Agency staffing company Driver & Warehouse (D&W) has announced a way to tackle the problem of monitoring the working hours of drivers on hire.
Through a tie up with vehicle telematics company Masternaut, D&W is offering a fully portable satellite tracking device that its drivers can carry freely from one vehicle to another.
Via the Internet, the Masternaut service provides live tracking so drivers do not need to be called on their mobile phones to find out where they are. In addition, minute-by-minute e-mailed time sheets provide D&W and their customers with accurate records of hours worked.
To comply with the new Working Time regulations, D&W needed to find a quick and easy way to keep a check on the hours being worked by its drivers. Since their staff are driving different vehicles for any number of transport operators, keeping track of hours behind the wheel is often difficult, it is claimed.
With the portable HourTrak tracking unit developed by Masternaut, driver movement and time is recorded automatically, the firm says. The driver can also use the unit to record working time and non working time in line with the Working Time regulations. Driver movements and working status are sent to D&W via the web to provide a log of activities that can also be provided to customers for pay and proof of work.
D&W are offering the portable tracking facility as part of a driver hire package. Companies employing D&W drivers are given access to the Masternaut service so that the agency driver can be managed effectively, as if one of their own drivers. There are other key benefits such as job despatch and navigation so drivers can be guided to pick ups and deliveries, even if they do not know the area.
What they say
"With Masternaut, the problems that can occur using temporary drivers are literally eliminated. In fact, our customers will probably have more control over our staff than their own and this system has the potential to completely revolutionise the driver hire industry. We also believe it is pretty essential technology anyway in view of the new Working Time regulations and we cannot see any better way to keep records up to the level required under this new law," says James Rawstron, Director of D&W.
