At Thinventory, we’ve always believed in the value of locker delivery. With 45,000 smart lockers across 1,500 UK locations, engineers can collect the parts they need at a time and location that works for them, eliminating the need to travel to multiple locations.

This approach has long been recognised for its environmental benefits, significantly reducing wasted journeys and unnecessary emissions. It also saves a great deal of time. A recent survey by transportation data and analytics leaders, Inrix, found that UK drivers lost an average of 62 hours due to congestion in 2024. As the old saying goes, ‘time is money.’ For businesses, these wasted hours equate to significant costs in productivity and fuel.

However, there is also an additional benefit to reducing travel times, engineer safety.

The Safety Benefit

When an engineer arrives on-site, health and safety protocols are always a top priority. PPE, training, and other safety measures have reduced workplace accidents to rare occurrences. However, once they’re on the road, engineers face an entirely different set of risks.

Roads are unpredictable. With over 41.7 million vehicles on UK roads daily, road traffic accidents remain an unfortunate reality of modern life. In 2023, there were 133,443 road accidents on UK roads.

By simply reducing the number of hours our customers’ engineers spend on the road, we are able to keep them safer. The less time engineers are exposed to congested, high-risk roads, the lower the likelihood of accidents. In fact, travelling on the road is probably the single most dangerous task our customers’ engineers carry out on a daily basis. Having over 1,500 locker locations across the UK, it means on average engineers live around 3-4 miles from their nearest locker, reducing daily risk versus conventional collection methods.

Safer Roads Through Smarter Solutions

Thinventory’s smart lockers take the pressure off engineers. By allowing them to collect the parts they need at a time and location that suits them, they can avoid unnecessary travel and congested times of day. This flexibility not only enhances efficiency but also significantly reduces the risk of road traffic accidents.

With fewer miles travelled and more control over their schedules, engineers can approach their work with greater peace of mind. They’re not just saving time or cutting emissions—they’re actively avoiding situations where accidents are more likely to occur.

A Commitment to Engineer Safety

At Thinventory, we’re proud that our solutions can play a part in keeping people safe. While environmental benefits and time savings are central to what we do, the safety of those using our roads is just as important.

By reducing road hours, minimising unnecessary travel, and providing smarter logistics, we’re helping businesses take better care of their workforce. For our customers, knowing their engineers are safer on the road makes all the difference—and we’re proud to be part of that change.

Jon Magson – Chief Commercial Officer