Michelin Connected Fleet launches in SA

Some 70,000 customers from 16 different countries use Michelin Connected Fleet to travel millions of kilometres every year across Europe, North America, and South America. Now, as CLARE PETRA MATTHES reports, this service is available in South Africa.

The group’s extensive experience in driving behaviour and tyre and vehicle management makes it fitting that Michelin is now offering Michelin Connected Fleet to South African transport operators. 

According to Marcus Baffoe-Bonnie, vice-president and managing director at Michelin sub-Saharan Africa, Michelin will invest between five and 10 billion euros worldwide in non-tyre businesses by 2030.

“We expect non-tyre businesses to be about 20% of our revenue going forward. Today, we’re here to talk about one of these non-tyre businesses: Michelin Connected Fleet,” says Baffoe-Bonnie. “Over the last 24 months, we have been piloting, testing, and fine-tuning this offer with our partners. After multiple different trials, we are finally ready to introduce an offer to the market that we believe is going to transform the industry.”

As part of the Michelin Group, it is Michelin Connected Fleet’s ambition to be the number one global provider of connected solutions for fleet management. Hence its expansion into new markets such as South Africa, which Shivani Pillay, Michelin Connected Fleet country manager, describes as “a country with immense potential”.

“We want to be the partner for our customers,” adds Lucas Mendes, director and VP of global international expansion – M&A and partnerships at Michelin Connected Fleet. “Our mission is to help our customers improve their fleet management operations, using technology and their data to provide more information and more insight.”

Pillay emphasises that Michelin is not a telematics company but rather a fleet management services and solutions provider: “We are there to help you optimise your fleet and combine our technology and solutions to help you achieve the goals that you set as a fleet owner.”

Safety and vehicle cargo security are top of mind for fleet owners and managers. Michelin Connected Fleet promises to provide safety and security solutions to help transporters manage sustainable fleets, create security rules to detect hijacking situations, and allow for location-based immobilisation if any pre-determined rules are broken.

The embedded intelligence solution encourages proactive driver behaviour and in turn reduces accidents with the Michelin Connected Fleet’s onboard instructor. Fleet owners and managers also gain live visibility of their driver with the Michelin Connected Fleet smart cameras. 

While Pillay celebrates the product, she acknowledges that it’s the people behind this offer that make it work, noting: “We’re not a hardware company, we’re not a telematics company, and we’re not a black box supplier.”

She adds that the company’s offers stand out for the personalised consultancy delivered by its team of Michelin Connected Fleet experts. 

“It’s no longer enough just to provide access to fleet data; we have performance analysis embedded into our offering,” she says. “This means we are perfectly placed to help customers master the management of their fleets and improve their operations. Our analysis can help transporters be at the forefront of fleet management, and we’re focused on adding value at every stage.” 

The journey begins with understanding specific needs and continues long after the Michelin technologies are installed. “We collect mobility data from your fleet and then convert it into effective action plans for your business, giving you a competitive edge,” explains Pillay.

“We work as a true partner, supporting you with data driven recommendations to help you reduce costs, improve productivity, keep your drivers and cargo safe, and manage sustainable fleets. Our performance analysis services are the key to your success.”