Chilled and frozen food distributor Celsius First installed Thermo King's
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R:COM wireless data download system to improve the reliability of load temperature data at its Hams Hall depot. which is dedicated to an ice cream and frozen food contract. Now R:COM will play a key role in a move towards centralised maintenance scheduling for the 250-strong fleet based at four primary distribution centres.
"In 1999, we needed to ensure we had a complete temperature record for every load we delivered. The till-roll printouts from the data recorder weren't always reliable," says Geoff Herring, general manager. "R:COM is completely automatic. We had the data for every trailer as soon as it arrived in the depot." R:COM data is downloaded to a PC running Fleetwatch, Thermo King's software package that translates the data into management reports, includir vehicle, arrival and departure times as as temperature logs.
Celsius First is also using R:COM fc maintenance scheduling. "Centralised maintenance planning in a decentralis( distribution operation can be a nightme admits Phil Ward, national fleet manag( for Celsius First. "The information from R:COM and Fleetwatch will save us a substantial amount of time and make oi planning process much more effective. The maintenance can also be tailored more precisely to the refrigeration units' operating hours."