How Tesko Steel cut costs with Fleethand
Rising fuel prices, time pressure, and a shortage of drivers make fleet management today a balancing act between logistics, finance, and psychology. Every unnecessary kilometer and every minute of downtime hits the costs directly. After testing and implementing Fleethand, Tesko Steel has no doubts: telematics is no longer a gadget — it’s a tool that helps reclaim time, boost profitability, and take some of the daily stress off the operations team’s shoulders.
Tesko Steel: Scale makes all the difference
Tesko Steel Logistic Sp. z o.o. operates in the heavy cargo transport segment — with a fleet of over 100 tractor units and almost as many trailers. Around 65% of the company’s volume consists of steel transport. In practice, this means hundreds of operational decisions every day: route planning, monitoring drivers’ work hours, and managing document flow.
As Krzysztof Włodarczyk, Director of Transport and Forwarding, explains:
“Our data analysis was scattered. We didn’t have everything in one system, so it required much more time. We had access to GPS, of course, but it was a basic tool — no real-time response, no control over driver working hours. We wanted something that would bring all these areas together in one place.”
The scale of the problem became most visible during monthly settlements — only then did it become clear how many extra kilometers drivers were adding, and how much this reduced the profitability of previously priced transports.
“The biggest challenge with a fleet of 50, 100, or more vehicles is scale. The problem was spotted when drivers deviated from their planned routes. We couldn’t react immediately, because among all the daily tasks, there simply wasn’t time to analyze it.” adds Włodarczyk.
Testing and implementation of Fleethand
Fleethand system testing began in late May, and August brought summaries and next steps. During the pilot stage, Tesko Steel installed the system in 12 vehicles and assigned a dedicated project owner.
“There was some resistance in the first month,” Włodarczyk admits, “but after assigning the project to someone who got 110% involved, the results were immediate.”
From Fleethand’s side, Łukasz Dąbrowski, Sales Manager, says the key was addressing the planning and execution challenge:
“The planning module — a tool for optimizing driver route planning that allows both defining the plan and monitoring its execution and reporting — was the starting point for the client. The second crucial feature is what I call a ‘driver working time assistant’. It visualizes the driver’s working hours, helps users spot errors, and suggests solutions, making it easier to talk with drivers. It evens out team performance and supports the staff.”
Pilot results: more jobs, lower fuel use and costs
The most striking post-test results are straightforward and speak for themselves. For the 12 vehicles in the pilot, the team noticed a significant boost in profitability and lower costs:
“We were able to generate at least one additional transport job per vehicle per month — and in some cases, even two.”
With a fleet of over 100 vehicles, those numbers make a real financial difference. Another clear outcome was fuel consumption optimization — early eco-driving results show savings potential:
“We can save around 2 liters per vehicle per 100 km,” says Włodarczyk, noting that this is an early result that will be further verified as implementation continues.
The tests also showed that the system shortens response time to route changes, allowing dispatchers to react faster and reclaim driver work hours — effectively turning “lost” kilometers into new jobs.
Process automation: planning, alerts, escalations, and document scanning
Fleethand brought Tesko Steel features that make automation a daily standard: Route planning that accounts for fuel costs, tolls, and parking spots. Also, the ability to book parking during route planning — eliminating the need for multiple separate tools.
Equally important are alert and escalation mechanisms. The system allows users to define filters, alerts, and escalation rules so that dispatchers aren’t overwhelmed by notifications but only receive the critical ones.
As Łukasz Dąbrowski explains:
“Fleethand alerts can be fully customized. We also have an escalation module — if a dispatcher doesn’t respond to an alert within the system-defined time, they’ll receive an additional email notification, and the information can then be escalated to the team leader.”
Fleethand also introduced document digitization:
“The system allows us to scan documents right after unloading. Already 40% of our operations run on scans,” says Włodarczyk.
Using OCR and validation, the system automatically crops scans and rejects unreadable or incorrect documents directly on the driver’s device — reducing the need for later corrections and follow-up calls.
Improved working conditions: less stress, better results
One of the strongest, though less measurable, effects was improved working conditions in the office.
“Not being able to react immediately used to keep us up at night. Now we know when something goes wrong and can focus 100% on generating revenue and planning routes so the business runs smoothly,” says Włodarczyk.
The mobile app has also reduced phone calls, crises, and emotional strain.
“One of our dispatchers, who used to be under constant stress from driver contact, is a completely different person now. She’s smiling and solving problems better,” Włodarczyk adds.
This improvement translates directly into higher productivity and lower turnover risk in key office roles.
What drove the project’s success?
According to both the client and supplier, it was the combination of management motivation, a dedicated project lead, team engagement, and fast support from Fleethand’s side. All these factors led to fewer unnecessary kilometers, more jobs with the same fleet, measurable fuel savings, lower costs and — just as importantly — less stress in day-to-day work.