PROCESS TECHNOLOGIES
VEHICLE TRACKING TECHNOLOGY
MASTERNAUT
HOW CONNECTED VEHICLES IMPROVE THE
EFFICIENCY OF A COMMERCIAL FLEET
As a fleet manager, you are often responsible
for the activity of a large commercial fleet,
which can sometimes contain hundreds of
vehicles. Maximising the efficiency of the
fleet is one of your primary goals, but how
do you gather reliable data in order to make
improvements across a large volume of
vehicles?
A method which has proven successful in
improving the efficiency of a commercial
fleet is installing vehicle tracking technology,
otherwise known as telematics. By installing
vehicle tracking technology in all company
vehicles, businesses can create a fleet of
connected vehicles through which they can
track a large amount of very useful data. Fleet
managers can then use this data to determine
areas where efficiency can be improved.
One area which can benefit from tracking
technology is the fuel efficiency of
commercial vehicles. For a commercial fleet,
fuel represents a very significant expense,
therefore improving fuel efficiency should
be high on the list of priorities for a fleet
manager. Specific areas which contribute to
high fuel usage are harsh acceleration and
engine idling. Telematics devices installed in
the cab of a commercial vehicle can provide
alerts to the driver, which warn them when
they are driving in a way which is known to
increase fuel usage. When drivers are made
aware of these issues through feedback from
the in-cab systems, they are able to self-
correct and therefore reduce the amount of
fuel used.
Another area where commercial fleet
managers should be looking to improve on,
is the efficiency of the routes their drivers
take. Inefficient routes can cause significant
problems for the business and the customer.
In specific sectors, a late delivery could cause
serious delays to the project as a whole,
resulting in increased costs and unhappy
customers. From a fleet managers point
of view, when their drivers are not using
the most efficient route, they aren’t able to
complete as many deliveries or tasks in a day.
Installing telematics systems across an
entire fleet allows a fleet manager to see
the exact location of each vehicle within the
fleet at any time. It also allows them to see
the routes they have taken in the past and
if there are faster options available to them.
Ensuring drivers take the most efficient
routes during the day can not only increase
productivity but customer satisfaction as
well.
Overall, increasing the productivity of
a commercial fleet can be achieved by
installing vehicle tracking technology. It also
allows fleet managers to gather insightful
data which can help them improve the
performance of their fleet in other key areas
such as safety and customer service.
You can find out more about connected
vehicles by visiting Masternuat’s
website: www.masternaut.com/
Issue 41 PECM
113