Driving a truck can be challenging at the best of times and complying with the complex rules of the roads is a skill in itself.
The UK's vast road network creates many potential hazards for drivers of large vehicles: road priorities change, roads are crowded, and restriction and prohibition signage for obstacles such as low bridges and narrow roads is often easily missed. So it is no surprise that drivers get caught out. In May last year, a railway siding had to be closed after a lorry got stuck under a bridge in Bristol and, in 2009, a driver was arrested for failing to notice height warning signs before becoming stuck under a bridge near Glasgow.
Drivers are also liable to receive Fixed Penalty Notices for committing these avoidable offences.
Many companies also receive more than their fair share of bad PR after their lorries get stuck in narrow roads, upsetting residents and blocking access routes. In Weymouth last year, a lorry driver caused chaos when he took a wrong turn and his 44-tonne vehicle became stuck in a narrow street, crushing a village wall.
However, technology has been developed to prevent these incidents. TomTom's PRO 7100 TRUCK device offers drivers an effective solution by providing route guidance tailored to the needs of large vehicles. The operator simply inputs the vehicle's dimensions and the PRO 7100 TRUCK alerts drivers to road prohibitions and access restrictions based on height, width, weight and axle weight.
The route guidance favours major roads, minimises sharp turns and makes allowances for the lower speeds at which trucks typically travel. When combined with the Live HD Traffic service, which updates routes every two minutes based on congestion, the PRO 7100 TRUCK also generates accurate ETAs, helping with planning deliveries and rest stops. Of course, it also has the capability to allow companies to track driving hours and driver behaviour.
The payback for employing technologies such as this goes beyond the avoidance of fines and prosecutions to broader business benefits. Drivers face reduced risk to themselves, others and the vehicle they are in charge of, as well as saving time by not having to re-route themselves when confronted by a restriction or prohibition.
Taking routes that avoid these unnecessary delays helps customer relationships and reduces the chances of bad blood in the local community and bad press in the media, which is so typically generated when large vehicles become stuck or have to turn around where there is little or no space to do so.
Don't get caught out: get connected.
* Irvin Gray is marketing manager UK and Ireland for TomTom Business Solutions
* To find out how TomTom Business Solutions can improve your fleet efficiency, visit www.tomtom.com/business
* For more compliance advice and fleet management best practice, go to our Compliance page and sign up for our monthly bulletin, in association with Tachodisc and TomTom Business Solutions
Related used vehicles for sale
