MHW Magazine News and stories from the Materials Handling Industry
Nijman/Zeetank has over 60 years’ experience of operating in the transport and logistics industry, with specific focus on chemical liquids, fuels, mineral oils, cryogenic gases and glass.
In the UK, Nijman/Zeetank is a specialist in logistics and glass transportation and has worked closely with Pilkington Glass since the 1960s. In 1993, Nijman/Zeetank took over the whole of Pilkington’s UK Transport Division in St. Helens, further reinforcing the already strong relationship with Pilkington Glass.
In 2021, Nijman/Zeetank decided to integrate Astrata’s VideoLinc surveillance solution across their entire UK fleet of 46 trucks and 49 trailers in order to better secure the transport of their particularly sensitive and costly cargo and improve visibility for drivers. In the UK, Nijman/Zeetank had already worked with Astrata for over 15 years, in the Netherlands for 20 years. The company felt that it would be a good continuation of the relationship.
Bill Owen FCILT, Technical Director at Nijman/Zeetank, explains why: “The biggest challenge we faced was the damage to the cargo (sometimes in excess of £18,000 per cargo) and the inability to see where and when incidents were occurring. The glass we transport is very valuable and it is important that we can inform drivers of their driving style and the impact it can have on the cargo. With VideoLinc and its 360-degree view, we easily control incidents and events on the routes and are informed in real time of the location and cause of the damaged cargo.”
The company had also been required by one of its customers to install a camera inside the trailer to monitor the glass in transit. The glass carried by Nijman/Zeetank’s trucks is of high value and it is important that the company can provide feedback to drivers on their driving style and the impact it can have on the load. The vehicles have now also been fitted with cameras at each wing and with a forward facing camera to give a full 360 degree view of any incident or event.
Benefits
VideoLinc’s usefulness became evident during the evaluation phase, when one of Nijman/Zeetank’s trucks was involved in a low-speed crash that caused more than £8,000 GBP of damage to the cargo and the vehicle. Thanks to VideoLinc, the company was able to immediately identify the cause of the crash and could easily resolve the incident with the customer and its insurance company, mitigating costs and dealing with liability. The company is now planning to negotiate better rates with the insurance company, based on its use of VideoLinc.
In addition Nijman/Zeetank Transport now benefits from a connected video recording and playback system that checks the front, rear and sides of the vehicle. Using the latest digital technologies, the solution provides all the evidence the company needs in case of an accident. Combining telematics data with images from cameras placed around the vehicle, VideoLinc downloads and archives video sequences triggered by driving behaviours: fast turns, sudden braking or accelerating, or speeding. It records critical events as soon as an alert is triggered and broadcasts the video to the carrier’s terminal where the recordings can be controlled.
VideoLinc recordings are managed in-house. Nijman/Zeetank doesn’t experience too many incidents, but when they do occur, the information is easy to find. Nijman/Zeetank finds VideoLinc intuitive and very easy to use. The application is set to automatically send email alerts for the more severe incidents, meaning supervisors don’t even need to log into the portal. There was some initial reluctance from drivers, who tend to dislike change, but that was overcome when they saw the benefits and the protection VideoLinc gives them.
Keith Watson, Astrata’s Country Manager UK and Ireland, says: “We wanted to provide a solution to Nijman/Zeetank Transport that enabled them to optimise the monitoring of their particularly fragile cargo. With its 360° view, VideoLinc allows the company to reduce the time and budget spent on incident resolution. In addition, the solution strengthens the legal protection of drivers and enhances the driving behaviour analysis and on-board coaching functions.”
