Mapon Blog

19.05 trucking has been in the transportation business since 2021 and has been using Mapon solutions from day one. We caught up with the company’s owners, Artur Dukalsky and Pavel Korol, to find out how our solutions have helped a young company grow and deliver quality services in a fiercely competitive industry. Why Mapon? Artur starts by saying that when he and Pavel founded the company, it was immediately clear that telematics solutions must be used. Both founders of 19.05 trucking had a positive experience with Mapon in their previous workplace, and they liked the platform’s logical, user-friendly interface and extensive functionality. The Mapon team getting ready to talk to 19.05 trucking Now, as managers, Artur and Pavel continue to benefit from Mapon – their company uses almost all of the solutions we offer. Driver behaviour monitoring and fleet fuel management are particularly highly valued, as these solutions help quickly identify resource-saving opportunities, and for a young company, this is especially relevant. The Most Important Mapon Solutions In general, fleet managers first notice and feel the impact of high fuel consumption. Fuel monitoring and driver behaviour analysis are essential to improving this metric. The former helps to tackle fuel waste and theft, while the latter detects a range of fuel-wasting driving habits. 19.05 trucking actively uses both solutions, so we at Mapon were particularly interested to hear what results our platform has helped to achieve. Drivers Now Ask for Fuel Control All 19.05 trucking vehicles are equipped with fuel floats. This solution reassures all the company’s employees that their work is done in good faith. Artur points out that drivers also appreciate this approach – even when the fuel floats were not yet installed, employees knew that the company was using sensors to measure fuel levels and respected this decision. Artur Dukalsky explains how 19.05 uses Mapon solutions Artur recalls a case when someone tried to steal fuel from a vehicle while it was parked. After this incident, the company’s drivers themselves demanded a full fuel monitoring system with alarms. Now 19.05 trucking employees can feel safe because their fuel is protected by an alarm system. This is also communicated by stickers on the vehicle – so criminals know the theft attempt is not worth it. Driver Behaviour Monitoring Cuts Costs Mapon’s driving behaviour solution measures eight parameters – four risky and four safe driving patterns. 19.05 representatives point out that analysing grades for harsh braking or acceleration makes more sense in the long term, e.g. within one year. The impact of such driving behaviour can be detected during the annual vehicle inspection and repair. But fuel consumption impacts a company immediately, so it is essential to identify drivers with inefficient driving styles. This is precisely why 19.05 utilises Mapon’s driving behaviour solution. The company owners gave us a specific example of how driving behaviour analysis helped to identify and improve inefficient driving. Fuel consumption reports helped to detect the driver who was spending the most fuel, even though his overall driving style grade was not particularly bad. Here is what Pavel says: “I went for a couple of trips with the driver myself and realised that he drove the truck like a light vehicle. We discussed the situation with the driver, and then I sent him information from Mapon at the end of each day. We had regular phone calls and talked about daily results. We experimented with where and how to turn and at what speed, doing this for about a month so that the driver could develop new habits.” After this training, average fuel consumption dropped by 2 litres per 100 km, generating €300 in monthly savings. Getting back to the driver grades, they were already good at 19.05 to begin with. The company explains this is due to only hiring experienced drivers. In practice, however, a good driving grade does not always mean low fuel consumption. This is why 19.05 stresses the importance of talking to drivers and educating them on how to save money by adjusting their driving style. Driving Analysis Data for Driver Training Pavel is responsible for driver training at the company as he has been driving for many years and continues to deliver cargo in Europe. He also maintains his YouTube channel, Pavel Korol Live, dedicated to the work of a long-haul trucker. Pavel Korol talks about driver training at 19.05 trucking Both managers note that they are lucky with their role assignments at the company. Artur is more of an office person, working with numbers and looking at fleet management from an efficiency perspective, while Pavel keeps in touch with drivers and what’s happening on the road. That’s why he’s responsible for employee communication and training. 19.05 notes that feedback and suggestions from an experienced driver are much better received by employees than comments from an office specialist. Talking to drivers in their language can achieve better results. The aim is not to control for control’s sake or to impose some driving norms but to show how to drive better using the data gathered by Mapon. One of the 19.05 trucks visiting Mapon For Us, Mapon is the Instagram of Fleet Management “Every day we check out what’s new, whether everyone has caught up. I have to say, there are some mornings when the first thing I do is look at the Mapon manager’s app and check that everything is as it should be. Just as other people check Instagram, we in the transport industry check Mapon. Thanks to comprehensive fleet monitoring, we provide a high level of service, and our customers are very satisfied, appreciating that there are almost no delays. But in the background of all this is our work, where we keep track of everything with the help of Mapon.” – says Artur. Tachogram for Quick Payroll Calculations As 19.05 trucking transports goods across the European Union, it also actively uses the Tachogram platform to track drivers’ work and rest times. Another reason to opt for this solution was the need for a convenient accounting system, as the company has one person in charge of payroll: Artur. “As the person in charge of working with data, I can easily obtain reports, round up travel allowances, and other financial matters. It has become 100% easier to calculate payrolls, I don’t even know how I would have done it without Tachogram. It takes me up to one hour to calculate salaries for ten people because I already have a report ready to be sent to the accountant.” Another equally important benefit of Tachogram is the possibility of easily complying with EU working and rest time rules. As not only drivers but also companies must comply with these rules, accurate records of working and rest times are essential. If Tachogram did not provide this transparency, the company would be at great risk of heavy fines. “We no longer worry about reading cards and tachograph data within legal time limits – everything is automated. It’s one less headache for us,” – points out Artur. Pavel adds that drivers are now so used to Tachogram that they get very worried if the platform doesn’t work as it should. Once, Tachogram was unavailable because a tachograph had to be replaced, and the company card had to be removed. During those few days, the company received a huge number of messages and calls from drivers who were worried that Tachogram was not working. 19.05 Recommends Mapon for Everyone The founders of 19.05 trucking have had the opportunity to see the advantages of Mapon as both employees and managers. Now, Artur and Pavel recommend Mapon to everyone working in the transportation industry. “We are like Mapon ambassadors – we tell everyone we know about it and recommend it. “I’ve heard people working for companies that don’t use Mapon complain about missing features or functionality. We always tell them that implementing Mapon would solve their problems entirely. Honestly, I’m not sure how we’d manage our operations without Mapon.” – concludes Artur. Looking to optimise your fleet management and ensure high-quality, reliable operations? Contact our team, and we will prepare a personalised offer based on your company’s needs and possibilities!

If your company is looking for a simple way to increase employee productivity, achieve next-level reporting, and promote internal transparency, you have come to the right place. Mapon offers Worktime – an intuitive time tracking solution that will do just that. In this article, we’ll show you the features and benefits it can bring to your fleet.

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 GO 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. Mapon driver behaviour analysis solution 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 GO 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 GO 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 GO. 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.

Hemmon Kuljetus is a Finnish transport and delivery company established in the early 1980s. It handles various transportation needs – package and freight transportation, moving services, rental of moving boxes, furniture installations, as well as food delivery, which exploded in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Interested in the history of traffic jams or want to read some facts about traffic in the EU or US? You have come to the right place! We have compiled a list of interesting facts and statistics about traffic and traffic jams. Even though they’re something we encounter almost every day, there is a lot that you might not know. Read about them below or watch a video here!

Nobody wants to be stuck in traffic, sit idly, and wait to get wherever they have to be. There are a multitude of causes for traffic jams – unfavourable weather conditions, road accidents, poor driving skills, or simply a large volume of vehicles. Though it is an everyday occurrence, one can learn to steer clear of traffic congestion. In this article, we will share 6 tips that will help you avoid traffic jams and make the most of your day.

The larger a company’s fleet, the more solutions are needed for its management – especially if the fleet includes not only light vehicles or trucks, but also industry-specific machinery. One such industry is forestry, which encompasses much more than just cutting trees. It also includes forest planting, care, maintenance, harvesting, and soil renewal – all these stages of forestry require different techniques and equipment. The forestry company R GRUPA currently has more than 150 equipment units, most of which are connected to the Mapon platform. What made the company choose Mapon as its fleet management provider? What solutions are used for different purposes, and how can the information obtained from the Mapon platform be used for more efficient work? We sat down with Krišjānis Caune, the Head of Marketing and Communications at R GRUPA, to find answers to all these questions. Mapon Has the Most Comprehensive Solutions for Large Companies Krišjānis Caune, Head of Marketing and Communicationsat  R GRUPA, talks with Mapon representatives  R GRUPA’s fleet includes light vehicles used by administrative employees and forestry foremen, freight transport, logging machinery, as well as specific equipment, such as wood chippers. Each unit requires its own approach to data acquisition and analysis. “We are a manufacturing company and productivity is very important to us. To be able to improve it, we analyse a huge amount of key information, including fleet data. When we realised that the company needed to improve in this area, we did market research to understand what solution would best suit our needs. Mapon won because it offers the most versatile solutions that work for all our vehicle and equipment categories,” –  the R GRUPA representative explains the decision to choose Mapon. 6 Mapon Solutions for R GRUPA’s Fleet R GRUPA uses the following Mapon solutions for fleet management: GPS tracking for cars, trucks, and wood chippers Fuel rods for trucks Remote tachograph data download CAN data reading for forest machinery Tachogram – the tachograph data platform A camera system for the wood chipper Don’t Just Get the Data – Use It Properly Krišjānis Caune explains that having the tracking solutions is only part of the job. The most important thing is to understand what to do with the obtained data. For example, it is crucial to choose the most suitable route for cargo transport. Different data is used for light vehicles that drive over a wider area or for harvesting and logging machinery that works more locally, in specific regions. The same applies to fuel monitoring data. Differences in consumption between newer and older machinery are used in productivity calculations and job planning. See Deviations From the Norm Immediately Implementing fuel monitoring solutions can quickly and significantly reduce consumption by detecting theft or an inefficient vehicle. R GRUPA, however, is more focused on regular, long-term monitoring, which lets them keep track of accurate average indicators. The company has an innovative approach to fuel consumption management, as well as a positive employee culture, so fuel monitoring is mostly used to notice deviations from normal consumption and understand how to improve the situation. Fleet Management is Similar to Aviation An R GRUPA employee uses the Mapon fleet management platform When it comes to fleet management, R GRUPA takes note from aviation, where safety and flawless work with data is vital. Krišjānis Caune explains that the company backs up data records – both fuel management and remote tachograph download solutions serve this purpose. They help to ensure security and accuracy by minimising human error. Management Solutions Also Affect Productivity R GRUPA’s management is confident that thorough compliance with tachograph rules is a key productivity indicator for every driver. A rested person is much more productive while overworking reduces it drastically. A driver’s productivity on the road is closely related to safety – that’s why R GRUPA emphasises that it monitors tachograph data primarily to make sure that no driver has driven too much. The solution also helps to discover which drivers are currently under-worked and can be assigned extra trips. As it’s essential to comply with the legal requirements, R GRUPA has also set tachograph alerts for calibration and data download deadlines. Planning Routes – Easier With Mapon R GRUPA currently has more than 150 equipment units, most of which are connected to the Mapon platform Krišjānis Caune names the ability to analyse daily activities as one of the biggest advantages of using Mapon solutions. “We analyse not only to control but to become more aware of what we’re capable of”. Each fleet management solution contributes to a total result daily. Route planning is one obvious example – what once looked like a theoretical instruction to get from A to B is now a data-driven decision. The company carries out detailed route planning, communicates with drivers, and develops the optimal route. Route maps are also produced and can be used by anyone who drives the company’s vehicles. R GRUPA is aware that a route that looks good on paper may not always be drivable, for example, due to weather conditions. To make the most of drivers’ time,  colleagues in the logistics department and drivers need to maintain good communication to make adjustments. It also positively impacts drivers’ pay as no hours are wasted. “Mapon saves the most precious thing we have – time. And if we can save time, then we can figure out what to do with it – the main thing is to actually free up that time”. What Do Drivers Think About Mapon Solutions? R GRUPA tracks a variety of vehicles, including trucks Fleet management starts in the vehicle and continues in the office – and both stages are closely related, so all employees must understand how and why the company uses specific telematics solutions. R GRUPA points out that while drivers haven’t extensively commented on Mapon solutions, it does not necessarily mean they do not understand or need them. On the contrary, one gets used to good things very quickly. If you don’t think too much about using something, it means that you have gotten used to the solution and its positive impact on your daily life. In work and life, we are much more likely to discuss the things that get in the way rather than highlight the good aspects – the same applies to fleet management. Krišjānis Caune compares the relationship between vehicle drivers and fleet managers to professional sports: “We can compare drivers to professional athletes, and managers to coaches. We ask drivers to remember one thing – to insert the card in the tachograph when they get into the vehicle. Afterwards, we can work with the drivers to see what has been done during the day and how to do it better. We are like coaches talking to athletes about ways to improve their performance.” R GRUPA also emphasises that drivers are not obliged to analyse the data of the Mapon platform – this is the administration’s task. Mapon Solutions – Not Only for the Transport Department Fleet management solutions provide a wealth of information. That’s why the Mapon platform is used by different departments to analyse all the data and provide actionable insights. At R GRUPA, the greatest demand for Mapon solutions is in the transport department. The next structure that also frequently uses these solutions is the logistics department. The harvesting and logging department also benefits from Mapon, as they too have to operate with movement or transport. In general, all R GRUPA employees who use fleet units tend to look at the data provided by Mapon to get reliable reports on driving routes and timelines. This information is also important for accounting, which uses Mapon solutions to make sure that every litre of fuel is accounted for correctly. Innovation Is Easier with Mapon R GRUPA implements innovations and follows sustainability trends The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted many companies to digitise processes and provide reliable, remote access to documents, meetings, and equipment monitoring. The latter is especially relevant for companies that use equipment in remote locations, including outside their base country. To monitor their wood chipping equipment, which R GRUPA calls a real mobile factory, the company decided to run an experiment – they had several cameras installed on one machine. Thanks to those cameras, it’s now possible to connect to the vehicle at any time and check the safety and real-time productivity remotely. Other sophisticated machinery is also connected to Mapon solutions – for example, fuel monitoring with CAN data is very useful for forest equipment, which R GRUPA uses extensively in its daily work. Krišjānis Caune even compares such technology to spaceships – while previously such complicated devices could only be seen on television, now almost equally advanced equipment is at work right here in our forests. In the future, it is expected that such machines will be operated remotely, without a driver. Even if this scenario comes true, fleet management solutions will remain relevant because they let you make sure that work is going on as it should, from anywhere in the world. What if Telematics Solutions Disappear? We end our conversation with R GRUPA on a humorous note and ask what would happen if telematics solutions suddenly disappeared? Krišjānis Caune answers with confidence: “I would compare it to the apocalypse. We are so used to different technological solutions that telematics is as valuable to us as the internet itself. What would happen if both suddenly disappeared? We would survive, sure – but it would be very difficult”. If your company also needs a wide range of fleet management solutions, book a consultation with one of Mapon’s Client Project Managers or contact sales@mapon.com!

By implementing Mapon delivery fleet management solutions for their vehicles, Mailia Ltd. has been able to improve the safety of independent night workers, encourage their employees to drive more safely, and digitise their fleet tracking operations, among other benefits. 

Modern technology offers immense potential for fleet management analytics and data-driven decision-making. The more you utilise data and set benchmarks for the future, the more confident you become about your decisions.However, it can be difficult to navigate all the information and not drown in the numerous platforms used by the company. In fact, 46% of fleets use over 10 apps to manage operations, and 48% of fleet managers emphasise that the most helpful technology solution for them would be a single platform that provides all necessary information.