From Data Black Holes to 100% Visibility: How Davidsons Homes Protected Their Fleet

Overcoming the rugged reality of construction sites to prove liability and protect drivers with MANTIS.

In the construction industry, 'attention to detail' usually refers to the craftsmanship of a finished home. For Davidsons Homes, a premier placemaker in the Midlands, that same level of scrutiny is applied to the safety of their people.
But 18 months ago, they faced a problem familiar to many fleet operators in the sector: a "data black hole."
Operating a heavy fleet of 30 telehandlers across active building sites is demanding. When you add mud, dust, and poor network coverage into the mix, standard technology often fails. Davidsons Homes found that their legacy camera systems simply couldn't keep up with the pace of their operations, leaving them vulnerable to false claims and blind spots.
Here is how they partnered with SmartFits and deployed the MANTIS RECON platform to achieve what was previously impossible: 100% footage availability.

The Challenge: The "Go and Fetch" Nightmare

Before MANTIS, retrieving footage at Davidsons Homes was a manual, time-consuming ordeal.
If an incident occurred on a muddy building site miles away, the Fleet Manager couldn't simply click a button. They often had to travel to the vehicle, physically climb into the cab, remove a hard drive, and hope the data wasn't corrupted.

For over a decade, our business relied on a solution that served us well but, over time, became increasingly unreliable," explains Ross Bayliss, Health, Safety & Environmental Director at Davidsons Homes. "We were facing corrupted hard drives, inoperable cameras, and significant downtime.

The biggest hurdle? Connectivity. Construction sites are notorious for poor mobile network coverage. Standard SIM cards often lost signal, meaning critical evidence couldn't be uploaded remotely. Davidsons needed a solution that worked everywhere, not just where the signal was strong.

The Solution: Intelligent Eyes on the Ground

Davidsons Homes turned to SmartFits, a partner known for a consultative approach to fleet technology. SmartFits didn't just ship a box; they designed a solution specifically for the rough terrain of a building site.
The solution combined Geotab telematics with the full MANTIS 5-channel camera system, all feeding into the MANTIS RECON platform.‍

The Tech Stack:
MANTIS RECON Platform: The central command centre. Instead of hunting for hard drives, managers can now log into RECON to view live video and request footage instantly.

360° Visibility: Each telehandler was fitted with front, driver-facing, and two rear-view cameras, plus an in-cab monitor to aid the driver in tight spaces.

Multi-Network Roaming SIMs: The game-changer. SmartFits installed SIMs that automatically switch between networks to find the strongest signal. This ensured that the MANTIS DVR could always talk to the RECON platform, regardless of the site's location.

Panic Button: A simple tool allowing drivers to flag emergencies immediately.

The Results: PROVE, PROTECT, PREVENT

Since the rollout, the transformation has been absolute. The frustration of corrupted hard drives has been replaced by the clarity of the RECON platform.‍

1. 100% Reliability (The "Wow" Moment)
"Since installation, the results have spoken for themselves," says Ross. "On every occasion we’ve needed to access camera footage, it has been available 100% of the time, without a single issue."‍

2. Defending the Driver (PROVE)
In the litigious world of construction, proving what didn't happen is as important as seeing what did. Davidsons Homes has already used footage retrieved via RECON to prove their drivers were not at fault during on-site incidents. This capability to PROVE liability has saved the company significant costs in insurance claims and protected the professional reputation of their operators.‍

3. A Culture of Safety (PROTECT & PREVENT)
Initially, the system was used as a lag indicator—a tool for investigation. Now, it is driving proactive safety. The clarity of the footage allows the business to embed meaningful learnings, turning near-misses into safety briefings that prevent future accidents.

Looking Ahead: Sustainability & Efficiency

With the fleet fully equipped, Davidsons Homes is now looking to leverage MANTIS and Geotab for sustainability. The next phase involves tackling engine idling. By monitoring idling times through the platform, they aim to reduce environmental emissions and unlock measurable fuel savings.

Conclusion

The partnership between Davidsons Homes, SmartFits, and MANTIS proves that even in the toughest environments, you don't have to fly blind. By switching to a connected, reliable solution, Davidsons Homes has turned their fleet data from a liability into their greatest asset.