Top tech to track your fleet

YouTrack has been a growing Namibian undertaking since 2013, and by 2018, it had cemented its partnership with WebFleet to bring solutions to local customers who need to know, minute by minute, exactly what, when and how their automobiles are driven.

Last week, an exclusive presentation of the latest technological advancements energising this niche market of remote fleet management was in the spotlight at a glamorous client get-together at the Droombos Camelthorn Garden just outside the capital.

YouTrack founder Driaan Esterhuysen shared the company's success story, from humble beginnings operating out of a garage to currently servicing clients from all over the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.

“About eight years ago, we recognised that we needed something else; we needed a more innovative product, the market needs more. So we started searching and found the product, Webfleet. We introduced it to all our clients and it is something that they accepted with great pleasure because it is something that is innovative, the company is innovative, and some of our first customers using Webfleet are still here today,” he said.

Top-of-the-range products

Elaborating on the latest product offering that YouTrack makes available from WebFleet, Justin Mason, sales director for Africa and the Middle East, introduced the Pro M, a rugged and secure multitasking unit that strongly resembles a cellphone in terms of design, among other features. With a Pro M in their pocket, Bridgestone Mobility Solutions enables fleet and vehicle owners to control workflow, dispatching, navigation and a host of other functions from wherever they are.

The Link 350 upgraded trailer device provides insights into trailer tracking, integrating existing systems to deliver information on everything from axle weight, GPS, and tyre pressures. The Driver I device to monitor your drivers and WebFleet Cold Chain to provide live feeds from your refrigerated fleet were also introduced to the audience. Mason was particularly encouraging about the OptiDrive 360 from WebFleet, which allows for control over driver behaviour and has also seen some upgrades in recent months.

Partnership support

Marcelo Godinho, vice president for sales and customer success in emerging markets with Bridgestone, was also on hand to make the unlikely connection between the tyre giant and the data Goliath seem obvious.

“WebFleet celebrates this year 25 years of our business,” said Godinho. “It comes from 1999, when the data factory in Germany was created. From there, it moved and was acquired by TomTom Telematics, and back in 2018, it was acquired by Bridgestone to be part of an extended family.”

He said WebFleet is focused on innovation for mobility.

“We are expanding, we are investing and we are looking for what we can do more, how we can bring more value, and specifically where our customers are. You are wondering: why Bridgestone, why WebFleet, and where do they go together? Fleet management is where you manage your vehicles and your transportation, and tyres are a very important part of that. What we will be doing is also being able to manage your tyres inside of that system,” he explained.

He added: “We are not here just to sell and make volumes, we are really here to make value – value for our customers, value for our partners, that is how we grow, and all that is based on data. WebFleet fleet management system is really data-based. We look at your data to see how we can improve, what you need more of, an how to make your operations more efficient, safer and more sustainable,” he said.