AC Bennett & Sons

Tugboat Tracking

Implementing the Navman Wireless Tracking Solution has helped AC Bennett & Sons to locate its tugboats and barges in an instant

Navman’s tracking solution is not just limited to helping vehicles on the road. The tug boats and barges owned by AC Bennett & Sons are using the system to provide a faster, more cost-effective service on the Thames.

The company, which provides transport and towage to ships and craft using the Thames and Medway rivers, has adopted Navman’s vehicle tracking solution to keep on top of the movements of its barges.

Since implementing the solution the company has seen a significant increase in both efficiency and productivity. Managing Director, Norman Cosh, believes that Navman’s system has made their lives a whole lot easier. “Being able to gather all the information we need about each delivery from just one place has saved us a great deal of time and effort.”

Following the guidelines

The tugboat industry is one of the first industries obliged to follow the new European Working Time Directive. This limits the number of hours that staff can work. Previously, this had taken a lot of administration and paper work, with considerable man hours required to keep up-to-date. Now, thanks to the Navman Wireless Tracking Solution, AC Bennett & Sons can keep track of all the working hours of each boat automatically.

“We can be asked to prove the man hours worked on each boat at any time,” explains Mr Cosh, “Navman’s system will record all that information for us so that we can easily gather the necessary evidence whenever it’s called for.”

Customer Satisfaction

Being able to keep track of time does not just save on paper work. With real-time location information, AC Bennett & Sons can ensure that customers always know how close the tug is to delivering its cargo and customers are always ready and waiting for them when the boats arrive.

By keeping the customers informed, AC Bennett & Sons not only ensures the business runs far more smoothly - saving money in the process - but also that the customers receive a far higher level of service than they can expect from rival companies.

Invoicing Improvements

With Navman’s real-time tracking solution, the team no longer has to worry about making note of where the barges have been and when the jobs are completed: now the software will do all that for them. This has made creating invoices a far easier process than it was previously. Hours are automatically logged, and each barge’s movements are accurately recorded by the software, which means producing early invoices is incredibly straightforward.

Norman Cosh used to have to wait until the end of the week to obtain the crew’s written log, which contained all the details of goods carried and delivery times. With the new Navman tracking system, all of the times are recorded into a database. A crew member will send details of what they’re carrying straightaway using the Navman’s fixed-price messaging system. Invoices can now be sent out as soon as the goods have been delivered rather than at the end of the week.

The company decided to implement the system after seeing it in operation in another company.

“I was surprised by just how much information the Navman system was gathering automatically,” says Norman Cosh. “Now having all that data readily to hand is an invaluable part of the business.”