FLEETDRIVE reporting , obscuring where their vehicles were and no longer providing any data on fuel usage , utilisation , mileage , and critical events . Service quality could no longer be proven , performance indicators saw gaps , and vehicles went missing – it was extremely chaotic for operations and supply chains up and down the country .
In the aftermath , many operators were left in ‘ telematics darkness ’. When they sought a solution , many found that the “ big fish ” had booked and consumed all available supply in advance for both 4G devices and the people capable of installing them .
While it ’ s easy to dismiss what happened in the US as “ over there ”, it serves as a timely reminder of what can happen to unprepared fleets here in Australia . Just like the US , Australia only has so many auto-electricians , and figures suggest that with more than half a million commercial vehicles in Australia using 3G telematics and yet to migrate to 4G , it paints a clear picture of the incoming surge , with less than 230 business days left before 30 June 2024 .
During a recent interview , Jonny Clarke , Country Manager for Bridgestone ’ s Global Fleet
Management Solution , Webfleet , highlighted the importance of acting early ; “ It took months in the US for the dust to settle , and many businesses were significantly disrupted . Australian operators must be wary of this . They can ’ t wait until 2024 , or else it ’ ll be too late .”
Effective crisis management prioritises triage - the first item on every checklist is always to reduce immediate danger . It is imperative that Australian operators have an absolutely crystal-clear understanding of what impact the 3G shutdown will have on their fleet and , if necessary , have made motions to navigate the incoming disruption .
If there ’ s one lesson to learn from the US 3G network shutdown , it ’ s simply “ act now before it ’ s too late .”
Webfleet is Bridgestone ’ s globally trusted fleet management solution , used by over 50,000 operations worldwide . Webfleet has assisted multiple operations in smoothly migrating their vehicles from 3G to 4G telematics in multiple countries and is ready to assist Australian operators today .
ISSUE 41 JULY 2023 / WWW . AFMA . ORG . AU 19