Savings of up to 20,000 euros per accident: Samsara revolutionises accident handling at Scharf Busreisen

"With the Connected Operations Cloud, everything is so easy and intuitive, you wonder how you used to do it. We can now access video and data remotely and via the Samsara apps without delay," Carsten Jandt, Head of Driving Services & Data Protection Officer at Scharf Busreisen

Standout benefits:

• Up to 3 hours per week time saving: Samsara has reduced incident handling time from several hours to a few minutes, significantly increasing efficiency.

• Savings of up to €20,000 per accident: The introduction of Samsara led to significant savings on major accidents, which significantly reduced the company's overall costs.

• Improved safety and employee satisfaction: By utilising Samsara's wide range of features, Scharf Busreisen was able to improve the satisfaction of drivers and administrative staff.

Tradition meets digital transformation

Since its foundation in 1930 in Maria Thalheim, Bavaria, Scharf Busreisen has developed into a respected company in the travel and transport industry. With a fleet of 68 vehicles in total, which is to be expanded to 90 by the end of 2024, the company mainly serves Germany, but also neighbouring countries such as Austria, France, Italy, Switzerland and even Malta with its coach services. The fleet includes coaches, buses for the Munich Transport Company (MVG) and school buses. The company's own workshop, currently staffed by four mechanics and soon to be reinforced by a further specialist, ensures that the fleet is always kept in top condition.

Focus on tracking and vehicle monitoring

The digitalisation of the mobility industry has presented companies like Scharf Busreisen with numerous challenges. One of the main ones was to effectively monitor the position and activities of the vehicles retrospectively. Previously, the company was only able to see the current position of the buses, which often led to delays and inaccurate solutions in the event of customer complaints or accidents. There was a lack of a retrospective function that allowed incidents to be precisely analysed afterwards. The technology introduced by Samsara enables significantly more comprehensive historical data recording compared to previous methods.

The aim of this new development is to maximise the efficiency and safety of the fleet. With the help of Samsara, it is now possible to digitally ‘’board‘’ the affected bus within seconds in the event of an incident. This advanced functionality provides a direct understanding of the situation, enables accurate advice to be given to drivers and emphasises the company's commitment to modern fleet management. Thanks to this innovation, time-consuming and tedious on-site support visits are a thing of the past.

Efficient vehicle monitoring and optimisation

Before the introduction of Samsara, Scharf Busreisen relied on dashcams that worked with SD cards. If an incident occurred, the operator had to travel to the location of the bus to check the data. ‘With the Connected Operations Cloud, everything is so easy and intuitive, you wonder how you used to do it. We can now access video and data remotely and via the Samsara apps without delay,’ says Carsten Jandt, Head of Driving Services & Data Protection Officer at Scharf Busreisen. Another problem was the use of the buses by drivers outside of working hours. With the new tracking technologies, it is now possible to identify and prevent misuse of the vehicles more effectively. ‘Samsara's comprehensive real-time location and tracking capability enables companies to track their vehicle fleets anytime, anywhere, resulting in more efficient fleet management and maximum transparency,’ adds Jandt. The introduction of Samsara's Dual-facing AI Dash Cams and Vehicle Gateways therefore marked a decisive advance not only in precise tracking, but also in improved accident detection and monitoring of driver activity.

Electromobility and advanced data management

Scharf Busreisen is placing a particular focus on implementing electromobility in its fleet in order to make a contribution to sustainability. However, the switch to electric buses presents the company with a number of challenges, particularly in terms of the weight of the batteries and the associated reduction in passenger capacity. Despite these obstacles, Scharf Busreisen has already taken concrete steps and plans to convert two of their existing coaches to electric operation. In addition, they are expecting the arrival of ten new electric buses in the near future, which will enrich their fleet.

In this context, Samsara aids Scharf Busreisen in transitioning to electric vehicles by leveraging cutting-edge technologies and data integration. To ensure the efficiency of this transition, the company has identified suitable routes and has already installed two charging points at its depot, with plans for six more in the future. Another key aspect is data-driven management and analytics. By utilising Samsara's technologies, the company is able to monitor and accurately determine the state of charge of the batteries on an ongoing basis. This data is integrated directly into the system, providing the company with a detailed overview of the availability of its vehicle fleet.

Installation and utilisation of the technology

The implementation of Samsara at Scharf Busreisen has revolutionised the company in many ways. The installation of the Samsara cameras was carried out independently by Scharf's mechanics, supported by an intuitive user interface and an accompanying app that greatly simplified the installation process. A key aspect of this transition was the open dialogue with the drivers. Through transparent communication and demonstration of the new systems, the Scharf Busreisen team was able to communicate the benefits of the technology and encourage acceptance among drivers. Scharf Busreisen uses several Samsara products, including the Dual-facing AI Dash Cam and the Vehicle Gateway.

Use of AI and integration of Samsara in various areas of the company

One particularly noteworthy aspect of this technological development is the use of artificial intelligence (AI), which can identify improvement potential in driving behaviour. ‘The collaboration with Samsara opens up great opportunities for us. Through their technology, our drivers can now learn and improve their skills through short 'incident' videos, making a tangible contribution to safety on our roads,’ says Carsten Jandt. This innovation makes an important contribution to road safety, for example by recognising the use of mobile phones by drivers while driving. The integration of Samsara extends to various areas of the company, including the use of Samsara's own software for dispatching, route planning and maintenance as well as safety functions, alerts and scheduled reports.

In addition, Samsara has simplified complaint management for transport services and enables quick analysis after accidents. Scharf Reisen saves valuable time, be it in complaint management, analysing incidents or handling accidents. Previously, it could take hours for an incident to be processed and resolved, but now relevant information is available within a few minutes. Overall, the company can save up to 3 hours of administrative work per week, which means a significant increase in efficiency. In addition, the introduction of Samsara at Scharf Busreisen has not only simplified the daily work routine, but has also led to considerable cost reductions - especially in the case of major accidents, individual savings of between 15,000 and 20,000 euros have been realised. By making extensive use of Samsara's many functions, Scharf Busreisen has been able to significantly increase its operational efficiency and at the same time improve the safety and satisfaction of its employees.

A successful symbiosis of tradition and innovation

Scharf Busreisen is a prime example of how traditional companies can not only significantly increase their efficiency by integrating advanced technologies, but also strengthen their competitive position at the same time. Thanks to the targeted use of data analyses, Scharf Busreisen is ideally positioned to successfully meet future challenges and continue to drive the company's growth. The consistent documentation of mobile phone use at the wheel also has a direct financial incentive for the company. Scharf Busreisen illustrates how essential the fusion of traditional values with innovative solutions is for the future viability of companies.