Category: EN

Successful fleet management should be data-based, and videos are one of the most reliable sources of information. That’s why capturing what’s happening around your vehicle using fleet camera systems has become one of the most sought-after solutions in the Mapon range.

Vedam.lv, a Latvian moving company, confirms the benefits of camera systems. Vedam.lv has a fleet of 23 vans, 15 of which operate in Latvia and 8 in Estonia. We invited Vedam.lv CEO Gatis Rūtiņš to talk about successful implementation of cameras in fleet management and what to pay attention to when choosing camera solutions.

Why choose Mapon camera systems?

Gatis says that before working with Mapon Vedam.lv had tried another camera supplier, but the experience was unsuccessful.

“There was a moment when we really needed one video to prove our driver’s innocence in the crash, but there was no footage available. It turned out that the camera hadn’t saved the data for months, and we were left without an important piece of evidence”, recalls Gatis.

This case also became a reason to look for another provider, and eventually, the company chose Mapon.

“What attracted us to Mapon camera solutions was the quality and clear answers to all our questions“, says Gatis.

Which employees watch the footage?

Vedam.lv has a quality control specialist who reviews footage as needed. This employee usually logs in to the Mapon platform 3-5 times a week to watch the camera footage. To ensure full insight into the footage and to know what is happening on the road with Vedam.lv vehicles, the quality control specialist views the footage both randomly and based on customer comments.

Cameras promote safety

Vedam.lv points out that the company installed cameras primarily to improve security. Vedam.lv takes a holistic view of safety – it includes the safety of goods and vehicles, as well as the safety of employees and other road users.

All Vedam.lv employees take security seriously. The company employs around 30 drivers, who are mostly positive about the installation of cameras.

Gatis notes that attitudes towards any form of monitoring, including cameras, are strongly influenced by how management explains to employees its decision to start using such solutions.

Vedam.lv focused on how cameras contribute to employee safety, for example, by allowing employees to prove their innocence in controversial situations.

And what are the controversial situations? It’s not just about accidents or insurance claims. In Vedam.lv’s experience, there have been cases where a customer reported that they had not received part of an order, but the camera footage showed that the full order had been delivered to the customer’s address. Thanks to the camera systems and the footage, the company was able to justify its employees and maintain a good reputation.

“It is very important that the camera system works smoothly. If a customer says they haven’t received their order, we can use the camera footage to prove that we delivered everything and nothing was damaged,” says Gatis.

Camera systems are also useful for careful and safe driving. One incident Gatis recalls during the conversation is driving in a narrow space. The head of the company’s technical department uses the cameras to check blind spots and avoid vehicle damage. To do this, he can connect to a live stream using the smartphone and see how much further the driver can turn.

What cameras does Vedam.lv use?

The company chose a set of six cameras, with cameras on the side, front, and rear of the vehicles. This comprehensive system allows them to see the load compartment, the road, the sides, and the interior of the vehicle.

Vedam.lv took their vehicles to Mapon’s garage to install the cameras. Gatis remembers the installation experience very positively:

“I would like to make a special mention of Mapon’s camera installer – he is the right person in the right place, knows what he is talking about, knows what he is doing, can answer questions and find solutions.”

We’ll continue working with Mapon

The CEO of Vedam.lv wraps up our conversation with positive feedback on Mapon.

“Overall, on a scale of five, I would rate our cooperation 5+. Everything is always on time; you can call managers and get answers. Comments are listened to, any difficulties are addressed. We plan to install more cameras in our fleet, and we will do it with Mapon!”

Want your vehicles and employees to be safe at all times too? Contact our team and we’ll suggest camera systems tailored to your needs!

Ukrainian company Avers has been working in the field of logistics and various auto services for more than thirty years. Since 2012 Avers has been actively cooperating with Mapon – it is not only our client but also one of the first partners distributing our solutions in Ukraine and Poland.

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Avers continued to work even under wartime conditions. The cooperation with Mapon has also endured – thanks to Avers, our company is still well-represented in the Ukrainian transport market. We met with Sviatoslav Korostelov, the head of Avers, to discuss what it’s like to do business under war conditions, and why companies need fleet monitoring solutions.

Transport Business During the War

Watch the video to learn how Avers operates in challenging circumstances and how Mapon solutions are helping the company and Ukraine!

How Avers Implemented Fleet Monitoring

Avers works in the field of transport services, logistics, and sales of various auto products. At the moment, the company’s corporate fleet includes about 15 vehicles, which are used for cargo delivery. The company’s main focus is now on providing various transport services to other enterprises and promoting Mapon solutions as our partner.

Avers was founded in 1993, and for many years the company has been closely cooperating with the Baltic region, working with various companies, including those from Latvia. This is how Avers crossed paths with Mapon – Sviatoslav recalls that Mapon was once recommended to him by another client of our company. Back then, it wasn’t immediately clear that Mapon’s solutions could be used to build a partner business – but over time, the value of fleet management for all kinds of businesses became obvious.

“I thought it was a cool idea to be able to monitor a fleet of vehicles. It’s important for me to have access to information. Heating sensors, electricity consumption sensors are great things.

I think it’s wrong to have water running as much as you want, light bulbs burning nonstop. And I know there are a lot of people like me – people who value investment, who follow the rules. Mapon’s solutions allow people like me to live and work peacefully.”

Peace of Mind, Not Just Savings

Sviatoslav notes that the big advantage of Mapon is that everyone can find how to use it to suit their needs. Solutions and integrations can be tailored to the specifics of a particular business and fleet. For example, companies working with truck transport should connect their accounting to Mapon to quickly calculate drivers’ salaries based on hours worked.

Another important aspect is fuel consumption control. For trucks, a single refuelling can cost several thousand euros, and if a fleet has 20 vehicles and each one is drained of fuel, the losses can be huge.

Sviatoslav emphasises that although saving money is a significant plus, for him Mapon’s main advantage lies elsewhere.

“At the end of the day, when you glance at the monitor and see that all the cars are marked in red – that brings me peace of mind because it means all my vehicles are at the parking lot. 

For example, we have a rule that all vehicles must be parked after 9 pm. Before Mapon, we used to take one’s word for it. Or we would call and ask the driver where he was. But sometimes the driver just didn’t answer the phone. And in the morning, he said everything was fine. Then the accountant had to find all these violations by kilometrage, it was all very difficult. When we connected our fleet to the Mapon platform, I finally realised that everything was under control, and I felt calm.

“I’m Willing to Look After My Property”

At Avers, line managers use Mapon’s solutions, and all drivers are informed that the company has monitoring systems in place. Here’s what Sviatoslav says about the initial adaptation teething troubles.

“Of course, there were some troubles at the beginning. We’ve all sometimes wanted to do several things at the same time, even during working hours. So I remember the amazement when I showed someone that yesterday he was driving to the office and suddenly he drove off 15 km to the right, then 30 km to the left and then stopped for another half an hour. Then explanations ensued, people said that they have one relative living here, another there, and that they needed to pick something up. After that, of course, employees remember this experience and realise that we look after our property and we are ready to do it again and again”.

How Can You Find a Car in an Emergency?

When war broke out in Ukraine, Avers had to instantly adapt and figure out how to rescue the 200 vehicles associated with the company at the time. Thanks to Mapon’s reliable GPS fleet tracking systems, they were able to find abandoned and stolen vehicles, including expensive agricultural equipment, harvesters worth hundreds of thousands of euros, and even ambulances.

Mapon Helps Fight Car Thefts

In Ukraine, Avers is still working with many taxi fleets, and one unusual way taxi companies use Mapon solutions is to fight car thefts.

When the Mapon app alerts drivers that their car is leaving, they take the second key and follow the stolen car. Then, they wait for the thief to stop, go to the WC or shop, unlock the car with the second key, and drive away. As confronting the criminal can be risky, drivers find their vehicles thanks to Mapon and just take them back.

Correlate Monitoring Costs with the Risk of Losses

According to Sviatoslav, people often don’t want to pay a relatively small amount of money to monitor a vehicle, but they are willing to pay even more for a subscription to a football channel or some other less important purchase. That said, a truck can cost €100,000 and carry a million worth of goods – from this perspective, spending on reliable monitoring is more than justified.

Sviatoslav concludes our conversation with the words:

“I adhere to the ‘better safe than sorry’ principle. The company equips its employees with cars for work, and the employees know that if they use this car to go about their business at the weekend, and this wasn’t agreed upon previously, there will be questions on Monday. And this possibility of control gives me peace of mind – which is much more valuable than money”.

If you too want to be completely sure that your fleet is safe, contact our team, and we will prepare a personalised quote for your company!

Logistics company Vervo has been using Mapon services since 2020 to manage its delivery processes more efficiently. As a result, Vervo’s customers can be confident about their cargo’s security and get better delivery time estimates. Read more to find out which Mapon solutions Vervo has chosen!

Many companies realise the need for efficient fleet management and real-time vehicle tracking as their operations grow and fleet size increases. This was the case for our client, SAEK.

Vesivek, Finland’s leading provider of external moisture control renovations, has been handling gutter renovations for over 40 years and roof repairs for almost 30 years. The company started roofing projects in 1993 and has since expanded across Finland and Sweden. 

Cēsu alus, the largest brewery in Latvia, manages a fleet of 64 vehicles and has been using Mapon’s services since 2010. Although at the start of the cooperation, only a few cars were equipped with tracking devices, in recent years, the company has gradually connected more and more units to the Mapon platform. 

Cēsu alus has now equipped almost its entire fleet and, in January 2024, also connected the Mapon Driver app for easier communication with employees. So, we decided that now would be a great time to talk to Cēsu alus safety specialist and fleet manager Imants Pūce about the company’s experience with Mapon solutions.

Improved route planning and real-time tracking

With Mapon, sales managers’ daily working lives have clearly improved. Among the most useful solutions are real-time vehicle GPS tracking, route planning, and geofencing. Now, sales managers can easily follow the schedule and ensure that the sales representatives have visited all planned stores and customers.

The data also helps managers prepare for upcoming work as they plan and adapt routes based on this information. Creating geofences can help with planning since managers can set up alerts about staff activity there.

In addition, real-time location also helps the company in emergencies. Imants notes:

“Mapon is very useful in situations where you need help on the road. With real-time vehicle tracking, I can quickly find where the car is located and organise help.”

More effective driver performance review

During the conversation, the company shared its experience with two other valuable solutions – fleet efficiency and driver behaviour analysis. Cēsu alus monitors the employees’ driving speed to ensure that they follow the road laws. For example, Imants shared that he immediately finds out about violations – he receives automatic notifications when an employee is speeding. Cēsu alus looks at driver performance not only to avoid violations but also to improve driving culture and overall fleet efficiency. The company representative also hints at the potential for a safe driving school to help maintain a positive driving culture in the long run.

“We measure driving speed and efficiency; I see the efficiency levels for each driver. Low performers are told they must improve their driving style because we try to work on efficiency so that [the results] are not in the red. Harsh cornering or harsh braking are things to keep an eye on,” says Imants.

The Mapon platform measures driver performance on a scale from A (most efficient) to F (least efficient) based on several factors, such as excessive idling, harsh acceleration, and harsh braking.

Easier communication with employees

During our conversation, we were happy to hear that Cēsu alus has improved processes and information exchange with the Mapon platform and the Mapon Driver app. Previously, information had to be entered and gathered manually – accounting contacted employees once a month and fleet control every 3-4 months. Now, all the necessary data is automatically available in report format. The company mainly uses monthly and daily reports to look at the kilometres travelled.

Another feature that facilitates interaction with employees is the communication section built into the Mapon Driver app, which makes it easy for employees and managers to communicate with each other anywhere, anytime.

Readily available support

The company praises the easy implementation process of Mapon Driver. Before connecting the app, company representatives had the opportunity to test it and see if the functionality is useful. From the very start the app itself was intuitive and easy to use, with four main sections: summary, planned routes, communication, and route history.

Imants adds that he is satisfied with the technical support, as it is available throughout the whole country. Accountant of Cēsu alus emphasises the positive cooperation with the Mapon team and the availability of all necessary resources:

At the end of the interview, Imants emphasised that he would recommend Mapon to others as a good fleet management platform because the software, the equipment, the customer service, and the attitude are of a high standard.