Today, Sandwell achieves around 30% lower salt usage while maintaining full network coverage across its winter service routes. The improvement comes not from a single feature, but from a more connected and flexible operational approach combining precise spreading control, dynamic route management and greater adaptability in daily operations.
From fixed routines to flexible winter operations
Sandwell Council operates a fleet of nine Schmidt Stratos III gritters mounted on Mercedes Arocs chassis. Much of the operational improvement comes from how the fleet is managed through the Aebi Schmidt Operations & Fleet Management System IntelliOPS and its Route Manager functionality.
Previously, winter operations followed a far more rigid structure, with fixed drivers assigned to fixed routes. Today, the operation is significantly more flexible.
"As in the past it was generally one driver one route," explains Lee Preece from Sandwell Council. "Now we can use any driver in any vehicle if required."
That flexibility has become increasingly important in an operational environment where staffing remains one of the biggest challenges, particularly during demanding winter events and rotating shift operations.
Precision that reduces waste
Flexibility alone is not enough. To achieve measurable efficiency gains, Sandwell also needed greater control over how salt was applied across the network.
This is where Route Manager plays a central role. The system helps optimise spreading patterns, prevent duplication where routes overlap and ensure salt is delivered exactly where it is needed.
Spreading width and dosage can be adjusted dynamically throughout the route, ensuring consistent application while eliminating unnecessary salt usage. The result is a more controlled and efficient winter service operation.
"Connected route management and flexible fleet operations have helped us reduce salt usage by around 30% while maintaining full winter service coverage," Preece explains.
Real-time adaptation in changing conditions
Operational conditions during winter service are constantly changing. Road closures, incidents and weather conditions require immediate operational adjustments. Using Route Manager, Sandwell can edit routes directly within the system and transmit updates straight to the vehicle before deployment.
"When we’re notified of a closure, we edit the route and send the change to the gritter," explains Preece.
This ability to adapt routes in real time helps keep operations running efficiently even during unexpected disruptions.
Proven under severe winter conditions
The value of operational flexibility becomes most visible during severe weather events. During Storm Goretti, with forecasts predicting hours of continuous snowfall, Sandwell implemented rotating 8-hour shifts to maintain 24-hour coverage across the network.
"The flexibility in the system and the operators allowed us to continue operating throughout the snow event," says Preece.
The combination of flexible staffing, connected routing and precise salt management ensured uninterrupted winter service under sustained pressure.
A system built for real-world winter service
For Sandwell Council, the biggest improvement is not just greater efficiency, but greater operational control.
Less waste, more flexibility and the ability to adapt operations to changing real-world conditions.
The case highlights how connected operations and fleet management system can support more efficient winter service operations while maintaining service levels across the network.