Wigan Council cuts idling by 29% across 320-vehicle fleet

Wigan Council has reduced engine idling by 29% across its 320-vehicle fleet after rolling out telematics from Michelin Connected Fleet, cutting fuel costs and improving environmental performance in the process.

The local authority’s mixed fleet, spanning HGVs, LCVs and cars, used on-board data over a 12-month period to identify where vehicles were unnecessarily running while stationary, one of the simplest but most costly inefficiencies in day-to-day fleet operations.

The results go beyond fuel savings. Analysis also shows a reduction in harsh driving events, pointing to safer, more consistent driving behaviour across the fleet.

For Wigan Council, the key shift has been behavioural.

Paul Barton, Director for Environment, says: “Our work with MICHELIN Connected Fleet has helped us to save energy and money by enabling positive behaviour change and also allowed us to target driver training needs.

“The data has allowed us to show how much we can save by reducing engine idling, and it really has changed mindsets and had an impact.”

The biggest gains have been seen in heavier vehicles, where idling carries a higher fuel and emissions cost.

“The savings we are making as a direct result are particularly noticeable across our HGVs and LCVs. Being a local authority, it’s also important we do everything we can to reduce environmental impact and minimise unnecessary spend and, more importantly, emissions.”

The rollout followed a competitive tender process, with MICHELIN Connected Fleet working alongside council teams to embed the system and get both managers and drivers up to speed quickly.

Beyond the initial improvements, the council is now using the platform’s reporting tools to benchmark performance and identify further opportunities to improve utilisation and efficiency.

Read Sophie Foucque's Fleet1000 interview get more insight on MICHELIN Connected Fleet from their CEO.

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