Bennetts Coaches maintains award-winning safety standards and enhances customer experience with Samsara

"Samsara is always on my home screen—that shows how much I value it." Gavin Bennett, Managing Director, Bennetts Coaches

Standout Benefits

• 90+ average driver safety score across the fleet, with top drivers achieving 100/100

• 35% reduction in vehicle idling, from 14% to 9%, saving significant fuel costs

• 100% compliance with breathalyser protocols through integrated monitoring

• £500 penalty avoided through accurate tracking data defending against false claims

• 850 students transported daily with real-time tracking links for parents

A legacy of excellence facing modern challenges

Bennetts Coaches operates 37 full-size coaches across Gloucester and beyond, running National Express services to London, school routes for 850 children, and prestigious private hire work. As a third-generation family business with 63 years of fatality-free operations, maintaining their award-winning safety standards is paramount.

Despite being National Express' golden engineering standard winner every year since the award's inception, the company faced significant operational challenges. Their previous tracking provider, Traffilog, delivered data that was often 90 seconds to two minutes behind real-time—a critical delay when directing drivers through London traffic or responding to incidents.

The company also juggled multiple disconnected systems: National Express' Ad Secure for breathalysers and tracking, separate maintenance records, and manual tachograph downloads. This fragmentation made it difficult to maintain oversight across their growing operation, which had recently expanded to a second site.

Creating visibility through unified technology

Bennetts replaced their disparate systems with Samsara's integrated platform, bringing together vehicle tracking, digital inspections, maintenance management, and breathalyser monitoring into one reliable system. This consolidation transformed their operations from reactive to proactive management.

The shift from paper-based vehicle inspections to Samsara's digital system was transformative. Drivers now complete walk-around checks on their phones, with photos and defect reports instantly transmitted to mechanics. This immediate communication prevents vehicles with issues from leaving the depot and ensures rapid resolution of problems.

"It's so much easier than the paper version we used to use," said Stephen Smith-Brown, a driver at Bennetts. "If there's a problem, it goes straight to the engineers. They instantly know about it."

The real-time tracking accuracy has been game-changing for route management. Controllers can now provide precise directions to drivers navigating London's complex road network, while parents receive tracking links showing exactly where their child's coach is located.

Fostering excellence through transparency and recognition

Bennetts implemented a driver leaderboard system, displaying Samsara safety scores in the rest room to spark healthy competition. This visibility, combined with their existing quarterly bonus scheme of £500 (part of a £2,000 annual bonus structure), motivates drivers to maintain high standards without creating a surveillance culture.

"Drivers were coming in asking how to improve," Bennett explained. "It was about helping them understand they were making small errors—usually minor speeding in areas where the limit had changed from 30 to 20mph. I sat down with quite a few drivers to focus on specific areas for improvement."

The transparency has transformed driver engagement. Many drivers now proactively check their scores and seek advice on specific behaviours, particularly harsh braking events. This shift from defensive to proactive improvement has created a culture where safety excellence is pursued rather than mandated.

Delivering impressive results

Bennetts' Samsara implementation has delivered immediate returns through operational savings and service improvements. When National Express incorrectly claimed a driver was in the wrong location, Samsara's precise tracking data prevented a £500 penalty—proving the system's value within weeks of implementation.

Vehicle idling dropped from 14% to 9% through targeted 15-minute alerts, enabling management to address extreme cases, including one driver that was inadvertently idling for more than 90 minutes a day. Insurance premiums also decreased despite industry-wide bumps, due to Bennetts' ability to investigate claims immediately with accurate data.

Thanks to Samsara, drivers now achieve a safety score average of 90+ across their fleet, demonstrating the effectiveness of their performance-driven culture. Most importantly, Bennetts’ 63-year fatality-free record continues—a testament to their renewed commitment to safety. 

Looking ahead

Bennetts plans to continue exploring Samsara's capabilities, including potential integration with tyre pressure monitoring systems following multiple punctures last year. They're also advocating for National Express to adopt Samsara across their network, which would consolidate four separate systems into one unified platform.

As they prepare for continued growth with 848 school passes already sold for next September, Bennetts demonstrates how combining advanced technology with family business values creates a winning formula for safety, service, and success.