RCT’s leading Fleet Management system, SmarTrack® Global has transformed operations at JDK Management’s storage facilities in Victoria.
JDK Management is one of the largest storage warehouses in Shepparton, with more than 35,000 pallet spaces of storage in varying temperatures from -18c to +8c. The company prides itself on providing the best facilities and the most accurate and efficient customer service.
Therefore, their decision through their materials handling partner, L&P Mackin forklifts to install SmarTrack® Global at the facility was an easy one. In this instance, the system was combined with RCT’s two-camera DVR recorder to further safeguard operations.
JDK Management’s General Manager, Paul Kalafatis, said the combination of the solutions has been very successful in enabling them to identify the causes for incidents relating to their material handling equipment.
“As a result, management has been able to identify environmental risks, initiate additional training, and generally heighten safety awareness within the organisation,” he said.
SmarTrack® Global helps to optimise materials handling operations and increase bottom-line profits. The fleet management system delivers relevant, customised information in real-time to employees, provides pre and post-start checklists, event reporting, access control and monitors the weight and speed of industrial equipment.
JDK Management noted the compliance aspects of SmarTrack® Global including the checklist reporting and access control, were big factors in its decision to purchase the solution.
The ability to understand when and what weight their forklifts were carrying was also of significant interest from a safety and utilisation perspective.
RCT’s high level of support was also another factor for JDK Management in implementing the system. The high level of support RCT provides to all its clients across its extensive solution range was also a stand-out.
“It is reassuring to know that this product is locally supported through L & P Mackin,” said.
Due to its willingness to adopt new technology over the years, to ensure a safer and more effective workplace, JDK Management has maintained its forefront of the industry for the last 25+ years. Its adoption of SmarTrack® is a great example of this.
USA retail chain Lifetime Products is enhancing its logistics operations following the deployment of RCT’s advanced fleet management solution SmarTrack® Global.
The industrial fleet management technology provides Lifetime Products' management with a comprehensive overview of their materials handling equipment fleet and workforce behavior.
Lifetime Products sells a broad range of outdoor equipment including sporting goods, porch furniture and gardening equipment which are manufactured and distributed by over 1,500 employees.
The company originated in the garage of its founder in 1986 but now boasts six outlet stores across Utah, one in Idaho and a network of international partners.
Lifetime Products Area Supervisor Brandi James said SmarTrack® Global is benefitting fleet operations across multiple areas.
“(Since) installing SmarTrack® on our lifts (it has) improved our safety 10-fold (and we) have been able to manage maintenance on the machines a lot better,” he said.
“(SmarTrack® has) improved our overall productivity and keeping the workers liable for what they are doing and how they are spending their time (when they operate the equipment).”
SmarTrack® Global’s market-leading features include global reporting whereby managers can access real-time data on the entire mixed equipment fleet regardless of make or model across multiple sites, from one device.
The solution also offers pre- and post-start checklists, email alerts for incidents and expiring licenses, operator login requirements and machine speed, weight, seat and buckle monitoring.
Following a successful trial period of SmarTrack® Global, RCT’s Salt Lake City-based team are rolling out the solution across 15 machines within two Lifetime warehouses at the Freeport Center Industrial Complex in Clearfield, Utah.
SmarTrack® Global is seamlessly integrating with Lifetime’s diverse fleet including Uni Carrier internal combustion RSIL18NV and MCUIF2A25LV forklifts and Jungheinrich battery-electric ETG318 forklifts.
RCT Account Manager – Industrial, Nikolas Walden said the solution is providing Lifetime with real-time data which enables managers to make immediate improvements across their mixed equipment.
“SmarTrack® is holding operators accountable for equipment damage and management has noticed that SmarTrack®-equipped machines have significantly less damage than machines without SmarTrack®,” he said.
“The technology enables supervisors to easily access pre-shift inspections and to receive real-time alerts when a lift needs service or repairs.”
“SmarTrack® has increased productivity across their operations because management can see what machines are spending excessive amounts of time idling and they can implement new procedures to address this.”
RCT’s local Field Service team are implementing SmarTrack® Global across the machine fleet and providing onsite technical support to Lifetime staff on an ongoing basis.
American materials handling dealer Equipment Depot is thrilled with the success of its latest project with smart technology specialist RCT, which has seen the successful rollout of forklift seatbelt safety solutions.
Recently, Californian-based specialists with Equipment Depot approached RCT’s Industrial Account Manager Nikolas Walden to provide an operator safety solution to fit to two new Cat forklifts for their customer.
RCT subsequently provided its Muirhead® Sequential Seatbelt Controller (SSBC) which requires forklift operators to act in a particular sequence – sit down and engage their seatbelt – to activate the machine.
The solution is designed to immobilize the forklift until the operator is sitting and the seatbelt is engaged.
Equipment Depot Account Manager Oliver Bragg said their customer requested the additions to their new forklifts to safeguard their operators.
“As the trucks were in our inventory we had to find an alternative source rather than order (fitted out forklifts) from the factory,” Mr Bragg said.
“I spoke with Nikolas and he advised me on how easy (the Muirhead® Sequential Seatbelt Controller) is to retrofit onto an existing unit.”
“Nikolas shipped the product right away and provided my technicians with information on how to install it.
“The units were delivered to my customer and they loved how the system performs. They like the reassurance that the operators have to purposely bypass the system in order not to wear a seatbelt and this allows them to keep their operators accountable.”
“Thank you to RCT and Nikolas. I will be using you again for many more business deals.”
Mr Walden said RCT is very pleased to supply Equipment Depot with quality industrial technology that meets their needs.
“Our products are specifically designed to retrofit with any type of equipment regardless of their age, make or model and proved to be an ideal solution to this particular situation,” he said.
“This product will protect workers in the course of operating the forklift fleet and ensure they are working inline with company-mandated policies and safety laws.”
Managing mobile equipment fleets across New Zealand’s winemaking industry has never been easier thanks to the hard work of Blenheim-based Forklift Hire Services and smart technology specialist RCT.
The partnership has seen Forklift Hire Services deploy RCT’s market-leading fleet management system SmarTrack® Global to materials handling equipment used by wineries across the country.
Operations Managers can now access data from their entire fleet across multiple sites via one platform with the system's global reporting capability.
A high level of safety, compliance and acceptance are achieved at operations using the latest in fleet management technology with functions such as GPS Zoning, multilingual interfaces, pre-and post-start checklists, operator logins, speed, weight and belt buckle monitoring, impact reporting and message notifications.
Forklift Hire Services Managing Director Jonny Orr said they have deployed 20 SmarTrack® Global units to numerous pieces of industrial equipment over the last 12 months.
“We applied SmarTrack® Global to a variety of petrol and electric machines such as 24v and 80v equipment including forklifts, scissor lifts, knuckle booms and a container handler,” Mr Orr said.
“SmarTrack® Global’s ability to integrate with all brands and equipment types makes it a perfect solution for our customers who wish to supervise every machine in their very diverse fleets.”
Forklift Hire Service’s clients in the winery industry typically utilise their industrial equipment in barrel halls and on bottling lines and for the loading and unloading of trucks which takes place both indoors and outdoors.
“Primarily, our clients seek the operator login function, pre-start checklists for OSH compliance purposes and being able to set alerts for impacts, service reminders and expiring forklift licenses, which is crucial to remain in line with New Zealand’s safety laws,” Mr Orr said.
“Our clients know the product can clearly identify operator habits and incidents which enables managers to implement policies to reduce wear and tear on the machine fleet.”
“From our own perspective as a hire company we work across different businesses and industries and SmarTrack® Global can adhere to the different OSH business systems, so we really enjoy how flexible the system is.”
“The system provides us with real-time notifications alerting us when our hire equipment needs servicing meaning it is easy to be fully across the status of each of our machines at all times.”
RCT Account Manager – Industrial Nicholas Noorman said SmarTrack® Global provides information in relation to ‘events’ that at can highlight areas such as training, environmental hazards, and machine application.
“The SmarTrack system increases the level of responsibility and ownership on the operator, thus reinforcing a positive safety culture,” he said.
Mr Noorman said the work with Forklift Hire Services demonstrates how versatile the fleet management system really is.
“Regardless of the industry you are in or the diversity of your mobile equipment fleet SmarTrack® Global can provide you the information needed to enhance your operation.”
“This work is just the latest successful deployment of SmarTrack® Global to a mobile equipment fleet in New Zealand and we look forward to continuing a positive working relationship with Forklift Hire Services.”
Global smart technology specialist RCT is pleased to partner with American company Reliable Industries to supply quality technology solutions to mobile equipment around the world.
The partnership involves RCT manufacturing its foundation products the Muirhead® protection systems, their industrial fleet management system Smartrack® Global and its AusProTec™ specialised electrical parts range.
Reliable Industries will supply the products to their existing customer base consisting of mining, power generation and industrial companies located in more than 60 countries.
The 40-year-old company will explore opportunities to implement additional RCT technology solutions to their clients on a case-by-case basis.
RCT Dealer and Product Management Andrew Sells said the partnership will greatly benefit both companies.
“RCT and Reliable Industries both have reputations for providing quality technology options around the world and going forward we can offer our services to a very broad customer base,” he said.
“Both companies understand that prompt service and having stock on the shelf ensures that our customer base is well serviced, both RCT and Reliable share this common value.” he said.
“Our Muirhead® and AusProTec™ products incorporate decades of experience operating in mining and industrial operations in some of the world’s harshest conditions and they will rise to any occasion.”
“We regard Reliable Industries as a very competent partner with a history of supporting clients in all of their operational needs.”
Reliable Industries International Sales Manager Christopher Callow has welcomed the partnership.
“Reliable Industries has worked in association with RCT for many years now and they rise to the challenge every time,” he said.
“RCT has a vast array of quality products that solve many problems which our clients encounter across the scope of their organisations.”
Global Smart Technology company RCT is looking forward to attending the fourth annual Utah Safety Conference and Expo taking place in Salt Lake City.
RCT’s Regional Manager for North America Andrew Sells and Industrial Account Manager Ben Booth are excited about engaging with delegates about the company’s suite of fleet management, protection and automation technology.
Featuring the latest safety products and services the event will feature keynote speakers, 40 breakout sessions and networking luncheons.
Mr Sells said he is looking forward to the event.
“Being able to network with key members of the safety industry who are all together in one place is an invaluable opportunity for us,” he said.
“RCT’s technology has a proven history of safeguarding workers and machinery in multiple industries such as materials handling, mining and construction.”
“We can promote the benefits of our technology while gaining an important insight into industry trends and expectations in an effort protect workforces.”
“From our office here in Salt Lake City we can promptly deliver our technology and all levels of support to clients throughout the region.”
The Utah Safety Conference and Expo will take place at the Mountain America Expo Centre from Feb 19-20.
Please contact Andrew Sells to arrange a meeting at the conference by emailing xxxxxxx@xxx-xxxxxx.xxx
Smart Technology company RCT is pleased to finalise a project in partnership with Christchurch-based South Island Forklifts Limited to deliver materials handling equipment fitted with our fleet management solution, SmarTrack®.
The project involved commissioning seven new Jungheinrich battery-electric ETV 114 Reach Trucks and 5 Jungheinrich battery-electric EFG MB 220 Forklifts as well as two existing reach trucks and one LPG forklift with SmarTrack®.
South Island Forklifts have also recently commissioned two new man-up order pickers and one walk behind picker with SmarTrack®.
This month South Island Forklifts delivered the fleet of 18 machines to Dairyworks New Zealand to operate on a three-shift cycle across two separate chiller and warehouse locations.
RCT delivered the SmarTrack® operator interfaces with an HID card reader and associated proximity key fob which will identify individual operators when they access the machine.
The fleet management system also provides data on machine impacts, pre and post-start checklists, fleet-wide messages and live email alerts on a wide variety of issues depending on site-specific criteria.
RCT Senior Business Development – Industrial, Grahame Don said SmarTrack® will provide significant benefits and optimise site operations.
"SmarTrack® can provide site managers and senior management with a variety of real-time data on the status of their machine fleet," he said.
"Managers can closely monitor machine operator behaviour and record important information such as machine license expiry dates and other details.
"SmarTrack® will also identify areas of improvement across the operation and enable managers to implement more efficient work practices."
South Island Forklifts Operations Manager Stephen Fisher said Dairyworks New Zealand was seeking a product that improved safety standards and optimised reporting requirements and it was clear that SmarTrack® was the perfect solution.
"South Island Forklifts is confident in SmarTrack® and the product support provided by RCT," he said.
"During product training Dairyworks’ shift supervisors said they were glad to no longer work with existing paper check sheets and they loved SmarTrack®’s real time notifications of machine impacts and check sheet issues."
"Their Dispatch Manager was impressed by the utilisation reporting at his finger tips and the ability to locate a truck anywhere on site from his smartphone."
"Dairyworks have also decided to install SmarTrack® on their existing materials handling equipment for total site coverage."
RCT will provide ongoing technical support to South Island Forklifts as required.
RCT is advancing the way companies around the world manage their materials handling fleet with the launch of its latest fleet management system SmarTrack® Global.
SmarTrack® Global offers several new features to the existing product range including global reporting, seat, seatbelt, speed and weight monitoring along with improved out-of-service functions.
RCT SmarTrack® Product Manager Les Healey said global reporting enables managers to view every site within a business and compare data between sites in different regions.
“The Global Reporting feature means anyone with the appropriate permission can access detailed information about a single machine as well as have an overarching view of how that machine compares to the entire fleet,” he said.
“SmarTrack® Global can be fitted to any piece of equipment and customised to the specific needs of the client so it offers significant potential to optimise operations.”
SmarTrack® Global has a multilingual operator interface which allows the preferred language to be selected based on the operator’s login ID, making the system even more user friendly.
The multilingual functions extend to the web portal with managers being able to select their language of choice.
SmarTrack® Global incorporates more than 10 years of knowledge in fleet management systems along with all the features of previous versions.
The new system expands on the already extensive reporting and system management features with highly configurable components which are all linked together through the intuitive web portal.
RCT Senior Business Development Manager – Industrial, Grahame Don said SmarTrack® Global enables managers to access data across multiple sites with mixed fleets on one platform in real time.
“Global Reporting provides powerful data from fleets regardless of location because it provides a truly global solution that supports different languages,” he said.
“The information is delivered to the end user enabling better understanding of fleet trends and events, assisting management to make more informed decisions.”
SmarTrack® Global is currently deployed at multiple sites supporting warehousing, manufacturing, construction and agricultural applications around the world.
RCT has successfully commissioned its fleet management system SmarTrack® as the first stage of a project with materials handling specialist International Heavy Equipment in the Sultanate of Oman.
The project is a result of Oman Air SATS Cargo—the premier cargo operations handler at Muscat International Airport—upgrading to electric tow tractors and counterbalance forklifts including a Fleet Management System.
RCT along with International Heavy Equipment which is the Oman dealer of Jungheinrich Materials Handling Equipment successfully fitted 6 Jungheinrich EZS 590 Tow Tractors and 10 EFG220 Counterbalance Forklifts with SmarTrack® Fleet Management.
The SmarTrack® product collects and reports operational data for each machine in an entire fleet providing live data to give site managers quick access to key production and maintenance performance indicators as well as real-time notifications of heavy impacts or damage to machines.
RCT Senior Business Development Manager – Industrial, Grahame Don said the company is pleased to have successfully commissioned the product for International Heavy Equipment and in turn Oman Air SATS Cargo.
“SmarTrack® will deliver significant benefits for the end user including efficiency gains for site and fleet managers, compliance from operators and cost reductions due to less machine maintenance and repair works,” he said.
“The product provides for a multilingual checklist which in this case will be provided in English and Arabic to machine operators.”
International Heavy Equipment Sales Engineer – Jungheinrich, Mohammed Shahid said the company is delighted to partner with RCT on Fleet Management solutions and hopes to continue this business relationship in the future.
“We are pleased with the application of SmarTrack® due to its ease of integration with the Jungheinrich system and successfully catering to the operational needs of our client.”
Oman Air SATS Cargo Chief Operating Officer Henry Christopher said he is delighted that the technology has been implemented into their operation.
“The SmarTrack® fleet management system will provide Oman Air SATS Cargo managers with key data in real-time that will enable us to make informed decisions to benefit our operations,” he said.
“I look forward to working with RCT in the future to help deliver quality solutions to our air freight handling fleet.”
In February and again in May this year, RCT Technical Support Manager – Industrial Matt Ingram and International Heavy Equipment representatives jointly delivered training on the new machines and the SmarTrack® system to Oman Air SATS Cargo management and machine operators.
1. Information is power
How do people know how to enhance operations if they don’t know what exactly needs improving?
Fleet management systems provide businesses with the succinct information needed to make constructive changes to improve the operation of their fleets. This information is used to address areas to improve upon whether it be resource, asset management related or both. In some instances, businesses don’t realise there are small adjustments they can make to see operating costs reduce and productivity increase. It’s thanks to the information supplied by fleet management systems that give people the power to make the required changes needed to see compelling results.
2. Increase productivity
Increasing output, reducing machine maintenance, streamlining efficiencies and improving safety are all made possible with the help of fleet management systems and all aid in increasing productivity in business. For example, productivity can be affected when mobile machines and/or equipment are unexpectedly out of service. Fleet management solutions can alert management when servicing is due and when incidents have occurred to prevent unexpected downtime which directly affects productivity.
With SmarTrack® Fleet management, information is reported electronically, meaning management is more inclined to act upon the notification than if this was manually recorded. The out of service notification allows clients to categorise planned and unplanned maintenance which helps allocate resources and understanding to the cost of the client’s fleet. The incident reporting feature also ensures operators are more accountable for machine damage.
3. Stay compliant
Compliance is key in the business world! Obeying legal laws and regulations is of the utmost importance to avoid incidents and fines and fleet management systems can help. Fleet management systems can ensure only licensed, qualified personnel can access equipment; preventing any unauthorised use. Fleet management system, SmarTrack® will only allow authorised personnel to access machines via a swipe card or pin number, it delivers pre-start checklists (available in English and two other languages making it ideal for worldwide use). Live email alerts also notify management when operators’ licences are approaching renewal dates, ensuring all personnel are appropriately licenced.
4. Improve safety
Safety in the workplace is everyone’s responsibility; to ensure the wellbeing of themselves and colleagues. Incidents can have a dramatic effect on business, so prevention is key and fleet management is the answer; helping to adopt a preventative and predictive approach to workplace safety. The implementation of fleet management systems create a greater awareness among employees that leads to greater ownership and behavioural changes in operators which reduces incidents. Fleet management systems such as SmarTrack® is equipped with impact monitoring; meaning management is notified of any incidents involving machines making contact with anything
and any points of sharp deceleration, making operators more accountable.
This also helps management identify where the majority incidents are occurring to identify and address “black spots” in the working environment as well as recording where impacts occurred if it happened outside in view of satellites).
5. Understanding fleet utilisation
Imagine having the tools available to gain a comprehensive understanding of how fleets and operators are performing and using this information to assist the decision making process, to ensure the fleet is well-utilised at all times?
In business it is imperative for a fleet to do more, with less; the more a business can get out of their fleet, the more competitive they are. Being able to strategically improve fleet utilisation, not only boosts productivity and decreases costs but also increases profitability of a business, which is always everyone’s end-goal.
Additional benefits of tracking utilisation include reducing fuel consumption, assisting with fleet deployment and having the ability to compare traction vs idle time to plan and manage personnel across during shifts. Alerts and graphs, reports are provided by SmarTrack® displaying fleet utilisation information in an intuitive and easy-to-read
format.
6. Boost security
Controlling and monitoring access to equipment in a fleet has numerous security and safety benefits. It ensures only those with valid licences and permission is able to access machines to safeguard companies to prevent incidents but also gives businesses up-to-date information about where vehicles in their fleet are located at all times and personnel who have had access to the machine last. With the SmarTrack® fleet management solution, machines can only be accessed via an operator sign in via a swipe card or a pin number; whatever is more suitable
for the company.
7. Reduce overall costs
Fleet management solutions can help companies to decrease fleet-related costs to increase profitability. These systems are integral for monitoring and making progressive changes in managing fleets. It’s these step-changes that work towards reducing incidents, damage and costs associated with manual paperwork which in turn significantly reduces costs. All the benefits associated with the implementation of fleet management systems save businesses money in the short and long-term.