didBOX is pleased to announce that its competitively priced Driver Identification and Control System has been chosen and installed by Valpak Ltd providing commercial advantage to one of the most important players in the rapidly growing environmental management sector.

Valpak is the UK’s leading providing of dependable, reliable and responsible compliance and recycling solutions. Its recycling subsidiary provides recycling services to nearly 5000 businesses, managing over 3 million tonnes of packaging per year and exporting recycled material Worldwide.

A visit to Valpak’s major recycling plant at Preston confirms that a key element of the process is the efficient and safe movement of waste through the facility. On a confined site of 4 acres, operating 16 hrs a day and handling over 75 lorry loads each week is a constant challenge for Andy Ball the Operations Manager. To meet it he chose the standard Teletruk 4 wheel forklift truck leased from Gunn JCB but, crucially, fitted with the didBOX driver identification and collision monitoring system.

Why didBOX?

The didBOX system was the preferred solution because it is:

1 Competitively priced with no expensive software licences
2 Easy to install, unobtrusive and tamper proof
3 Highly reliable and maintenance free
4 Fully guaranteed for the life of the lease. In this case 3 years.
5 User and Management friendly; safeguards the user, provides valuable operational data for management

Another important consideration in choosing didBOX was the inherent benefits of its unique collision monitoring system. Measuring impact force as well as harsh accelerating or braking, the system is capable of categorising incidents into low or medium impact occurrences. Logging data in this way and providing an opportunity for review at a more convenient time negates the need to stop operations at the time to investigate; a highly beneficial advantage in a constant process environment where continuous high operational efficiency is vital to maximising the bottom line.

What have been the benefits?

The first noticeable benefit was the fact that the equipment was installed within one day, on time and to budget. Regular visits by Nick Townshend, Sales and Engineering Director of didBOX, ensures that the Valpak team have all they need in terms of technical training and support.

Subsequently, the system has proven to be an impressive proactive tool in the management of such valuable and vital assets as the Teletruks and their operators. Apart from a 10% reduction in unplanned maintenance repairs, there has been a growing pride in ownership of the forklifts and, hardly surprising, improved operational practice and efficiencies . Most impressive is the contribution that the didBOX system has made to improving site Health and Safety performance at a time when Valpak is working closely with the Health and Safety Executive to develop the site as a recycling industry benchmark for Good Health & Safety Practice. In all, a 50% reduction in forklift accidents.

Current Developments?

Working together, didBOX and Valpak Preston have now installed a new supervisory system enabling greater flexibility and efficiency in managing the Teletrucks as workload fluctuates and operator skills and qualifications develop. There is also talk of adapting and installing the didBOX system on other vehicle assets.

Reflecting on the whole experience, Andy Ball commented that since the installation of the didBOX system he now had ‘……better control of Health and Safety issues and Operational Costs…..’

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