowering drivers to plan routes straight from their vehicles, rather than using the LLRA routing engine from a computer and printing off a map or directions. As well as this, its brand new ‘Live Map’ function lets users know where vehicles are at any moment in time, which is useful when co-ordinating fleets. Pie’s 250+ customers that currently use its LLRA (including DPD, Superdrug, Next and Co-op) will be offered the new app after its release, to give them the best possible HGV planning and journey experience. Pie’s CEO, Stuart Hill said: “While we’re immensely proud of the heritage of the LLRA, we recognise that the future of fleet transport is in mobile. We’re excited to be launching our LLRA app – our entry level product – and will be following it up with a suite of other innovative software products later this year. Pie continues to strive to modernise the freight industry in a way no-one else has and pursue its vision of delivering holistic fleet management solutions that drive efficiencies and lower costs.” In 2016 Pie (then Pie Mapping) was acquired by DPD after winning DPD’s technology incubator scheme, Last Mile Labs the previous year. Since then the company has grown, appointing CEO Stuart Hill (replacing Freddie Talberg in March 2017), as well as making senior hires from the likes of MetaPack and TomTom. The London Lorry Route Approver app is currently going through final testing in beta mode and will also be compliant for nation-wide routes (not just London routes) upon its release. It will available on Android and iOS with an individual charge per user, per month. To coincide with the app launch the LLRA routing engine will also receive an update in line with the new Pie branding and product information. For further information, please visit http://www.londonlorryrouteapprover.com/
