A New Zealand app hopes to automate heavy vehicle management by centralising administration tasks in one location.

The app, called Bonnet, allows users to upload a fleet of heavy vehicles from freight trucks to farming equipment by simply entering each license plate number. The app takes care of everything else, pulling in each vehicle’s data from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport agency and notifying the user of everything from inspection dates to mileage, registration and WOF in one place.

For fleet owners and trucking companies, it replaces manual systems that run the risk of hefty fines if records are not kept correctly.

Bonnet was developed by tech entrepreneur Steph Kennard who after years in the vehicle industry spotted a gap in the market for simplified vehicle admin.

Kennard said  keeping track of large fleets, farm vehicles and trucking, is a time consuming manual process with room for error and Bonnet makes heavy vehicle admin more streamlined and accurate.

“The app completely changes how fleets, heavy vehicles, farming equipment and family vehicles are managed. You get alerted on your phone and via email and you can update and book services on your phone or computer in the office. It’s seamless and we hope its simplicity means we can ease the burden on businesses managing multiple heavy vehicles,” said Kennard.

The app launched four weeks ago and has already amassed 12,000 users with over 25,000 cars loaded. The app’s latest release means trucking companies and farms can now use the app to manage their heavy vehicle fleets with a game-changing centralised management system.

“The new update means no inspection or Warrant of Fitness is missed and heavy vehicles on New Zealand roads are safe,” said Kennard.

“Each vehicle can be nicknamed for easy identification and users are guided by a traffic light system. The red, most urgent deadlines come up first in your dashboard so users will never be worried if they’ve missed an inspection or registration again.”

New Zealanders are heavy road users driving billions of kilometres a year and a 2021 study estimated 400,000 cars were driving without a WOF.

“Over ¼  of Bonnet users have discovered their rego or Warrant of Fitness is overdue, and that’s in the space of a few short weeks,” said Kennard.

Soon the app will also help monitor tyre tread and educate users on the differences between tyres on the market. The app will also have videos explaining how to change tyres, oil and water plus other car education tips aimed at domestic vehicle users.

Bonnet is free to download via the Apple or Google Play store.