A municipal company rarely has trouble explaining what it does. The problem is proving it. When a complaint comes in that a street was not cleaned or that trash was not collected, what is needed is a record, not a dispatcher's estimate. PratiMe records where a vehicle was, when, at what speed, and whether the attachment was running, so the complaint is settled with data instead of an argument.
Data is not collected only for control. When districts and routes are planned based on the actual time a round takes, rather than an estimate, the same crew manages to cover more ground in the same shift. For seasonal work, where the number of vehicles cannot be increased overnight, this is often the only maneuver available. The solution is adjusted to the type of job, since waste collection, street cleaning and winter service are not measured the same way.
Proof that the service was performed
A route trail with times is kept for every run. When a client or a resident raises a question about a specific street on a specific day, the answer is found within a few minutes. This matters especially for jobs billed to a city or municipality, where documentation feeds into the billing.
For every run you keep:
- the exact route with pass-through times
- stops and how long they lasted
- which vehicle and which driver ran the route
- a report that can be attached to the invoice
Field coverage and skipped streets
Over a large area it is easy for part of a district to go untreated without anyone noticing until the first complaint. Comparing the planned district against the route actually traveled shows what was skipped while it can still be corrected.
The system shows:
- which streets were covered and which were not
- how many times a vehicle passed the same section
- the deviation of the actual route from the planned district
- time spent inside and outside the district
Winter service and attachment operation
For winter service it is not enough to know that a vehicle drove down a street. You also need to know whether the spreader was running and whether the plow was lowered. Through digital inputs the system records attachment operation, so a pass without spreading is clearly distinguished from an actual road treatment.
Alongside basic route data, the following is also recorded:
- spreader operation by section
- plow position while driving
- speed on treated sections
- time spent per street
Fuel and per-vehicle costs
Municipal vehicles burn fuel while idle, during attachment operation and while loading, so mileage does not tell you much about actual consumption. On-vehicle measurement gives consumption per operating hour and per run, which is the only way to compare vehicles and drivers fairly.
In the monthly review you get:
- consumption per vehicle and per run
- engine idling time in place
- a record of every refill
- a comparison of vehicles on the same type of job
Frequently asked questions
How do we prove that a street has been treated?
A route with pass-through times is kept for every run. In addition, attachment operation can be recorded through digital inputs, so a simple pass is distinguished from an actual treatment.
Can the operation of a spreader and plow be tracked?
Yes. Attachment operation is read through digital inputs, so the report shows on which sections the spreader was running and whether the plow was lowered.
How can you see that part of a district was skipped?
By comparing the planned district with the route actually traveled. Skipped streets are visible while there is still time to react, not only after a complaint is filed.
Can the report be attached to the invoice for the city?
Yes. A report with the route, times and vehicle and driver data is exported in a form that can be attached to the billing documentation.
