CASE STUDY: FOODSTUFFS NORTH ISLAND
Foodstuffs North Island boosts fleet safety with AutoSense Vision Focus - giving drivers and managers real-time monitoring and exoneration footage.
Foodstuffs North Island operates a fleet of over 300 vehicles, covering more than 24 million kilometres annually across New Zealand.
As the country’s largest grocery cooperative, it oversees both company-owned trucks and a broad network of owner-drivers. Safety has long been a priority across its transport operations.
The challenge
Despite a strong commitment to road safety, Foodstuffs North Island faced challenges common to large fleets: fatigue-related risk, driver distraction, and public complaints related to vehicle behaviour. There was limited real-time visibility into what drivers were experiencing on the road, and a need to support both company and contracted drivers with tools that would detect fatigue and provide protection in the event of a crash or complaint.
The solution
Over the past five years, Foodstuffs North Island has equipped its entire fleet with Guardian by Seeing Machines, a driver-facing in-cab technology exclusively distributed in New Zealand by AutoSense. Guardian detects microsleeps and distraction, vibrating the driver’s seat and sounding an in-cab alarm to wake the driver in real time.
In April 2025, the business began installing AutoSense Vision Focus in selected vehicles. This forward-facing camera system works in tandem with Guardian to provide a complete picture of each journey - capturing both the road ahead and activity inside the cab. This system allow fleet managers to quickly investigate complaints, confirm fault in incidents, and support drivers with real-time monitoring and exoneration footage.
Implementation
Guardian cameras are now standard across the entire Foodstuffs North Island fleet, including overflow vehicles. Owner-drivers, initially hesitant due to concerns around surveillance, quickly came on board after seeing the technology in action. One operator who was openly sceptical later called to apologise after footage revealed a driver nodding off - and being safely woken by Guardian’s seat vibration alarm.
The rollout of AutoSense Vision Focus saw no resistance from drivers. “Once they understood that these cameras were there to protect them, not police them, they were on board straight away. The Vision Focus’ exoneration capacity means it’s been a very different conversation,” says Blair Inglis, Fleet Safety Manager.
The implementation was supported by broader safety policies, including annual medicals for all drivers, fatigue assessments, and hands-free check-ins by fleet managers when Guardian triggers a fatigue alert.
Five year results and impact
Guardian cameras have contributed to an 84% drop in mobile phone-related events, outperforming the national average reduction of 62%.
Distraction events have decreased by more than two-thirds, now occurring at a rate of fewer than one per 10,000 kilometres - well below the national average of 1.17.
Several drivers have been diagnosed with sleep apnoea and supported in returning to safe work.
Real-time incident footage from Vision Focus cameras has resolved complaints and cleared drivers within minutes.
Since 2019, there have been no major accidents where a Foodstuffs North Island driver is at fault.
Fatigue-related incidents have dropped by 41%, compared to a national average decline of 36%.
Lessons learned
Blair Inglis worked closely with AutoSense to develop benchmarked, fleet-wide monthly reporting - a process that has since helped shape how Guardian customers nationwide assess performance. The cultural shift at Foodstuffs North Island has been significant, with drivers now encouraged and supported to speak up about fatigue.
“AutoSense has been a true partner - always responsive, no matter the time of day, practical in their installations and genuinely committed to safety,” says Inglis. “They don’t just sell us technology; they provide advice and help us apply it in the real world.”
"Foodstuffs North Island’s proactive approach to fleet safety has helped shape our national reporting benchmarks and set a new standard for large-scale camera integration.”
Conclusion
Foodstuffs North Island has established a strong, technology-supported safety culture where people come first. By combining Guardian and AutoSense Vision Focus, the business has empowered drivers, protected lives, and created a safer environment across its 475-strong driver workforce.
“Our fleet safety results have been achieved from a safety-first culture where people matter, and we make sure every driver has access to our whole package of safety interventions from AutoSense and from other providers. The AutoSense team has enabled us to make it a reality,” says Inglis.
Charles Dawson, CEO - AutoSense.