Overview
A trailer hire business has to know where every trailer is, who has it and when its MOT is due. BS Trailer keeps assets, customers and yards in one web application. We are now extending it into a complete fleet management system that also covers servicing, maintenance and compliance records.
The challenge
The business ran its whole fleet from a shared Google Sheet. As the data grew and more people opened it at once, the sheet kept hanging and sharing problems got in the way of day-to-day work.
What we built
- Many users at onceSeveral people work in the same records together, replacing a spreadsheet that hung when it was shared.
- Predicted movementsAI predicts where vehicles are heading and their arrival and departure dates.
- Yard balancingIt suggests the yard with the least workload, so incoming vehicles can be diverted there.
- Due-date alertsMOT due and cleaning due are flagged, so renewals and washes are not missed.
- Checklist checksMissing checklists are flagged, so incomplete checks are caught.
- Asset managementSearch and maintain the asset register, with a record of deleted assets.
- Customers and hiresCustomer records and hire status tracked against each asset.
- YardsManage yard locations and see which assets are where.
- MOT trackingTrack MOT dates for assets so renewals are not missed.
- Mobile workflowA workflow for recording work on the move, away from a desk.
- Servicing and maintenanceBeing added: service and repair history for each trailer and vehicle, so the full record sits against the asset.
- Inspection and compliance recordsBeing added: MOT, inspection and test records kept together and easy to produce when asked.
- Users and securityUser and employee management with sign-in, password reset and role-based access.
- Data importExisting records imported in bulk from Excel into the new system.
What changed
- Several people now work in the same system at the same time, without the hanging and sharing problems of the spreadsheet.
- Staff are told what is due, such as MOTs, cleaning and missing checklists, instead of searching a sheet for it.
- AI predicts vehicle movements and arrival and departure dates, and suggests the yard with the least workload to divert vehicles to.
- The team works more efficiently day to day.
