Econ Engineering has secured a partnership with Exactrak, enhancing winter road safety.
- All Econ gritters will now be equipped with advanced tracking and salt spreading technology.
- Exactrak, after 20 years, becomes the exclusive supplier for Econ vehicles.
- The technology supports efficient route navigation for gritter drivers.
- Econ provides 85% of the UK’s winter maintenance vehicles, ensuring nationwide coverage.
Econ Engineering, the UK’s leading manufacturer of winter maintenance vehicles, has formalised a partnership with Exactrak, securing the latter’s role as the exclusive provider of state-of-the-art vehicle tracking and automated salt spreading technologies. This collaboration is a strategic move aimed at augmenting the safety and efficiency of gritting operations across the country.
Under this agreement, all gritters originating from Econ’s Ripon factory will be furnished with Exactrak’s comprehensive telematics systems. This integration empowers local authorities to optimise resource sharing, while simultaneously enhancing the safety protocols for gritter drivers tasked with navigating complex winter routes.
Jonathan Lupton, Managing Director of Econ Engineering, emphasised the longstanding nature of their collaboration with Exactrak. He stated, “We have a strong and long standing partnership with Exactrak but this exclusivity agreement will enable us to continue delivering winter maintenance vehicles with the very latest in telematic technology.” Such advancements are anticipated to deliver substantial improvements in cost-effective route management and operational reliability for clients.
This development comes as a critical response to the challenges faced by numerous councils in England, where a remarkable 63% have reported difficulties in recruiting qualified HGV drivers for winter resilience tasks, as highlighted by the Local Government Association. This technology infusion is therefore expected to mitigate some of the operational burdens posed by driver shortages.
Additionally, Econ has ventured into the electric vehicle market with the launch of its all-electric gritter truck. This zero-emission vehicle, equipped with versatile demountable body options, is designed to function throughout the year, supporting various fleet roles beyond winter maintenance.
The partnership between Econ Engineering and Exactrak represents a pivotal advancement in winter road safety management across the UK.
