Tag: telecommunications

telematics improves fleet management

How Telematics Improves Fleet Management

Posted on | by Alexis | Leave a Comment on How Telematics Improves Fleet Management

As the commercial fleet industry continues to grow, evolve and adapt, having the right tools in your vehicles can help with improved productivity and efficiency. To that end, there are a number of ways in which telematics improves fleet management.

As fleet safety managers and owners work to retain drivers and integrate systems, it’s essential to consider fleet efficiency and new engagement opportunities. To that end, telematics provides valuable insights and data, changing the game in fleet management technology.

What is Telematics?

Telematics brings together two key areas – telecommunications and informatics. Telematics devices collect and transmit data on commercial vehicle use. This includes maintenance requirements and servicing needs.

Using telematics, it is possible for fleet managers to coordinate the vehicles they manage. It also enables them to have a complete view of the profitability, health, and productivity of their fleet at any time.

what is telematics

How Telematics Improves Fleet Management

What does telematics do for your organization? When it comes to investing in fleet management software or solutions, understanding the direct impact on your business’s bottom line is critical. Here are a few ways that telematics can help you to do that.

Decreased Fuel Costs

With fuel costs on the rise, it is critical to have a plan in place to reduce operational costs. Telematics can help identify areas of waste. For example, it can help identify problems with fuel slippage and idling, both of which can increase costs dramatically. 

Additionally, telematics enables better route planning and can create alternative routes that are more fuel (and time) efficient. Other examples of reducing unnecessary mileage and improving fuel efficiency using telematics include:

  • Improving driver behaviours that often increase fuel costs, such as harsh braking, idling or speeding
  • Creating maintenance schedules in a timely manner so as to reduce vehicle stress and improve overall engine health

Improving Overall Fleet Safety

Telematics improves the safety of your vehicles and your drivers, which contributes to your fleet’s financial gain, especially with regards to reducing insurance claims and accident-related liability claims. 

A continuous feed of recorded video footage allows fleet managers to assess driving habits, and to provide live in-cab coaching when an event is triggered. Ongoing training and coaching is just one of the services that telematics provides, and is equally useful in the moment, or for creating better driving behaviour in the future.

Secondly, the same video footage can be collected and reviewed in the event of an incident, identifying who was at fault and potentially reducing false claims while lowering insurance premiums, all of which feed into the safety and security of your fleet.

Improved Productivity

Telematics includes real-time GPS data that can be used to reduce costs and improve operational efficiency. Directly and indirectly, this increases driver productivity.

Accurate, real-time data can identify delays due to traffic and create alternative routes. It can also help fleet managers plan for poor weather that may keep drivers off the road, allowing them to adjust timelines or routes to minimize risk.

In addition, telematics data provides a bird’s eye view of your fleet. If the office manager needs to add a new stop or change a destination, having a holistic overview of your vehicles’ activities can help. 

Better Financial Management

Because telematics provides better insight into vehicle start and end times, it helps manage compliance requirements, such as hours of service (HOS).

From a business standpoint, telematics allows you to get the most out of your resources by identifying money going in and out of your fleet.

An Empowering and Essential Tool

Every fleet needs as much useful, targeted data about their vehicles as possible. Telematics can help organizations improve operational efficiency, save time and money.

At GoFleet, we have the telematics solution for your fleet, regardless of size. Contact us today to see how telematics can fit your organization.

Aviation and Ground Service Crews Taking Advantage of Telematics

Posted on | by Victoria Gole | Leave a Comment on Aviation and Ground Service Crews Taking Advantage of Telematics

The merging of telecommunications and informatics seems to be an ever-evolving sector as it continues to impress business owners across various industries. While it may be apparent of how it’s used for location tracking and maintenance monitoring in the trucking and logistics sector, it’s time to highlight its use in aviation. Similar to other industries, leading aviation and ground service crews use the technology in ways similar to fleet managers as the outcomes are as equally beneficial. 

 

Where Did Telematics Originate From?

 

When telematics technology was first being developed in the 1960s, it was initially used by the U.S. Department of Defense to aid in the position tracking of varying assets in addition to being a way to improve communication on the battlefield. However, as time continued and the technology evolved, leaders in other industries saw the potential of telematics elsewhere. When discussing airports and aviation, focus is greatly on the GPS tracking, asset monitoring and communication features.

 

Below are two examples that speak to the beneficial outcomes that resulted from aviation and ground service crews investing in telematics on runways. 

 

Why Aviation and Ground Services Continue to Implement Telematics Technology

 

Ensure Cost-Effective Utilization & Efficiency 

 

When large quantities of data are collected in real-time, immediate decisions can be made. That is especially true when airports utilize telematics solutions for the purpose of resource management and productivity. From monitoring fuel usage to asset location, beacons and sensors can be installed to track nearly every aspect of aircraft operations. Ultimately allowing officials to allocate employees and equipment properly to achieve maximum productivity, as well as being able to monitor and report on their efforts. 

 

A common and well-known example of this is allocating vehicles to complete tasks in relation to proximity and location. Meaning, when a specific type of vehicle is requested, officials can deploy an available vehicle that is closest. Allowing for fuel, physical resources as well as personnel to be used efficiently. If GPS tracking was not used, airports would risk sending vehicles that are much farther than others, causing them to waste time and resources. 

 

This is evident when deicing vehicles are required to spray aircrafts with a mixture of hot water and propylene glycol during the winter months. If a deicing vehicle is requested, it’s important to not only send the closest vehicle to the aircraft, but send a vehicle that has enough of the deicing fluid to complete the job. Both of these requirements are trackable by custom telematics solutions. However, when telematics technology is not used, airports risk using additional and unnecessary resources or equipment. This is simply because they were unaware and unable to track the most efficient way to complete the assigned task.

 

Verify Safety Protocol 

 

Telematics solutions are also highlighted as a means to increase and maintain safety within certain industries. This is true within the aviation sector as technology can not only be leveraged to track both employees and assets but to ensure safety protocol is followed. 

 

An example that highlights telematics technology aiding in the safety of aviation teams is how the technology can be used to track the efforts of employees on runways. Meaning, managers and officials can always have real-time updates about where individuals are located. So if they see that an employee is operating a vehicle in an unauthorized zone, they can make communication not only with the individual in the unauthorized zone, but with others around them to stop any activity that may accidentally harm the individual. Additionally, telematics can be used to track the driving behaviours of employees using company vehicles as many airports require drivers to authenticate who is in the driver’s seat. Meaning, sharp turns, speeding, or other dangerous behaviours can be recorded, addressed and monitored. Allowing for accidents and incidents on runways as well as the surrounding property to be drastically lowered. 

 

For more information about telematics and government services, visit: https://stagingms.gofleet.com/government-services/airport/

 

The GoFleet Experience

To successfully implement a telematics solution, airports must feel confident about integrating a platform that addresses their full system. This includes ground handling, airlines, and airport authorities so true transparency and visibility can be accomplished. If you’re interested to learn more about how we can help provide a true 360 solution of complete management for any industry, contact us today!