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Fleet owners have a lot of responsibilities when it comes to overseeing their fleet. Topics of safety, customer satisfaction, and productivity are among the top concerns. Through modern fleet management technology many have experienced increased productivity, efficiency, and reduced operating costs with the influx of real-time data at their disposal. This is a far cry from older platforms that simply provided GPS data.
Still not convinced? Read on and discover why you won’t regret integrating this high-performance technology into your fleet.
Safety
One of the biggest concerns on a fleet owner’s mind is safety. Providing real-time information for each truck in the fleet, telematics helps to monitor driving behavior such as speeding, seatbelt use, and aggressive driving. This behavior is then delivered to fleet managers and highlights positive and negative behavior allowing them to effectively coach drivers to correct poor driving habits.
Companies often spend $16,000-$500,000 annually on employee-related accidents. Due to telematics, insurance companies have seen a 50% reduction in accident payouts as well as a 45% decrease in accidents.
A few tips:
Encourage drivers to buckle up. Wearing your seatbelt is not only required by law, but it is the best way to prevent injuries. Studies show more than 40% of deaths occur annually due to drivers not wearing seatbelts.
Stress the importance of health. Encourage drivers to make sure they are getting enough sleep, eating right, and drinking plenty of water to remain refreshed and attentive while driving.
Correct poor driving habits. Poor driving habits not only endangers drivers but others around them as well. Revising this behavior will not only alleviate the chances of expensive payouts but keep others safe as well.
Fuel Management
With fuel being one of the most expensive operating expenses in the trucking industry, fleet owners are constantly looking for ways to save at the pump. Adding telematics to your fleet will allow you to monitor fuel usage, idling, and how often drivers are refilling their tanks. Utilizing the reports telematics compiles is the best way to reduce fuel spend.
A few tips:
Stay on top of all vehicle repairs. Making sure repairs are up-to-date is the best way to maximize fuel consumption and avoid expensive repairs.
Utilize your card. Using fuel cards with telematics helps fleets to manage the amount of money spent on fuel, limit fraudulent spending, and generate full reports to help increase fleet performance.
Pass the information along. For fleets that work with owner-operators, share the data that you receive so that they can improve their business spending and maximize profits. Happy drivers are more likely to be retained, allowing an opportunity for fleet growth.
Maintenance
Telematics isn’t just used to monitor fuel costs and safety concerns. It has also proven helpful in determining vehicle issues before they become a major problem. Telematics lets fleet managers know when repairs need to be done as well as provide preventative maintenance reminders.
A few tips:
Set alerts on your phone. You can set up alerts to receive notifications when drivers hit or exceed a certain mileage. This will help you stay on top of repairs, save money, limit downtime, and have a more reliable fleet.
Be proactive. Schedule repairs ahead of time to limit downtime.
Productivity and Compliance
In addition to benefiting from fuel savings, maintenance, and safety, your fleet will also see an increase in productivity. Telematics allows you to track your fleet and design a better route to save you time and money. In addition, operating hours are automatically logged to save time in order to focus on the task at hand.
A few tips:
Analyze. Review reports carefully to identify different routes you can use to be most efficient.
Download the app. GPS tracking apps are available for fleet owners, managers, and supervisors to download to their phones for easy access. Having quick access to this information increases productivity and efficiency.
Ease of Communication
Have you ever heard the saying communication is key? Having an open line of communication between fleet manager and driver is vital to the success of each job. With telematics, fleet managers and drivers are interconnected so they work together to get the job done.
Alerts can be sent to fleet managers instead of drivers to promote safe driving habits and efficiency.
A few tips:
Talk to your customers. Unified communication doesn’t just have to exist between fleet owners and drivers. It’s a good idea to let your customers know when they should expect to receive a shipment. Doing so will show your customers that you appreciate their business and allow you to build a stronger relationship.
Stay connected. Make sure you integrate current technology systems with the telematics software that you choose for seamless communication.
Finding a Fleet Management Reseller
Understanding the importance that fleet management technology plays in the trucking landscape is half of the equation. Working with a trusted partner to help you shape a management solution that fits your fleet is the other.
Argos Connected Solutions is an authorized reseller for some of the largest telematics companies in the industry. With the ability to custom fit a telematics solution to fit every fleet's specific needs, we are the trusted source for Geotab, Surfsight, and Drivewyze in the Midwest.
Connect with our team to learn more or schedule a demo to take a closer look at the latest in fleet management technology.
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