Learn About Telematics and Its Impact on Fleet Management

The development of the internet and the services it provides has impacted, whether directly or indirectly, the normal functionality of every aspect of business management. Nowhere more so than in feet management.

The nascent and innovative telematics is a viable option when fleet companies want to improve the services they offer. By improving the efficiency and efficacy of the supply chain logistics and the feet management model, the overall result is the optimization of the numerous processes and procedures undertaken by the company.

What exactly is telematics?

In its most fundamental state, telematics is the integration of two sciences, namely telecommunications and informatics. Telecommunication is the branch of technology that is used basic forms of communication, such as cables and phone lines, while informatics is the use of computer systems to process information about the normal functionality of a process or group of processes.

In the narrowed description of telematics in fleet management, telematics refers to the use of computer systems to monitor and process information concerning a fleet of vehicles.

How exactly does it work?

Sensors and computers are prerequisites in any telematics-based fleet management model. The sensors are installed in the car, and they monitor the activities undertaken by the driver and the vehicle itself. Global Positioning System, or GPS, is needed to identify the geographical position of the vehicle at any given time.

The sensor, essentially the vehicle’s tracking device, monitors the primary activities in the car, like the temperature, door opening, and tail lift usage. It also transmits the speed of the vehicle, the making of turns, and the figures on both the odometer and the fuel gauges. The data gleaned by the tracking and monitoring device is transmitted to in-house computers via wireless networks.

Consequentially, it becomes easy to identify erratic cornering, aggressive acceleration, and impromptu braking. Physically locating the vehicle is also made easy through the GPS tracking system.

 Why should you have telematics as your fleet management software?

There are many benefits of using fleet management software. Here are some of them.

• Cost efficiency

Telematics makes it easy to monitor the fuel consumption of the vehicles in the fleet. Fuel cost is, without a doubt, the most prominent expense in managing a fleet.

Optimizing the usage of fuel will ultimately result in cutting down of fuel expenditure. Planned routing, reduction of idling time, and removing bottlenecking are just some of the means such software uses to do this.

Maintenance cost is also another way profit is reduced. With telematics, it becomes easy to identify the necessary equipment that as to be looked at, fixed, or replaced before the problems are accentuated.

• Improved safety

In fleet management systems, maintaining the safety of the driver and other motorists is fundamental. Telematics can help you to monitor the driver’s behavior and identify any risk factors in the vehicle’s performance.

Speeding, cornering, and braking are some of the factors that you will be able to monitor and rectify before it’s too late.

• Insurance risk assessment

Monitoring driver behavior provides a blueprint for identifying any liabilities, assessing the probable risk factors. This will enable the company to make the necessary changes to the insurance premiums it pays.

• Asset tracking

Using a combination of GPS, cloud computing, and GPRS networks, it becomes easy to track and monitor the positions of the trucks and vehicles in the fleet. This, in turn, makes it easy to identify the locations of the assets and cargo they are carrying. The system also issues alerts when the driver uses an unauthorized route when making the delivery.

In general, the leading benefits telematics offers in fleet management is cutting down on costs, improving the safety of the vehicle, driver and assets, and insurance risk assessment. All this combines to increase the efficiency and efficacy of the company.

With hundreds of companies already adopting it as the preferred management model, it is no wonder that telematics systems are poised to take over the entire industry. The paradigm shift is already happening.

Integrated trucking telematics solutions from FleetPal Connect