Cemex invests in fleet management

Building materials supplier Cemex says aggressive management of fleet costs through upgrading its transport management infrastructure and its driver training programme are helping it weather the huge downturn in the construction industry.

The Mexican-owned building materials giant, which runs its own fleet of 597 vehicles in the UK (with 621 independent contractors also used) across cement, aggregate and ready-mix divisions, has implemented the epod Microlise order management program to replace the firm's previous manual system for managing deliveries and orders.

Paul Clarke, logistics fleet engineering manager at Cemex, says: "With the diverse array of products we supply, it's crucial that customers get the correct grade of cement. The Microlise system provides better visibility when loads are dispatched and the driver knows exactly what's being transported and to where. It's essentially removed the potential for human error."

Graham Russell, VP for commercial, logistics and building products at Cemex, says: "Previously we spent a great deal of time chasing paper in an attempt to ensure we were invoicing the customer for the correct quantity of product. This was not only costly, but error-prone.

"The Microlise system means proof-of-delivery queries have all but been eliminated."

In addition to improved fleet management, Cemex sees driver training as an important way to reduce operating costs. Clarke says: "From January 2010, we will offer in-house Driver CPC training and, if drivers are equipped with the proper skills, they can play a vital role in reducing fuel consumption and cost.

"Our onboard telematics system monitors braking, idling time, green-band driving and mpg and we use this information to teach drivers on driving best practices. Driver development offices also monitor performance and each driver is assessed annually."

The company is also looking at alternative fuels to help reduce its carbon footprint. However, a 15-month trial of biodiesel yielded unimpressive results and in future it will look to trial LPG.