This year will be a busy one for London and the Freight Transport Association (FTA) has been advising road network users to treat the principal 3 months of the Olympic season as an “extended Christmas period” and that they should prepare for long delays and difficult access situations.
Navigation of the Stratford area is likely to change and even seasoned local drivers will need to alter their understanding of routes around the region. Besides this there are likely to be security measures in place for deliveries to various areas of the site, which will likely make advanced route planning essential in order to arrive in the right place at the right time.
Vehicle tracking systems can help!
If you have vehicle tracking systems installed already then you might want to consider adapting their use to assist with various aspects of your driver/s journeys. The systems can be used to report on a variety of information, much of which can be used to assist drivers experiencing access challenges.
Remote journey assistance – Using the GPRS signal provided by the tracker, information is relayed via computer in real time regarding the journey taken so far and current location. For a driver who is having trouble finding the correct access route or delivery location this system can be invaluable as office based workers can provide detailed journey instructions from the drivers current location, knowing they are instructing them from the right place.
Vehicle security – Security is obviously a huge consideration in any place at any time, so it will give drivers and their employers’ peace of mind to know that the installed tracker will not only keep track of the vehicle whilst it is in use, but also provide location and journey information if it is lost or stolen. As an added control measure, office based staff can also track the current journey and check for any unexpected route changes, which could be a warning sign of a security issue.
Managing delivery expectations – Probably one of the most important considerations is the knock on effect that delays will have on the recipient awaiting the arrival of your vehicle. Whilst delays because of traffic and access restrictions are mostly unavoidable, using a tracking system will help you to manage customer expectations by keeping them informed of scheduling changes and revised ETA’s in real time and without having to disturb the driver.
I think we will all feel an effect from the Olympics, even those who are not delivering directly to site might experience traffic delays and heightened security issues in and around the capital. Besides this, with various events taking place around the country it is likely there will be other areas affected too, so it’s likely any business that is managing vehicles will need to plan journeys carefully during the events.
