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What have vehicle tracking and a round-the-world yacht race got in common, you may ask?

Quite a lot, as it happens. One leading provider of vehicle tracking systems to the road transport industry has also been involved in recording the position, direction and speed of each yacht in the nine-month Volvo Ocean Race, which began last October.

Thanks to Cybit's BlueFinger tracking technology, yachting fans have been able to follow the progress of each of the 10 stages of the 37,000-nautical-mile  race in the form of a three-dimensional image.

And although the day-to-day routine of transporting goods by road is not perhaps regarded as glamorous as that of round-the-world yachting, it is just as important to Cybit, which boasts a customer list that includes Fowler Welch Coolchain, RCS Logistics and Abel and Cole.

John Wisdom, group sales and marketing director at the company, has more than 20 years' experience in the transport and logistics industry with a variety of companies such as Ryder, Nedlloyd Group, United States Line and Geest.

And he is positively evangelistic about the merits of telematics.

"Hauliers are beginning to realise the significant benefits of the technology, which can help reduce operating costs and improve efficiencies", he tells CM. "Fuel costs can be reduced by utilising vehicle telematics to manage routing and scheduling; operational control; speed management; driver behaviour and vehicle performance."

He adds:  "It allows fleet engineers to study detailed vehicle performance analysis through real-time delivery and processing of detailed data. In addition, there are tools to help haulage firms comply with the increasing legislative, taxation and compliance burden that is associated with operating."

Cybit, which is based in a leafy business park in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, also supplies vehicle tracking services to haulage firms across Europe. In April 2008, Cybit announced it had acquired Truck24, a leading German-based telematics vendor, specialising in the HGV and logistics sectors across Germany, Switzerland and Austria. While last year, the company launched Fleetstar Logistics - a telematics software package developed in conjunction with Truck 24.

As part of the package, trucks are fitted with a small electronic unit that is tracked by GPS in real-time.

Data is transmitted via the O2 network to Cybit's online control centre. The software provides information on both vehicle and driver, and includes workflow management, engine management reporting, fuel performance monitoring, and drivers' hours compliance.

Wisdom reveals: "Most telematics platforms operate across several different industry sectors. However, Fleetstar Logistics is meant for the logistics industry only; and we believe we have an excellent knowledge of the requirements of road transport operators."

Fleetstar incorporates a timesheet, which displays the times a vehicle has spent moving, stopped at a job, at base, idling or at unauthorised locations. Its duty of care module has been specifically designed to help organisations deal with the requirements of the Corporate Manslaughter Act.

It allows fleet managers and company directors to log core data to demonstrate their compliance and to easily monitor excessive journey times, speeds, driver licence validity, vehicle service history and driver training qualifications - all linked to live positioning information. This data can be recorded, stored and produced on demand, should the authorities require vehicle documentation.

Wisdom says: "Cybit's growth has previously been fuelled by a corporate need to manage costs, emissions and customer service. Recent parliamentary legislation, including the Corporate Manslaughter Act, provides further incentive for organisations to invest in technology to monitor their compliance.

"Telematics provides systematic procedures and reporting that enhances an organisation's ability to comply without any undue administrative burden".

According to Wisdom, it is also possible for haulage companies to improve their fleet security through the use of software technology.

Wisdom says that when a company has a truck parked in a depot overnight, its software can send an alert informing a manager if it is taken or moved unexpectedly.

"This is particularly important if a truck is carrying high-value goods," he adds. "We believe security telematics can be particularly useful for the likes of scrap metal firms and for companies who want to check the whereabouts of their trailers."

Wisdom believes the technology could also be beneficial for businesses in the home delivery sector: "Home delivery drivers make a large number of drops; the driver pulls up outside a house, and may leave the key in the ignition - which may make it a target.

"Telematics technology can send an alert to the company boss should this happen."

It may not be quite as glamerous as sailing around the world but anything that makes vehicles run more effieciently is certainly worth alearting the company boss about.

BOX: Fleet tracking in the Public sector

Cybit has also created a separate division of the business entirely devoted to the potentially lucrative public sector, following the acquisition of specialist firm Amatics in 2008.

Powys County Council became the tenth local authority in Wales to adopt Cybit's system and the company now provides fleet tracking and telematics support to more than 30 local authorities across the UK.

In Powys, the council uses the Cybit system to manage 450 winter road maintenance and highways services vehicles, such as gritters and gully emptiers. Each maintenance vehicle has a GPS tracking unit fitted and a mobile data terminal allowing them to be tracked and monitored in real time.

Wisdom says: "The Cybit system provides real-time management of Powys County Council's vehicles. The reports produced by the system provide fleet managers with instant proof that maintenance work has been carried out and allows them to see which areas need further attention and why - data critical in public sector operations."

Last year, Cybit was also awarded a five-year contract by the Highways Agency to track and monitor more than 400 winter service and maintenance vehicles. The system records whether the vehicles are spreading, the rate and pattern of spreading, width and lane position, and ploughing.

"The telematics system gives the (Highways Agency) contractors the ability to monitor location-based information, monitor planned versus actual activity, to react to problems and to be confident that roads have been adequately treated", Wisdom adds.

Cybit also provides technology to organisations involved in fisheries protection, port management and vessel tracking as well as offering precise positioning systems for harsh environment operations such as open cast mining and the oil exploration industry.