What is what3words?
A precise, simple location system. Every 3m² on Earth has a unique three-word address. Here's why we use it and how it helps your fleet.
Get the what3words app
Free to download on iOS and Android. Your drivers can share their exact location in seconds, helping MDEL get help to them faster.
what3words app is a product of what3words Limited. MDEL Fleet Management does not own or operate the what3words platform.
Every 3 metres. One unique address.
what3words has divided the entire world into 3 metre × 3 metre squares and assigned each one a unique combination of three words. There are 57 trillion squares covering the globe, each with its own permanent, human-friendly address.
Instead of long GPS coordinates or vague street descriptions, you simply share three words. The system is available in 50+ languages and works offline once downloaded.
what3words is an independent company. We use the what3words technology under licence. All what3words intellectual property, branding, and the three-word addressing system remain the exclusive property of what3words Limited.
Why MDEL Uses It
Pinpoint accuracy for fleet operations
Traditional addresses aren't always enough. A warehouse entrance, a breakdown on a dual carriageway, a depot gate. what3words gets everyone to the exact right spot.
Faster Roadside Recovery
When a driver breaks down, they share a three-word address and our recovery team arrives at the exact vehicle location, not just the nearest junction or road name.
Reduces Wasted Time
Technicians go straight to the correct entrance, bay or drop-off point. No more circling a site, calling ahead, or navigating by vague landmarks.
Clearer Driver Communication
Three simple words are far easier to relay over the phone than a 16-digit GPS coordinate. Drivers remember them, repeat them, and share them without error.
Works Anywhere in the UK
Rural roads, industrial estates, motorway laybys. what3words covers every location regardless of whether a formal address exists.
Works on Any Smartphone
The free what3words app is available on iOS and Android. Drivers already have everything they need in their pocket, no specialist hardware required.
Supports Emergency Services
Police, fire and ambulance services across the UK now accept what3words locations, making it the safest way to direct help in an emergency.
How It Works in Practice
From breakdown to resolution, faster
Driver opens the what3words app
The app automatically detects their precise location and displays a unique three-word address. For example, our Chesterfield office is ///earth.rental.bucks
Driver shares the three words with MDEL
By phone, text or the app's built-in share function. Three words is all it takes. No postcodes, no map links, no confusion.
MDEL dispatches to the exact location
Our team enters the three words and navigates directly to the precise 3m² square, whether that's a layby, a depot gate, or a car park bay.
Find Us
Our what3words location
MDEL Fleet Management, Whittington Way, Old Whittington, Chesterfield S41 9AG. Our what3words address is ///earth.rental.bucks
Ready to take control of your fleet?
Talk to us today. Based in Chesterfield, we cover the whole of the UK.