In nine years, Motion Group has grown from a small crane dry hire operation into a diversified business spanning crane hire, labour hire, steel erection and fabrication.

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More recently, the business has expanded into wet hire, supporting fabricators, builders, panel installers, importers and engineering businesses across a broad range of projects.

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Today, Motion Group operates around 30 cranes, including 14 Frannas and 11 slew cranes, alongside a growing fleet of trucks, trailers and support vehicles.

As Motion Group's fleet grew, so did the complexity of keeping its cranes moving safely and compliantly.

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Crane movements are governed by approved routes and the infrastructure each vehicle is permitted to cross. When a driver calls from the road asking whether they can use a particular bridge or rail crossing, the team needs to know exactly where the crane is and provide a clear answer quickly.

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Without reliable live visibility, that wasn't always straightforward.

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“When you don't have the live tracking of that crane, it's really hard to tell where they're at and give them a straightforward answer. It's pretty easy to end up driving over the wrong bridge or rail crossing.”

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The former IAP arrangement offered limited visibility of crane movements, while equipment installation required an external installer and could take a crane out of service for half a day or longer.

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The business needed a solution that could support compliance while reducing complexity and downtime.

Motion Group's relationship with V-DAQ began when the team needed to get a crane compliant and operational quickly. V-DAQ turned the first crane around in approximately three days, setting the tone for the partnership that followed.

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Moving to V-DAQ's TMA solution gave Motion Group live access to crane locations through online mapping, making it easier for the team to support drivers and manage fleet movements throughout the day.

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Geofencing provides an additional operational record, allowing the team to see when cranes leave for jobs and return to base, particularly when dockets haven't been completed correctly.

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V-DAQ also integrates with Gearbox, a fleet maintenance system, keeping operating hours up to date and giving the maintenance team accurate information for servicing.

Since implementing V-DAQ TMA, Motion Group has improved visibility across its fleet while making installation, allocation and maintenance simpler.

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Faster installation and less downtime
Previously, tracking equipment required an external installer and could take a crane out of operation for half a day or longer. V-DAQ TAGs can be fitted by Motion Group's team in an hour or less, getting cranes back to work sooner.

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Greater confidence in routing and compliance
Live tracking allows the team to locate a crane immediately and better support drivers when they need guidance around approved routes, bridges and rail crossings.

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Faster allocation decisions
Allocators can see when a crane has left site and assess where it can be sent next, rather than calling two or three people before responding to a customer.

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Better visibility across jobs
Geofencing provides a clear record of crane movements, helping the team confirm departures and returns when dockets are incomplete or job movements need to be checked.

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More effective maintenance planning
The Gearbox integration keeps crane operating hours current for servicing, helping the maintenance team manage a larger fleet with less manual administration.

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“The greatest value is the ease of the installs, being able to see where our cranes are immediately, and the integration with Gearbox keeping our hours up to date for servicing.” John, Fleet Maintenance, Motion Group

Motion Group's growth shows no signs of slowing. Alongside its own fleet of around 30 cranes, the business is cross-hiring another four or five cranes to meet demand, with plans to continue expanding.

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As the operation grows, Mick Williams sees ease of use as increasingly important. Technology needs to support the people keeping the fleet moving, rather than create more work for them.

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That practicality is a key reason Motion Group continues to move towards V-DAQ: giving its team the visibility and information they need while keeping the technology behind the operation simple.