Telematics and Fleet Management

For fleet managers, telematics is one of the best solutions for their most common business challenges. Fleet managers generally have to find ways to meet compliance, reduce fuel costs across their fleet, and improve their safety records. 

Telematics helps to overcome these challenges by collecting valuable vehicle data for fleet managers in order to provide actionable insights, information, and guidance related to fleet performance. 

More specifically, telematics helps fleets to:

  • Accurately track vehicle location
  • Monitor diagnostics, such as warning lights
  • Oversee driver behavior
  • Track fuel efficiency and usage
  • Plan routes

There are many types of telematics devices available on the market that offer different functionalities and unique benefits. But how exactly does telematics achieve these feats? 

Let’s quickly go over how telematics works.

Telematics 101

Telematics was generally created to help understand vehicle performance. However, with the increased usage of mobile phones, things such as engine data, vehicle malfunctions, and fuel efficiency were combined with data collected from our phones.

Nowadays, telematics works with a piece of technology installed inside the vehicle to deliver precise measurements related to location, speed, fuel efficieny, driver hours of service and much more. 

In most cases, the telematics device is connected to a vehicle’s onboard diagnostics port using a normal SIM card.

How telematics improves your fleet management

Let’s take a deep dive into some of the most important ways that telematics can help improve your fleet management.

#1 Increased fuel efficiency

Because fuel is one of the most significant costs in commercial fleets, it’s important to accurately monitor, track and improve fuel usage. Some of the biggest causes for fuel inefficiencies are:

  • Speeding
  • Inefficient routing
  • Excessive idling
  • Unauthorized vehicle usage

Telematics can help you improve fuel efficiency by preventing idling, detours, and other type sof wasteful driving behaviors. They can certainly help when the vehicle is being used in an unauthorized manner, by sending on-time alerts so you can respond quickly.

#2 Preventative maintenance

Telematics can help you stay up-to-date about the condition of your vehicles. This type of preventative maintenance is normally based on mileage, with inspections and maintenance service performed routinely after a vehicle has driven a specific number of miles.

The top telematics software will help create easily understandable reports and automated scheduling based on, for example, odometer readings or engine run-time.

#3 Improved safety

By more accurately monitoring driver behavior and practices, fleet managers are better able to make timely decisions not only live in the field, but also in developing fleet-wide training programs, policies and guidelines to improve safety practices.

These programs and policies can target specific behavior, like harsh braking or overspeeding, based on real live data in order to boost driver safety.

Even better, fleet managers can use telematics to provide incentives to drivers by rewarding those following the safety policies and practices in their daily routines.

Top uses for telematics in fleet management

There is a wide list of ways that fleet managers can use telematics in their daily fleet management. This includes:

  •  Local business search and recommendation
  • In-vehicle entertainment
  • Intelligent fuel allocation
  • En route news as well as weather and traffic updates
  • Real-time and timely data communications
  • Location sharing and reporting
  • Wireless safety alerts
  • Hazard alerts
  • Theft response
  • Roadside and emergency assistance request systems
  • Freight trailer and container tracking
  • Vehicle performance measurement

Of course, exactly what you will be able to achieve with telematics will depend on both the hardware and software that you end up using. 

There are a lot of GPS trackers to choose from, including brands like Teltonika. For a leading solution in fleet tracking, management and telematics, make sure to check out GPSWOX’s fleet tracking and management software