New Renault Software Tool Assists Long-Haulers With Eco-Driving

Renault Trucks is extending its Optifleet onboard telematics solution with a new functionality to assist long haul drivers with their eco-driving. It gives customers the possibility of monitoring and individually assessing their drivers’ performance by drawing on Renault Trucks’ 20 years’ experience in economical driving.

A vehicle’s fuel consumption results from a driving behaviour pattern as well as a number of parameters which are beyond the driver’s control – for example, the load, the route and traffic conditions. As a consequence, Renault Trucks has now developed a new tool that assesses driving style based on a number of objective criteria. Incorporated into Optifleet, the Renault Trucks onboard telematics solution and its Check module, it enables fleet managers to track and analyse their drivers’ performance more accurately, thereby lowering their cost of use.

French company Inter-Légumes – a Renault Trucks customer that trialled the concept – has been able to test this new functionality over a period of several months on the 55 Renault Trucks Range T vehicles in its fleet.

“This new Optifleet functionality means much more than just bare fuel consumption statistics as it makes monitoring and communicating with our drivers so much easier. It really shows if the driver is making the best use of the truck, enabling us to have discussions based on accurate figures and above all, objectives,” explains Christophe Boulicaut, an instructor with Inter-Légumes. “Furthermore, I can access each driver’s performance in just a few clicks, enabling me to rapidly identify areas that can be improved. Every month, I post every driver’s scores and we reward the one who comes out best.”

The reports indicate drivers’ performance via a comprehensive rating, a colour code (green, orange or red), a general classification and the trend over time. Fleet managers can download weekly or monthly .PDF reports or consult them on their mobile phones.

They are based on an algorithm specially developed by Renault Trucks on the basis of its 20 years’ experience in economic driving. The classification criteria of this algorithm do not therefore focus on actual consumption as such, but on items that drivers can control, irrespective of their load, route profile or traffic conditions. This enables all fleets to obtain ratings for each driver solely based on driving performance.

This new function is included in the ‘Check’ module at no additional cost for every Optifleet customer and, for hauliers who already use Optifleet, this update is free and will be automatically displayed on their usual portal.