UK, Vehicle Telematics

“We wanted to move to a quality, integrated one-stop shop: Samsara stood head and shoulders above the competition.”

Edward Martin, Head of Fleet Compliance, JJX Logistics

Standout benefits:

• Samsara technology helped the business become one of seven UK companies to gain TAPA TSR Level 1 approval

• 16.9% reduction in vehicle emissions in first three months following implementation of sustainability reporting 

• Nearly 400 gallons of fuel idling wastage saved in the second half of 2023 using Samara

Reducing risk and keeping drivers compliant

With over 70% of the goods that they handle being UN-regulated dangerous goods – working with everything from commercial lithium-ion battery packs to IBC’s full of Class 8 corrosive liquid – JJX Logistics must ensure it does everything in its power to keep goods safe and secure on journeys.

Add in the fact that many of its customers require guaranteed same-day delivery to UK mainland locations, or transported to a growing number of destinations on continental Europe, and the haulage business is operating in a high-pressure environment where compliance is king.

Since first trialling Samsara technology in May 2021 JJX has now fitted it to the entire fleet of 58 vehicles and trailers - hard-bodied, soft-sided and temperature-regulated trailers; Sprinter vans; and articulated trucks - operating from its base at Kingswinford in the West Midlands.

From greater fuel efficiency to improved driver awareness and performance scores the business is already reaping the rewards of Samsara’s dual-facing cameras and AI-driven Vehicle Gateway.

Edward Martin, Head of Security & Fleet Compliance at JJX, comments: “We’re not about moving items from A to B in bulk, as fast or as cheap as possible – we’re a solutions-driven company who work with our customers to tailor the perfect approach for every individual task."

“Operationally, Samsara’s technology does a fantastic job and helps to highlight the quality service we provide.”

Bringing security to the fore drives business growth

Trustworthiness, reliability and customer service remain at the heart of JJX Logistics, just as those values were the pillars on which the company was founded 27 years ago. Their mission is to handle each customer request with care, whether that’s storing goods in its 175,000 square foot excise approved warehouse or while vehicles are out on the road.

The business views every customer engagement as a partnership, and that’s how it also sees its contract with Samsara. “We’re not afraid to tell our customers we are able to operate at a high level of service because of the value the technology adds to our operations,” Edward explains. “The real-time tracking, transparency and efficiency we can now achieve is part of our credibility as a business.”

The visibility of and ease of access to information provided by Samsara is also making it easier for JJX Logistics employees to work together across functions, from operations and finance to sales and transport. “Sharing information is easier,” says Edward. “Everyone’s aware of the detail they need and how to get it. It’s made things run more smoothly than in the past.”

This will be important as the company gears up to complete its next mission transporting high value goods across the UK and Europe. Proud members of the Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA) since 2024, it is one of several trade and certification bodies that counts JJX Logistics as a member as they look to bring best practices to several key industries. 

“With the growing threat of cargo less and theft targeting, being able to provide very secure and compliant transport operations is vital to the likes of the aerospace, automotive and technology industries,” Edward observes. “Our customers want to believe in our real-time monitoring ability and values in supply chain integrity.”

“In many cases, 100% vehicle visibility is vital for the safety of both the cargo and the driver. We’ve been able to maximise this by linking Vehicle Gateway and vehicle cameras with Samsara’s Camera Connector tool which is simple to use and enables us to see all around the vehicle in one grid view.

“In addition, with the availability of secure tracking from Samsara we’re now known as a very secure operation and that’s helping to grow our customer base.

In highly sensitive instances such as their work with UK Ministry of Defence contractors, JJX are also able to use Samsara’s camera cover technology to shield views inside customer premises and mitigate any potential risks.

Hitting new heights thanks to Samsara’s technology

While JJX Logistics is eagerly consulting with Samsara to drive as much value as possible from the technology’s extensive features, the business is already benefiting greatly from the tools it has in play.

Like many firms today the business is taking a greater focus on sustainability. In haulage that primarily means reducing vehicle emissions. In the first three months after switching on Samsara’s monitoring features the company was pleased to note a near -17% drop in emissions.

Fuel efficiency is an adjacent factor, and Samsara data showed that the ability to monitor idling times helped to shape changes in driver behaviour that saved almost 400 gallons of fuel in the second half of 2023. With greater fuel efficiency comes increased profit.

Edward notes: “Using Samsara is allowing us to have more environmentally friendly operations. If we can’t monitor our impact, we can’t change it. Understanding our footprint, entirely through telematics and tracking in the technology, is making a big difference.”

Educating and enthusing drivers is key as they get used to the technology. Adoption on mobile devices is rising and so is acceptance of the tools. JJX Logistics is considering ways to instigate ‘leaderboards’ and rewards based on safety and performance metrics provided by Samara.

“We have always put a lot of time and effort into understanding each of the areas where we can improve,” says Edward. “The knock-on effects of a company-wide commitment to better performance, based on the Samsara data, are already proving excellent. Vehicles are being driven better, and this is increasing sustainability, fuel efficiency and hopefully insurance costs.

“And the best thing is, better driving - avoiding harsh braking, driver alerts and the like - doesn’t affect delivery times, so the customer is happy too.”

Why JJX Logistics is keeping an eye on the road ahead

Vehicle efficiency is crucial for JJX Logistics, which systematically updates its fleet so that no vehicle is more than three years old - with many currently in service for less than a year.

The business made its first transition to electric vehicles (EVs) in August 2023 as part of its Corporate Sustainability Pledge. Edward proudly attests this was the first fully electric Sprinter for final-mile deliveries in the Black Country (West Midlands).

As the switch to EVs progresses Samsara technology has a key role to play, Edward explains the data will inform range, payload, charging and other aspects of operations which might otherwise prove too complex when aiming to ensure a smooth transition. “That reassurance is vitally important for our transport and operations team,” he adds. “The data is worth its weight in gold. We hoped that it would support us in operating without hitches and it has.”

The ‘community’ aspect cultivated by Samsara among its customers keeps JJX Logistics focussed on features it intends to implement - or ask the technology provider to consider developing - in the future. Edward concludes: “We’ve only scratched the surface with the platform. We really want to tackle issues such as routing and even greater fuel efficiency. Samsara’s regular events are a great way to talk to their team and also other customers who have their own ideas and requirements. That’s a good opportunity to keep building our partnership.”