Fuel, driver wages, tire and vehicle maintenance constitute a large component of fleet operations. This is where use of telematics-based fleet management solutions can provide a great benefit to fleet managers. Fleet Telematics system innovation improves the effectiveness of fleet management as well as supply chain logistics as they increase the visibility of fleets in real time and provide information for the optimization of processes and procedures. It allows fleet managers to keep product integrity intact, increase shelf-life, and minimize insurance risk and losses throughout all of the supply chain.
Telematics Meaning?
In fleet management solutions, telematics meaning: is the use of technology to track a range of data pertaining to the fleet of vehicles.
Telematics-based systems gather information such as vehicle’s location, drivers’ behavior, engine diagnostics as well as allowing operators to visualize the information on custom software thus optimizing fleet resources.
‘Tele’ in telematics meaning telecommunication and “informatics” meaning processing information. Telematics has significantly impacted the fleet operations of a variety of sectors, but companies managing vehicle fleets are the major beneficiaries. Industries across different sectors that need to manage fleets have integrated telematics to increase performance, reliability and boosting the standard of customer service, and enhancing their profitability.
How does Telematics work
Telematics-based fleet management system consists of a tracking device in the vehicle. It allows the storage, sending and receiving of telemetry information which is connected to the vehicle’s ONBOARD diagnostics (ODBII) or the Controller Area Network (CAN-BUS) port using a SIM card and an onboard modem allowing communication via wireless networks.
The device gathers GPS information along with data specific to vehicles and transmits the same via GPRS (General Packet Radio Services) 4G SIM, and satellite communications or cellular networks to a central server point. The server interprets the data and made it available to end-users on secure websites and tablets and smartphones apps.
To understand the telematics meaning, analyze the information gathered:
- Drive times
- Driver behavior analytics
- Fuel usage
- GPS location
- Mileage
- Other data related to vehicle utility
- Speed
- Time on location
- Trip recordings
When analyzed for specific events or patterns, this data can provide detailed insights for the entire fleet.
Vehicle telematics in industry and fleet management
The advent of automotive telematics has transformed the logistics industry in many ways. The tracking of logistics operations having thousands of vehicles on their fleet was not possible up until a few years back. The entire logistics process and transport of goods was plagued with inefficiencies because of the absence of transparency in the fleet’s movements. Fleet managers relied on drivers to get updates via phones. In remote areas, low signal strength could mean a complete absence of communication.
The inability to anticipate led to inefficiencies such as theft of products, high operational expenses resulting from inadequate planning and navigation, delayed deliveries and revenue loss and many more that resulted in massive operational and financial charges for firms. With the advent of fleet telematics, today businesses and fleet managers are able to:
- Track and monitor the exact location of every vehicle in their fleet with centralized systems,
- Make a plan and choose the most effective route for every trip
- Reduce costs by using the fuel management system that uses telematics to monitor usage of fuel,
- Control and schedule maintenance of the fleet and breakdowns
and so much more. Fleet managers have understood the telematics meaning and importance as it has provided vital transparency to logistical operations, which is essential to ensure efficient performance.
How can my fleet use telematics systems?
Fleet management software has the ability to integrate with already installed fleet solutions of various sizes having wide range of use cases like:
- Tracking Vehicles is easy with the integration of Cloud computing, GPS Satellite Network and GPS Receivers installed on vehicles. The GPS receiver downloads information from GPS satellites, and later uses it via Fleet Tracking applications. Receiver works as a two-way communication which also send data using mobile internet thus notifying drivers who are closest to new jobs.
- Asset and Trailer Tracking: Fleets can attach GPS trackers to trailers as well as any other un-motorized assets to ensure they do not get lost in the transit, as well using them to route drivers directly to trailers location. Drivers can add location to their GPS units at the stoppage points, these coordinates are further passed to other drivers enroute. Trailer tracking feature can be configured so that an immediate notification is sent to the manager’s mobile phone when an asset or trailer moved with no authorization.
- Minimizing Maintenance Cost: Maintenance of vehicles as well as asset lifecycle management could be improved by using fleet telematics to keep track of hours of usage and plan preventative maintenance. It also allows you to track warranty coverage, monitoring engine hours, and other relevant records. Fleet managers can cut expenses further ensuring that vehicles are in good operating condition and are continuously receiving alert related to engine diagnostics like battery voltage, temperature problems and oxygen sensor issues.
- Security Tracking: Managers use fleet telematics system to monitor the speed of vehicles and its GPS position, in addition to severe driving events and seat belt usage thus tracking driver behavior. Telematics offers a digital blueprint of each aspect of a vehicle’s operations assisting fleet managers in understanding the areas for improvement in the prevention of accidents and driver safety standards.
- Risk assessment for Insurance: Insurance companies can utilize telematics to track the behavior of drivers, adjusting insurance premium as per the risk factors involved. Understanding the telematics meaning can be extremely useful as it also allows the fleet managers to inform that a vehicle has been in use outside the designated area, also known as geofence.
Should your business use a telematics system for better fleet management?
Majority of issues mentioned below can be solved when the vehicle is equipped with a modern technology of telematics. No matter how big or small, or operates within a country or intra-city, businesses generally have greatly benefited from implementing telematics system in their businesses.
- How to track all the vehicles in my fleet?
- Way to avoid vehicle challans?
- How can I cut down the operating costs of my fleet?
- How do I cut down on fuel consumption and reduce engine idle?
- How can I check whether my driver has been speeding, or is rash driving?
- How can I prevent the theft of items in vehicles en-route?
Our powerful fleet telematics system SWIFT is a fleet management solution that can suffice for all your vehicle tracking needs. It provides enterprise-grade security, flexibility, and compliance on a single integrated platform that can generate value for your logistics business. It is capable of handling more than 100,000 vehicles along with years of fleet history capturing minutest of data each 30 second.
SWIFT syncs data with the fleet’s vehicles using modern technologies like AI & ML and provides managers with a rich, real-time tracking feature that are telematics-intensive, as well as advanced reports for drill-down analysis and effective decision-making thus minimizing cost.
So far, our solution helped fleet owners to keep track of every day operations and maximize vehicle performance. Customers range from companies and corporations to public institutions, as well as law enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a telematics-based fleet management system?
Telematics-based fleet management system allows you to get in-depth insights across the entire fleet operations. To keep a fleet running efficiently, it is necessary to analyse the data and valuable information provided by telematics. The most advanced features of fleet management software help companies to ensure compliance and make informed business decisions.
What are examples of telematics?
Telematics uses advanced technology to boost efficiency and visibility in commercial vehicles or an entire fleet. Get every detail by using GPS technology and on-board diagnostics (OBD) to stay ahead of the curve. Some of the use cases and examples of telematics are- real-time tracking of your vehicles, driver monitoring and idling time, fleet management, fuel consumption, vehicle maintenance, etc.
How would telematics help a fleet owner?
Telematics permits managers of fleets to stay in real-time contact with the driver in real-time. In addition to establishing a relationship of trust and honesty among the drivers and fleet manager, it gives the driver the security that in the event there is a problem the fleet manager is available to assist him.
How telematics is changing fleet management systems?
Telematics can change fleet operations by: 1. Real-time Vehicle Tracking using GPS 2. ‘Big Data’ Brings Control to You 3. Facilitate Better Fleet Communication 4. Reduce Fleet Vehicle Downtime 5. Safety Reporting for Securer Fleet 6. Risk Management Handled Well 7. Vehicle Crash Notification 8. Stay ahead with smart maintenance
How does telematics work?
Telematics systems function by connecting a gadget, like a GPS tracker or another data-logging tools to a vehicle. The tool then collects important performance information about the vehicle. After collecting the data, the device will transmit the data into a central data point so that it will be compiled and then interpreted as required.
Why do we need telematics technology?
OEMs enabled by Telematics help collect variety of information like vehicle usage pattern, geo location, performance data and vehicle maintenance requirement. Telematics is a connecting tech used by auto-industry that is built on data flowing into and generated by vehicles through wireless networks.
Where is telematics used?
Telematics is being used for sending, receiving, and storing the relevant data of vehicles. It can be integrated with existing applications and systems to manage the entire fleet operations. The Telematics system includes a vehicle tracking device that provides informative data such as vehicle location, driver behavior, vehicle activity, engine diagnostics, and so on. Therefore, the information acquired and transmitted by telematics is essential for the exponential growth of businesses.
Is telematics expensive?
You'll be charged a fixed amount for device installation, and then a small monthly fee for each kilometer you drive. A small mobile device or app can be used to calculate the distance you travel.