The 3G Shutdown Is Coming – Is Your Fleet Prepared or in the Dark?
With telematics systems more widely adopted than ever before, fleet managers now know far more about the performance of both drivers and vehicles than they did previously. GPS truck tracking systems are continually providing in-depth insights, allowing for streamlining of fleet management process, enhanced customer service and - ultimately - having a positive impact on bottom-line profitability.
But how can fleet managers make the most effective use of telematics data? It is essential to ensure that the information captured by fleet telematics is focussed on driving impact in the right areas. Here are five straightforward ways to achieve this:
Utilise your Trip Report
Trip reports provide a range of relevant data relating to journeys undertaken by fleet vehicles - including start and end location, driving time, on site time and timesheet validation and accuracy. This information can help you maximise fleet productivity and minimise downtime by getting visibility into remote workforce activity. One of the most effective ways to use this data is measuring drive time vs. time on site, in the construction and service industry increasing time on site can have a significant impact on business efficiency.
Set Calendar Templates
Calendar alerts are an excellent tool for identifying vehicle use outside of business hours. They enable reporting and alerting on any vehicle activity that takes place outside of working hours, which helps fleet managers reduce expenditure on fuel. Many customers schedule reports on vehicle use outside business hours to be sent to them at the start of every day, or at the start of every week as part of a vehicle usage policy.
Create Site and Geofence Alerts
Another simple tool which can send alerts when vehicles arrive or leave specific locations. This is useful when it comes to identifying vehicles that enter locations they shouldn't, as well as enabling fleet managers to notify customers of an impending arrival. This is particularly important for businesses making multi-stop deliveries, any reduction in on site downtime can really help drivers adhere to a busy schedule.
Take Advantage of Nearest Vehicle Search
When in a responsive environment, using the nearest vehicle search function is a great way to improve response time and hence customer service. It also helps to reduce fuel costs and boost productivity by reducing driving distance and drive time. This is also a great feature for businesses in the transport industry, helping them quickly establish if they can take advantage of a backload opportunity.
Measure Idling
The clear reporting provided by telematics systems can show when a vehicle's ignition is running even though the vehicle isn’t moving. Monitoring and measuring this makes it easier to cut fuel consumption and CO2 output.
These simple measures can help you use telematics data to deliver tangible improvements to the performance and efficiency of your fleet. This is one of the key reasons why telematics continues to be so enthusiastically adopted by so many fleet operators.
To learn more on how to make your telematics data work for you download our Fleet Analytics eBook.