Staples Vegetables earn DVSA recognition with help from Truckfile
Staples Vegetables farms more than 10,000 acres of prime growing land across the UK and uses its fleet of top-weight tractor units, mostly hauling refrigerated trailers, to transport its produce to the regional distribution centres of leading supermarket chains.
With its primary focus on the production of food, the company is always looking for maximum ease and efficiency when it comes to fleet management and compliance.
Industry – agriculture
Sector – vegetable grower and distributor
Products – fresh vegetables and fruit
Fleet size – 40 tractor units, 100 semi-trailers
Compliance Consultant – Mike Wallaard (or Fleet Manager – Dave Baker)
The aim
Staples Vegetables was one of the first operators to see the benefits of the DVSA Earned Recognition scheme – which relies on the regular provision of vehicle maintenance records to the Agency’s inspectors, to prove vehicles are fully compliant. Key to achieving its ambition to join the programme was the installation of a DVSA-approved digital record-keeping system. Truckfile was the obvious choice.
Before Truckfile
Time-consuming paper-based recording presented a growing burden for the fleet management team – and no chance of achieving Earned Recognition status.
After Truckfile
As well as providing a way into the Earned Recognition scheme, digital recording has massively simplified the task of maintaining vehicle records, and ensuring the fleet is 100% safe and compliant.
Mike Wallaard said: “Our aim was to reap the benefits of Earned Recognition without adding onerous extra layers of administration to our business. With help from the Truckfile team, the necessary transition to electronic record-keeping was made smoothly and efficiently.
“Before we used Truckfile, we had endless physical paperwork and cumbersome wallcharts. With Truckfile, we schedule and store all documents relating to each truck and trailer in the system digitally.
“Earned Recognition has made us a better operator and we could not have done this without Truckfile. We spend far less time looking for information and there is no chance that we forget anything, thanks to the clear schedules and reminders.
“The fitters in our in-house workshop are working seamlessly with the job sheets that we upload, and we now use Truckfile’s Driver Walk Around Check and Technician Applications to report and follow any defects through the workshop to completion.
If we are stuck, the Truckfile support team is there to help, usually with real time solutions.
“Truckfile is very user-friendly and intuitive. Our drivers, technicians and office staff have had no problem at all adapting to the system. Truckfile has become just like any other tool we use on a daily basis to keep our operation running smoothly. It does the job we ask it to, simply and efficiently, and has made itself an indispensable part of our business.”
Staples Vegetables website: www.staplesvegetables.co.uk
Find out more about joining the DVSA Earned Recognition Scheme with Truckfile here, or get in touch with us to book a free demo.
