Port Colborne uses Geotab to manage 300+ pieces of equipment across five departments

The City of Port Colborne Open in new window, Ontario, manages more than 300 pieces of equipment across five departments: bylaw enforcement, parks, roads, waterways and snow plowing. Using Geotab GPS tracking data, integrated cameras and driver scorecards, the City can investigate claims, monitor field operations remotely and plan future fleet changes.

Port Colborne reports that claims that once took days or weeks to investigate can now be resolved in hours. The City also uses Geotab data to assess driver performance and evaluate which vehicles may be suitable for fleet electrification.

Results at a glance

The challenge: finding fleet information when it was needed

Port Colborne’s previous fleet management system was slow and difficult to use when staff needed information quickly. This made insurance claims involving parking lots, slip-and-fall incidents and vehicle collisions harder to investigate. Staff could spend days or weeks gathering information, with limited access to vehicle location data and camera footage.

The City’s operations span bylaw enforcement, parks, roads, waterways and snow plowing. Supervisors also needed a way to monitor work in the field without always travelling to the site, particularly during winter operations and waterway emergencies.

The solution: GPS, cameras and driver scorecards

The City implemented Geotab’s fleet management platform through Dican Inc Open in new window and integrated onboard cameras with the MyGeotab dashboard. Staff use GPS data and video footage to investigate incidents and check where vehicles were and when they responded.

During onboarding, the City and its partners also identified equipment that was not being used to its full potential. The data showed the need to downsize some vehicles to reduce vehicle and carrying costs.

Cameras support different municipal operations

Port Colborne installed a 360-degree camera on a road sweeper to help the operator see curbs, gutters and nearby traffic. The City is adding the setup to another sweeper.  A side-bin camera on a lugger truck lets the operator see the area around the bin before the vehicle moves. For snowplows, the City installed four-camera live-view systems so supervisors can monitor operations remotely.

The City also tracks salt loaded, returned and used during snow events to review material use and support winter-operations planning. “With our snow plows for winter events, we’ve just put in a four-camera system with live view. Our supervisor can be at home or off-site and view what’s happening while someone is out there plowing.”   — Tim Anderson, Fleet, Stores and Facilities Manager, City of Port Colborne

Scorecards support driver and insurance reviews

The City divided driver-scorecard reporting by department. Supervisors and managers receive monthly reports. For an insurance renewal request for quotation, Anderson used scorecard information to show that the City met a performance threshold of 75% or higher.

The results: faster investigations and more operational visibility

1. Claims resolved in hours

   Port Colborne uses GPS data and camera footage to investigate claims involving parking lots, slip-and-fall incidents, vehicle collisions and waterways. The City reports that claims that previously took days or weeks to investigate can now be resolved in hours.

   
   In one case described in the video, a truck and trailer were mistaken for a City vehicle in a social media post. After reviewing footage, the City determined it was not its vehicle, and a correction and apology followed. For a waterway-related claim, staff used Geotab data to check which vehicles responded, where they went and when they arrived.

2. Supervisors can monitor snowplows remotely

   The four-camera live-view systems let supervisors check snowplow activity and field conditions remotely. If an operator reports worsening weather or asks for assistance, a supervisor can review the vehicle’s camera view and decide how to respond.

3. Driver scorecards give the City information for insurance discussions

   Monthly reports let supervisors review driver performance by department. Anderson used the scorecard information during an insurance renewal request to show that the City was at a 75% threshold or higher.
    

   “We don’t have to be a specialist through Geotab or IT. Anyone can just go on and it works.”  — Tim Anderson

Fleet data informs electrification planning

Port Colborne is reviewing vehicle usage, route patterns and idle time to assess which vehicles may be suitable for electrification. The City plans to use this information to guide future fleet decisions and sustainability planning. 

About the City of Port Colborne

The City of Port Colborne is a municipality in Ontario, Canada. Its services include bylaw enforcement, parks, roads, waterways and snow plowing.