We’ve spoken to a number of councils who use permits in conjunction with an in-cab service, to find out why they made that choice and how it benefits residents, councils teams and collection crews.

Why is in-cab technology useful?

Gone are the days of manually producing round sheets for waste collection services; many local authorities now use in-cab technology to manage their reporting requirements. Services like Bartec, Whitespace, RouteWare and Echo offer route-planning and optimisation, and allow collection crews to ensure they are visiting all the right streets and saving time by skipping the ones that don’t have any sign-ups.

In-cab systems act as a sat-nav for crews, which is particularly helpful to new drivers who are just learning the routes, or if new residents sign up and need to be added to the rounds. The crew can also see any additional bins or assisted collections on their devices, allowing them to ensure all bins that have been paid for are being collected.

The online systems give instant updates and ensure that crews are directed to the right bin, even if the resident only subscribed to the service 15 minutes ago, or it is an assisted collection. Printed permits are ‘always on’ – they ensure only paid bins are collected, by being highly visible to loaders who may be away from their vehicle.

How do permits work alongside in-cab systems?

Permits work really well alongside your in-cab system – using the two methods together maximises the efficiency of your chargeable garden waste collection service. If you’ve recently moved to a chargeable service from a universal service, permits will show which bins should now be collected. Having permits on bins also speeds up the collection process generally, as they give your collection crews an instant method for identifying which residents are signed up to the garden waste service. Permits can also act as a backup if collection crews are running behind schedule and don’t have time to check their in-cab devices.

What if something goes wrong on the round?

There is an array of reporting features available within in-cab systems, which can capture and record contamination, bins that have not been presented, or those that have been missed for any other reason.

In-cab systems also allow crews to take note of any issues on their rounds, such as blocked roads, which may lead to a disruption of the service. This helps councils deliver improved customer service, as the information recorded by in-cab systems can be passed on to customer service teams so they can let residents know of any issues with the service.

What are the other benefits of using permits with an in-cab system?

A permit boosts the value of your chargeable garden waste service, as it gives your residents a tangible product once they sign up. And once the permit itself is placed on your resident’s bin, it’s acting as an advert for the service, potentially increasing your sign-up rates.

You can have QR codes printed on your permits which is another way of adding value to your garden waste service. The QR code can link to a dashboard enabling residents to contact you directly, or it can display information like collection dates or changes to services.

If you’ve recently moved from a universal collection service to a chargeable service, permits allow crews to identify which bins need to be collected. For example: if everyone on the street has a bin but only five residents are signed up to the new chargeable service, your crew won’t automatically know which five bins need collecting. Having permits displayed on bins eliminates any uncertainty and ensures speedy, efficient collection.

The verdict: using permit and in-cab together

Using permits and an in-cab service together has so many benefits as the two complement each other, but the highlight is how much easier it makes life for your bin crews. The increased revenue you could be bringing in can benefit your local authority massively, and the added value and improved services you can provide to your residents will benefit them too.