References

Kranen Michielsens | Accurate fleet statistics

Kranen Michielsens specializes in mobile crane rental, transport and industrial assembly. To support their dynamic approach and continue providing an excellent customer service, Michielsens decided to equip 100+ of their hydraulic, caterpillar and mobile tower cranes and 50 vehicles with the Suivo tracking system.

About

Michielsens stands for rental of mobile cranes, for transport and for industrial assembly.

Their strength is in the collaboration of these three activities, both for simple and complex projects.

Michielsens success is in the dynamic approach that entails a rigorous preparation (engineering and planning), a detailed execution (machines and professionals) and a quality finishing.

2018 acquired by Aertssen Group.

The challenge

Register fleet data

Kranen Michielsens specializes in mobile crane rental, transport and industrial projects. To support their dynamic approach and continue providing an excellent customer service, Kranen Michielsens decided to equip their hydraulic, crawler and mobile tower cranes and vehicles with the Suivo Fleet Tracking system. This way they can systematically register important fleet data which they can then use to improve their drivers’ safety and reduce operational and maintenance costs.

When taking on this project, the Suivo experts faced a new challenge. In order to meet Michielsens’ requirements in this inspiring venture they needed a meticulous preparation and planning and a detailed realization with a high-quality finishing.

For Michielsens the main goal in implementing the Suivo Tracking System was to get accurate and detailed information on the usage of their cranes and vehicles. However, because they own such a large variety of machinery equipment it wasn’t possible to use a standard black box.

The solution

Automated process

In joint deliberation with Michielsens’ IT department, the Suivo technical experts decided to install not 1 but 2 black boxes; 1 box registering the vehicle and driver data and 1 box for the crane.

Thanks to the Suivo Tracking System the technical managers have valuable information at their fingertips to better supervise and coach their drivers and crane managers.

The automated registration of working hours will help both fleet managers and drivers to reduce their administrative burden. By eliminating paper time sheets Michielsens’ professionals have more time to focus on what they like and continue to do a great job.

We had no need to worry too much about the budget because the investment was compensated within 9 months after the installation.
Johan Michielsens
CEO

Safety & environment

As the data of the vehicles and the drivers is automatically registered, it can be transferred to the payroll provider. To establish the missing link between the time records and the payroll input Michielsens’ opted for Protime.

Michielsens’ safety, health and environmental policy ensures their clients that their work is done safely and with respect for their employees’ health and the environment. Implementing the Suivo system is one more piece of the puzzle as it helps the company to coach their drivers so they can drive safer. The risk of an emergency stop is reduced gravely. An additional benefit is that by driving more carefully the drivers use less fuel and the operational costs of Michielsens’ fleet are reduced.

The Suivo system allows preventive maintenance to be scheduled. This way the maintenance will be done based on the actual usage of the machines and prolong their lifetime.

Reduce fuel consumption

Monitoring driving behaviour and providing the right coaching not only helps to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions up to 7 %, it also helps to reduce maintenance costs such as brake and tire wear by 12 % or more.

CAN-Bus data

Michielsens manages about 20 heavy trucks which are large fuel consumers. In order to reduce their fuel consumption and CO2 emissions Michielsens can install the Suivo Telematics Interface which provides a wireless connection to the vehicle’s data networks. When using this interface and its web application, the fleet managers get an accurate view of the statistics regarding cruise control usage, excessive RPM, excessive torque and fuel consumption during idling. In addition, the vehicle’s odometer and fuel level are displayed in real-time on the Suivo Live Tracking views. Obviously the Telematics Interface is a great tool to coach drivers.

The results

By using Suivo Michielsens is able to register the actual operating hours of their cranes. This information allows them to be transparent to their customers and, for example, add a detailed report on the crane usage on the invoice.

Suivo decidedly helps to support Michielsens’ vision and customer service: to provide a meticulous realization and a high-quality finishing.