Established in 2001, Maritime Transport has gone from strength to strength and has grown into one of the largest, privately-owned intermodal transport operators in the UK. Operating over 2,000 state-of-the-art, LEZ-compliant vehicles from a national network of 40+ strategically placed depots across the UK, Maritime’s blue and white livery is instantly recognizable on the UK’s transport networks.
Maritime’s Challenges
Operating a large fleet brings its own set of challenges. Equipping trucks with cameras is not new to Maritime, but one of the frustrations with their previous system was retrieving video footage. Driver Administrators having to physically be in a vehicle to download footage caused headaches – it was time-consuming and impractical, especially with multiple depots and vehicles being in use much of the day and night. Remote download from CameraMatics changed all that.
In the event of an incident or collision, the speed of video footage retrieval is crucial. “We need to get footage as quickly as we can to aid in any insurance investigation,” says Driver Administrator Chris Kirk, “with the CameraMatics system, it’s instantaneous.”
Maritime takes the safety and security of its 2,000 drivers extremely seriously, and protecting drivers was a key factor in the search for a solution. “We want to ensure that the safety of our workforce – predominantly drivers – is as good as it can be”, comments Ross McNicol from Maritime’s IT team.
A 360˚ Solution: CameraMatics
CameraMatics ticked all the boxes for Maritime. The 360˚ camera solution, along with Direct Vision Standard compliant exterior sensors and turning alerts, significantly increases the driver’s visibility and alerts other road users to the presence of an HGV. The nearside camera is neatly integrated into the vehicles’ onboard infotainment system screen too.
Drivers like the extra eyes and ears that cameras and sensors provide, and they are also overwhelmingly positive about the protection provided by in-cab cameras. In the event of an incident or accident, the footage can provide clear evidence of the quality of driving – proving non-fault and helping avoid false claims and crash for cash scams.
Training also comes into play here. Real-time visibility over the fleet is invaluable and the CameraMatics system is put to daily use by the team who use real-life footage to help coach and train drivers.
With CameraMatics, the onboard hardware technology is only half the story. The user-friendly platform is what makes the solution stand out from the crowd. On-demand video (both live and historic), alerts and notifications and the fact the system integrates existing technologies are all important to help fleet operators who are managing thousands of vehicles and drivers every day.