CUSTOMER STORY / JRP DIRECT
JRP Direct: Growing with Savari
From one minibus to a 15+ vehicle operation. How an East Sussex operator moved from Coach Manager to Savari TMS, and is now bringing its workshop onto the same platform.
A growing fleet. A new chapter for JRP Direct.
2019
One minibus and an ambition
15+ vehicles
Serving Sussex, the UK and Europe
March 2026
Moved to Savari TMS
It started with one minibus.
In 2019, James Plaskett bought a two-year-old Ford Transit with the ambition of building a transport business of his own. He kept the vehicle at home and went out looking for customers himself. By December, he had left his job to focus on the business full-time.
That first vehicle became JRP Direct. A second minibus followed in 2021 as demand increased. In September 2023, JRP acquired JG Coaches, and in March 2024 the operations came together under the JRP Direct Ltd name.
Today, the East Sussex business operates more than 15 vehicles, from minibuses to larger coaches. The team serves school transport, corporate travel, private hire, events, airport transfers and longer-distance journeys across Sussex, the wider South East, the UK and Europe.
Private hire, events and journeys closer to home.
A growing operation, travelling further afield.
The business grew. The systems needed to follow.
More vehicles brought more bookings, drivers, customers and administration. Tasks that were manageable with a small fleet became harder to keep on top of as the operation expanded.
JRP had been using Coach Manager, but James and the team wanted a modern platform that could support the way they worked and grow alongside the business. In March 2026, they moved to Savari TMS.
Making the move without starting again.
A transport operation cannot pause while its software changes. Bookings still need managing, customers need answers, drivers need information and vehicles need allocating.
Savari handled the data migration and worked with JRP through the transition from Coach Manager, helping the team bring its historical information across and settle into the new system.
Since going live, JRP has embraced Savari TMS across the operation. One of the clearest benefits has been a reduction in repetitive administration.
Less copying, pasting and forwarding.
Previously, the team could find themselves moving information between systems, pasting details into emails and forwarding messages to make sure the right information reached the right people.
Each task might take only a few minutes. Across a busy transport operation, those minutes add up.
Savari connects communication to the booking and operational data already in the system. For JRP, that means less time repeating administrative tasks and more time for customers and the day-to-day operation. The difference becomes especially noticeable when bookings and communications increase during busy periods.
IN JAMES’S WORDS
“Savari has been a breath of fresh air for our business compared to our previous system. Moving to a cloud-based platform has been brilliant, giving us the flexibility to access information from anywhere and ensuring everyone is always working with the latest data as it works in real time.”
James Plaskett · Managing Director, JRP Direct
Everyone working from the latest information.
Drivers, office staff, transport management and workshop personnel all contribute to the same operation. Access to connected, real-time information means less reliance on separate files, spreadsheets or conversations to understand what is happening.
For a growing operator, that visibility matters. The team can access information wherever they are, with a shared view of the operation as it changes.
JRP’s own workshop supports the fleet. Workshop Management is the next step.
Next, bringing the workshop onto Savari.
After several months with Savari TMS, JRP has signed up to Savari Workshop Management System. The business already has its own workshop and mechanics, and can now begin bringing that work onto the same platform as its transport operation.
The transport team needs to know which vehicles are available. The workshop needs to know what work is due. The office needs visibility of vehicle status, and management needs a clear picture of the fleet.
Connecting those areas is the next stage of JRP’s journey with Savari.
Looking ahead to the Technician App.
The JRP team is particularly looking forward to the Savari Technician App. Technicians can record work and defects digitally, keeping workshop information connected to the vehicle and the wider operation.
The aim is to make that information useful wherever it is needed. When a vehicle enters the workshop, its history should be available. When work is completed, the office should be able to see it. When the vehicle is ready again, the transport team needs to know.
For JRP, this is another step away from paper-based processes and information being passed between the workshop and office.
JRP continues to invest in its vehicles, people and technology.
One platform as the business grows.
JRP’s story is about a business continuing to evolve. From one minibus in 2019 to a fleet of more than 15 vehicles, each stage has brought new opportunities and more complexity to manage.
For JRP, the move to Savari began with replacing Coach Manager and reducing everyday administration. With the value of TMS established, Workshop Management is the next step.
An operator does not need every feature on day one. It can start by solving the problem in front of it, then bring more of the operation together as the business grows.
From bookings and scheduling to vehicles and drivers, and now into the workshop, JRP is working towards one connected operation.
Make room for your next chapter.
See how Savari can connect your transport operation and workshop, with support for the move from your existing system.
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