News from Citroën: A Berlingo van has just become the 100,000th Citroën light commercial vehicle to be fitted with the unique Teletrac telematics package. Specially developed by Teletrac, this innovative, efficiency-boosting telematics platform is fitted as standard to all Berlingo, Dispatch and New Relay panel vans.
Jeremy Smith, Head of Citroën’s Commercial Vehicles & Business Sector Operations, said, “The milestone highlights the popularity of this system. It provides our LCV customers with an unrivalled range of operational, financial, safety and security benefits. This system complements the advanced engineering in all Citroën LCVs, further reducing operating costs, improving productivity and reducing driver stress levels.”
The Citroën Teletrac package includes Smartnav satellite navigation and Trackstar stolen vehicle tracking. It also provides the telematics platform for Teletrac’s optional, low cost, Fleet Director real-time fleet management services. The latest Teletrac system fitted to Citroën LCVs includes a bigger, higher resolution 5-inch colour screen. This provides greater clarity for the Smartnav map display and the system’s many functions highlighted across the bottom of the screen.
Citroën’s advanced Teletrac Smartnav system not only provides detailed navigation, but also works out routes to avoid traffic congestion. It does this using live traffic information gathered from Trafficmaster’s network of roadside cameras to calculate the optimum route. If congestion is identified, Smartnav will instantaneously calculate all the viable alternative routes and will offer the fastest option, which the driver can then select with one touch of the screen.
Drivers can also use the emergency call system function to call Teletrac’s control centre, allowing two-way voice communication. The Smartnav system instantly provides a precise vehicle location and, in the event of a serious accident, the system automatically makes an emergency call.
Teletrac’s newly updated Fleet Director real-time fleet management package is a cost effective option providing fleet managers with a full range of services, including optimised routing on multi-drop runs, live vehicle reporting, two-way messaging and vehicle or driver management reports. Vans can also be ‘geofenced’ to ensure that they are being used within a specific area and are not used at weekends or out of hours.