DriverNet secures innovation award for logistics app

DriverNet’s app helps delivery drivers optimise the exchange process, and has claimed February’s Merseyside Innovation Award.

DriverNet was founded in St Helens by logistics professional Ant Chisnall. Having spent 15 years working across the sector in operational and senior management roles within small fleet and multinational hauliers, he identified a weak point in the logistics process.

The app aims to assist with navigation, communications and coordination to fast tracking the inbound process for delivery drivers. It can run through a pre-journey safety checklist to ensure the vehicle is ready to go, route details and safety information

Chisnall said: “Many people will be familiar with the problem of large vehicles being sent down narrow streets by conventional sat navs but that is only part of the problem.

“As it stands many delivery drivers, whatever the size of their vehicle, receive only a postcode or business name and addresses on the paperwork. They punch the details into the sat nav and off they go.”

He added: “With more and more deliveries coming into city centres, there are issues around unloading areas and delivery windows and restrictions. A lack of coordination, guidance and information in the final 500m of a delivery can result in improvisation, which leads to unnecessary waste, risk and stress or congestion.”

Since 1996, the Merseyside Innovation Awards has sought to recognise and reward companies and individuals that use creativity to fuel growth and profitability.

Organised by a group of locally-based sponsor organisations including: Mitchell Charlesworth, Unilever, Trustech, Liverpool and Sefton Chambers of Commerce, Dewinter, Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, Insider Media, the University of Liverpool, and BBC Radio Merseyside.

The awards select monthly winners between January and May before choosing the three best to go through to the final, where they go head-to-head in front of a panel of expert judges to compete for a top prize of £10,000.