The telematics market is on the rise. Businesses and fleet managers have begun to incorporate telematics technology to help improve the efficiency of their fleet management. Part of the reason telematics has become an integral part of many operations is its ability to improve efficiency.
Solutions like Trackunit are maximizing fleet efficiency with telematics by letting construction managers view the fleet’s location, diagnostics, and fuel consumption all within one dashboard.
Here’s how telematics can help your fleet reach peak efficiency.
Table of Contents
What is telematics?
First, let’s quickly explain how telematics work. At its core, it’s a combination of telecommunications and informatics.
The telecommunications side refers to how the machine (let’s say an excavator, for example) can send data concerning its location, speed, and engine status to a remote user. Meanwhile, the informatics side deals with what happens to that data once it reaches the user. GPS is also another part of the system—that’s where the location part comes in.
This combination is used to monitor your fleet, and collectively, it can help you maximize efficiency in many ways.
How telematics technology improves fleet efficiency
With that in mind, here’s how telematics helps improve fleet efficiency.
Vehicle diagnostics and predictive maintenance
Imagine two scenarios: in one, you catch an equipment-related issue before a breakdown and fix it. In the other, you only learn about it after it’s too late.
The former is ideal. In the latter, you’re now dealing with two issues: downtime and costly repairs. No fleet manager wants that.
Telematics systems keep an ”eye” on your equipment’s engine, including but not limited to its:
- Fuel efficiency
- Tyre pressure
- Oil levels
- Battery life
These systems can even send alerts remotely to managers about equipment health via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technology.
Once you get the alert, you can decide to tackle the issue before it becomes a pain for you and your fleet.
Site monitoring
Telematics systems can track where your equipment works and for how long. So, you can ”see” and monitor a job site without leaving your office.
Real-time site monitoring lets you deal with problems promptly and ensure everyone and everything is where it should be.
Theft prevention
Construction equipment theft is much more prevalent than many initially think. So what if the excavator you rented gets stolen?
Or what if a machine is being used at a location where it’s not supposed to be? In cases such as this, telematics can help.
You can set up virtual ”geofence” zones around job sites to receive alerts when your equipment enters or leaves the premises. This way, you can keep track of their location and usage, eliminating the risk of theft or misuse.
Driver behavior assessment
An important part of efficiency is driver or equipment handler behavior. For instance, how are they driving? Are they idling excessively or taking inefficient routes? That could mean wasted fuel, which automatically translates to high expenditures.
Telematics systems let you collect data on driver behavior, such as harsh braking and acceleration, speeding, narrow turns, unauthorized stops, and idle time. Once you have this data, you can decide if you want to invest in training drivers or optimizing routes for your fleet.
Takeaway
The more you integrate telematics into your operations, the more you can optimize performance. As time goes by, we’ll see more and more advancements in telematics systems, leading to even greater benefits for fleet managers.