It doesn’t matter what size your fleet is, there are smart technologies available that can help you manage your fleet more efficiently and effectively. Whether you’ve got a few trucks in the city or a fleet of hundreds that travel across Africa, smart technologies can uncover useful vehicle data and insights that help improve fleet productivity.
Vehicle telematics, like GPS-based tracking and monitoring tools, allow fleet managers to pinpoint their vehicles anywhere in the country and view their movements in real time. However, vehicle telematics solutions offer a much broader and more capable set of tools for fleet managers to utilise.
Vehicle telematics provide a variety of useful data and actionable insights into the performance of individual drivers and vehicles, as well as the overall productivity of your fleet company. Telematics systems collect and analyse data on driver behaviour, fleet usage and other vehicle performance information, such as maintenance needs, route optimisation and fuel use.
These vehicle telematics systems are more accurate and accessible than any traditional fleet management processes or operations. This is thanks to the digitalisation of all these traditional processes that helps create a centralised hub that offers easy access to actionable insights and useful vehicle data across your fleet.
Fleet Management, Tracking and Monitoring
By combining different vehicle telematics tools available for fleet managers, they’re able to organise and optimise their fleets in new and better ways. GPS tracking, video surveillance, fuel monitoring and access via IoT devices have transformed the way fleet companies and managers operate.
Vehicle telematics helps identify opportunity areas for cost saving and optimisation that’ll improve overall productivity. In addition, it can identify areas of risk that need to be mitigated, such as reckless driving, poor route management, inconsistent vehicle maintenance or inefficient fuel usage.
Vehicle and video telematics help managers monitor and track almost every aspect of their fleet operations. They can use smart devices and real-time data to find key areas for improvement and implement changes quickly. Here are some of the ways that telematics data can help fleet managers improve fleet-wide productivity:
- Vehicle usage and tracking
GPS-based vehicle telematics give fleet managers the chance to monitor all fleet vehicle usage data and avoid unnecessary leasing and maintenance costs. You can track the speed, location, route, driving quality and time of use for every vehicle in your fleet. This data allows you to identify and correct inefficiencies as they appear. - Maintenance and insurance
Telematics solutions allow fleet managers to monitor vehicle maintenance needs and schedule routine vehicle checks. In addition, the monitoring of vehicle performance, maintenance needs and driver behaviour can reduce the insurance costs associated with vehicle ownership and running a fleet. - Vehicle routes and logs
With GPS-based and other smart technologies integrated into your fleet operations, managers can guarantee that all drivers are following optimal routes and are on the roads when they should be. This ensures that no unscheduled stops or detours are being made and travel logs are recorded for timely monitoring and feedback. - Improving driver behaviour
Video telematics, in particular, have transformed the way fleet managers train, dispatch and monitor their drivers. With real-time video access and GPS tracking, managers can ensure that drivers are following their prescribed routes, driving safely and operating vehicles when they should.
Risk, Cost and Fuel Management
GPS-based and video telematics solutions for vehicle fleets provide critical driving metrics that measure the quality of driver behaviour, vehicle performance, fuel usage and route management. Having this information lowers the risks and costs associated with poor vehicle maintenance and bad driving.
Metrics, such as speed, acceleration, idling, braking and route tracking, are key factors in influencing how cost-effective, fuel efficient and safe your fleet operations are. Smart technologies, like video telematics or GPS tracking, that are integrated into your fleet management process can help you:
- Reduce costs
By improving driver behaviour, reducing fuel costs, lowering risks, conducting regular maintenance checks and reducing insurance premiums, fleet managers are able to save money across their company. Optimising fleet-wide operations means reducing accidents and poor driving, while streamlining the dispatching and movement of your company’s vehicles to improve productivity. - Follow road and safety regulations
You can track working hours and kilometres covered to make sure that your valued drivers are taking breaks to rest up between hauling loads countrywide. Fleet managers can also use video telematics solutions, like in-cab and road-facing cameras, to ensure road and safety regulations are being followed by their drivers. - Protect your drivers
These smart technologies help fleet managers and drivers reduce the risk of accidents, injuries and road incidents from occurring, but they actually do something else very important for driver safety and security. Real-time video footage and vehicle monitoring gives drivers the evidence to defend themselves against false accusations and unnecessary claims that could hurt their reputation and financial future. - Optimise fuel management
Fuel management systems are another one of the critical technologies that make up an effective vehicle telematics solution. These systems will monitor how a fleet company’s vehicles are operating and how much fuel’s being used – and wasted. In addition, they can inform managers and drivers where there are opportunities to improve fuel efficiency and driver behaviour.
Finding the Right Vehicle Telematics Solutions
There’s no limit to what the digital age can offer fleet companies in terms of vehicle telematics solutions. There’s a wide range of tools, software and devices that can be integrated into your larger vehicle telematics system. Fleet managers need to account for which areas of improvement are most important to them and what smart technologies can help them achieve their goals most effectively.
If you’re looking for the latest in fleet management solutions or are wanting to integrate smart and affordable vehicle telematics into your larger fleet operations, speak to one of our expert consultants at Landmark Tracking.