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How Paulsons Achieved 100% FORS Compliance Using FleetCheck

 

Before adopting FleetCheck, Paulsons relied on Excel spreadsheets and paper check sheets for fleet management, leading to inefficiencies. This manual approach delayed access to critical information, made it time-consuming to address defects, and increased the chance of missing essential checks. With the transition to FORS FMS PRO, they automated processes and centralised data, saving around 2 hours daily and 10 hours weekly. This upgrade not only boosted operational efficiency but also enabled Paulsons to achieve a perfect score on their FORS audit for the first time, greatly improving compliance.

About Paulsons Traffic Management Ltd:

Industry – Traffic Management
Fleet size – 25
Fleet mix – Renault Master and Ford Transit 3.5 tonne tail lift vans
Location – Southeast of England
Tags – Fleet Management, FORS Compliance, Operational Efficiency
Products – FORS FMS Professional

Fantastic. It does what it says on the tin. It outweighed my expectations, and we’ve manipulated the system to do other things. I love it, absolutely love it.

James Hawkes | Managing Director | Paulson Traffic Management

Fantastic. It does what it says on the tin. It outweighed my expectations, and we’ve manipulated the system to do other things. I love it, absolutely love it.

James Hawkes | Managing Director | Paulson Traffic Management

Paulsons Traffic Management is a respected, double award-winning provider of traffic management equipment and systems, primarily serving clients in the construction and utilities sectors. Dedicated to safeguarding highways workers, they focus on delivering reliable and efficient safety solutions. To tackle critical fleet management challenges—such as monitoring fuel consumption, logging vehicle defects, integrating with FORS, and gaining real-time insights into vehicle operations—they selected FleetCheck as their solution. 

Why FleetCheck?

James Hawkes, the Managing Director of Paulsons Traffic, who also works part-time as a St John Ambulance paramedic said that during one of his ambulance shifts, he experienced the effectiveness of the FleetCheck app firsthand. It was this immediate responsiveness, along with the seamless implementation process and outstanding customer support, that made FleetCheck stand out.

I raised a defect on the FleetCheck app, and the fleet manager called me up almost instantaneously – within 8 or 9 minutes after I’d driven out the gate. I said to her ‘I need that system.’ I would never have caught a defect that quickly. Ever.

The Challenge

Overcoming Defects, Deadlines, and Data Silos

Defects and Unplanned VOR

Paulsons relied on paper check sheets meaning they couldn’t action defects quickly, and frequently found themselves pulling vehicles off the road with little to no notice.

Lack of Centralised Fleet Data and Visibility

Being scattered across multiple spreadsheets and storage folders, Paulsons struggled to locate key fleet information such as fuel spend, MOTs, and service records.

Compliance Deadlines

Keeping up with routine maintenance checks, training renewals, and LOLER inspections presented significant challenges, with alerts scattered across various calendars. They were setting reminders for reminders, offering no single, clear view of their daily, weekly and monthly tasks.

No Dedicated Transport Manager

James Paulson, the MD, had to oversee fleet operations himself. This responsibility became increasingly time-consuming and burdensome, diverting valuable attention from other critical areas of the business.

Challenges with FORS Audits

With no centralised location to collate evidence, the FORS audit process was complicated, requiring frequent back and forth communication and navigation across various spreadsheets, files, and folders.

I was an MD trying to run a business and I was wasting so much of my time flicking from spreadsheet to spreadsheet. We were missing key bits of information, and having to pull vans off the road with no notice, which then frustrated all of my staff. It was a lot of forwards and backwards.

The Solution

Consolidating Fleet Data For Clear Visibility on Compliance, Costs, and Reporting

Paulsons implemented FORS FMS Professional to address their operational challenges. With fleet data now centralised and highly visible, Paulsons could efficiently locate, analyse and report on key metrics such as maintenance checks, fuel expenses, service records, and LOLER inspections – information that was previously time-consuming to manage.

Direct integration into the FORS system further streamlined their compliance, automatically alerting Paulsons to any essential audit requirements and expiration dates. Additionally, Paulsons were able to manipulate the system to create traffic light alerts for training renewals, ensuring no deadlines were ever missed.

I love the dashboard. I can see how many drivers are in my fleet, I know what my assets are, I know how much is in the grey fleet, you know – this is what makes my ears prick up…I like easy access info.

The Impact

Enhanced Efficiency and Compliance Success for Paulsons

I love it. I loved it last week. I loved it last month. I loved it last year... You want clarity, you want examples? Get this system.

Time and Cost Savings

Automating fleet tasks has saved 2 hours daily and 10 hours weekly. This efficiency has freed up multiple resources, enabling staff to focus on core operations without worrying about missing important deadlines or checks.

When I saw what FleetCheck could do…It was like a drop in the ocean when you compared it to my salary and the time I was spending managing our vehicles.

Real Time Reporting and Same Day Action on Defects

The FleetCheck Driver App has transformed routines for drivers, allowing them to conduct vehicle checks and report defects or collisions directly from their phones, streamlining maintenance and repairs.

It also changed my drivers lives. I mean geez, they’re now doing pre use checks and defects on a phone and then they’re getting a call the same day with a booking date.

100% FORS Audit Success

Paulsons completed their FORS audit with FleetCheck for the first time, achieving perfect compliance with no minors or majors.

The auditor of 25 years said he had never done an audit so seamlessly. We didn’t go to any of my shared folders or excel spreadsheets. Everything was in FleetCheck. We passed with flying colours.

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