How Morson Vital Builds a Culture of Safe Driving and Safe Vehicles with Quartix
“Before we had Quartix connected dashcams and crash data, our fleet insurance claims lost ratio was 87%. Now it's down to 32%, saving us tens of thousands pounds per year.”
Keith Woodcock
Fleet Manager
Industry
Rail Infrastructure
LGVs
650+
Vehicle Operatives
3,000+
Offices Nationwide
23
Morson Vital fills over 100,000 shifts per year for the UK rail industry through its expert network of rail contractors. Fleet Manager Keith Woodcock, a trained vehicle technician, has been in post for 17 years and oversees more than 650 vehicles across 23 offices nationwide. These vehicles provide transport for the thousands of operatives the business deploys each year.
Keith has seen the fleet grow from around 200 vehicles to the multi-service operation it is today. This expansion has accelerated over the past ten years, adding both underground and overground rail contracts to the portfolio. In this environment, reliability and safety are paramount, and effective fleet management is essential to delivering on both.
Morson Vital operates a large and diverse LCV fleet, ranging from 2-seater vans to tippers and welfare vehicles. All drivers use Quartix Check daily to inspect their vehicles before going out on shift, and vehicles are fitted with driver-facing and forward-facing dashcams. With operations running day and night on some of the UK’s most safety-critical rail infrastructure, the business relies on Quartix to help keep its vehicles roadworthy, its drivers protected and its customers’ projects running safely.
A Long-Standing Partnership Evolving With New Safety Tools
Morson Vital first introduced Quartix fleet tracking in 2014, selecting the system to gain clearer visibility of fleet operations, improve safety and reduce operating costs. Over the years, vehicle tracking became a key part of daily fleet management, even helping the team identify incidents of number plate cloning, when fines arrived for vehicles supposedly in London that data showed were actually in Scotland.
After nearly a decade of successful use of the tracking system, the business expanded its adoption to include the Quartix Check inspections and incident reporting app, and live connected dashcams with crash detection. These additions allow Keith and his team to manage safety, compliance and risk far more proactively, with live reporting and a complete digital audit trail.
Why Morson Vital added Quartix Check Vehicle Inspections
Before using Quartix Check, the company relied on emailed or faxed copies of paper reports. This slow process that made it hard to demonstrate maintenance compliance or respond quickly to issues. Moving to the app has given them:
- A complete digital audit trail of daily vehicle checks
- Live defect reporting, with photos and automatic categorisation
- Faster repairs from their providers, often the same day
- Consistent standards across all 23 depots
- Evidence for FORS accreditation
“We have the live tracking map running one screen all day and the Quartix Check inspections dashboard open on another – the reported defects are shown in red at the top so it’s easy to see what needs actioning. Contact details are included for drivers so bookings are easy to arrange.”
Daily Vehicle Checks: Ensuring Safe Vehicles Every Day
With the Quartix Check app, Morson Vital has transformed how inspections are carried out and recorded:
- Drivers log inspections before every shift, including photo evidence of defects
- Checklists are tailored to different vehicle types
- Time, duration and GPS location confirm checks are completed properly
- Health & Safety staff also conduct random spot checks using the app
- Critical defects are escalated instantly, speeding up repairs
- Vehicle swaps are logged clearly, helping identify responsibility for damage
These real-time reports have dramatically reduced out-of-hours breakdowns, because defects no longer take days or weeks to filter through to Keith’s team, they arrive straight on their screen the second the driver completes the inspection. Matthew Phair, Fleet Co-ordinator in Keith’s team, explains: “If drivers report an issue in the evening, we can get that straight to our vehicle maintenance providers. They can often be out the same day to rectify the problem before the end of the shift.”
Safety Culture: “Work Safe: Home Safe”
Morson Vital’s motto “Work safe: home safe” appears on every van and is central to how the fleet is managed. Keith works hard to ensure this motto becomes a mindset, telling workers: “Your shift starts the minute you get in the van and it finishes when you get home.”
This principle helps drivers understand that every journey forms part of their operational risk profile. He reinforces that driving is a high-risk activity – sometimes more dangerous than working trackside.
“Even though a lot of staff are operating cranes or working on the tracks, driving is still one of the highest-risk activities they do.”
Managing Fatigue Across a Nationwide Workforce
With vans being used day and night, long travel distances and rail blockades requiring 24-hour availability, fatigue is a major risk. Morson Vital uses Quartix tools to support their fatigue management policy:
- Driver ID shows exactly who was behind the wheel
- Door-to-door hours monitored in line with the strict Network Rail policy
- Geofencing alerts the team to vehicle use outside shifts
- Drivers complete a fit-to-drive declaration each day
- Hotel stays are arranged to prevent “red-risk” shifts
“We’re extremely conscious of fatigue and the risk it presents when driving for work.”
Incident Response and Live Dashcam Alerts
Quartix’s integrated tracking and dashcams have created a highly responsive incident management process:
- Instant alerts let the team act quickly to minimise downtime
- Footage clarifies disputes or damage responsibility
- Incident data reduces claim time and improves outcomes
- Dual-lens cameras also verify double-crewing in the vans, preventing lone working
“The other day, one of the lads hit a deer and we knew about it right away. You wouldn’t believe it caused £5k damage, but because we knew immediately, we could deal with the problem fast.”
Before adopting the Quartix connected dashcams, Morson Vital had an 87% insurance claims lost ratio. With the data and footage now available, this has dropped to 32%.
Driving Performance, Cost Control & Insurance Savings
Using the telematics system, Morson Vital’s in-house Continuous Improvement Manager reviews driving scores, harsh braking, idling and behavioural trends each week. Poor-performing drivers receive additional training, and vehicles may be removed from persistent offenders. Fuel use is closely monitored using distance-driven data and any discrepancies are challenged.
The biggest financial impact has come from connected cameras and crash data. Before adopting the Quartix connected dashcams, Morson Vital had an 87% insurance claims lost ratio. With the data and footage now available, this has dropped to 32%, a 55% improvement that has saved the business tens of thousands of pounds in insurance premiums.
The cameras have been a catalyst for better driver behaviour too, as Keith’s team explains.
“As soon as the drivers see the cameras installed, their driving style scores immediately change for the better.”
Quartix as a Long-Term Safety Partner
After more than a decade of working together, Morson Vital continues to expand how they use Quartix. With live driver behaviour data, fatigue management, safety checks and dual-lens dashcams, Morson Vital continues to raise safety standards, strengthen compliance and reduce operational risks across one of the UK’s busiest and most safety-critical fleets.
Keith summarises it simply: “Quartix is the whole package… a one-stop shop for what we need. The support team have been fantastic throughout and helped us to shape the system around the way we work.”
If you would like to learn more about the Quartix fleet tracking system, connected dashcams, or our vehicle safety inspections app, Quartix Check, reach out to our team of experts today.
“Quartix is the whole package… a one-stop shop for what we need. The support team have been fantastic throughout and helped us to shape the system around the way we work.”
Keith Woodcock, Fleet Manager
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