Fleet Management and the Internet of Things: What You Need to Know

When you run a logistics business or have a fleet of vehicles in another area, such as sales, building, or healthcare, it’s necessary to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in technology.

Tech changes have led to many benefits for fleet management over the years and continue to have an impact. In particular, in recent times, the Internet of Things or IoT as it’s known for short, has led to many key developments in the fleet-management arena. Here’s the lowdown on what you need to know today.

Vehicle Maintenance Improvements

T investment in fleet vehicles is one of the top operational expenses for many businesses. As such, entrepreneurs are always looking for ways to cut related maintenance expenses. Plus, since every hour that a vehicle’s in the “shop” and not in use is so costly, it’s necessary to reduce downtime wherever possible.

The internet of things is a blessing for business owners. IoT leads to vehicle maintenance improvements and reduces the likelihood that trucks, vans, cars,etc. will break down on the road in the middle of a job, or have to be out of action for days or weeks for expensive and time-consuming repairs. Predictive vehicle maintenance is possible now because of the installation of onboard diagnostics ports. These devices talk with connected devices and applications. Businesses are,therefore,alerted to potential issues straight away and can manage performance effectively.

Driver Monitoring and Safety

When your employees are out and about in vehicles every day, you want to know they’re safe and doing the right thing. Today, this kind of monitoring is easier than ever due to the Internet of Things. Connected IoT devices, such as GPS systems and other programs, allow you to receive a variety of information about driver behaviors. You can analyze data in real time and be made aware of less-than-ideal driver choices like speeding, overdriving, unscheduled stops, incorrect routes, etc.

An increase in driver safety is possible, too, because information conveyed through feature-rich electronic logs enables you to see if drivers are working dangerously long hours with too little rest. Research shows that fatigue is one of the biggest causes of accidents on the road, so anything you can do to keep drivers from being at the wheel when they’re not alert enough is vital.

Decision Making and Operational Streamlining to Benefit Numerous Parties

All businesses succeed or fail based on the decisions owners or managers make over the years. To improve your decision-making abilities, and to streamline operations more, take advantage of IoT advancements.

Fleet operators can use the fact that vehicles and devices talk to each other to choose when and how to re-route trucks for quicker deliveries or pickups, and to automate customer service and internal updating. For example, systems can be programmed to send out updates about schedules to customers and different teams as soon as relevant information comes back from tracking systems.

Also, if vehicles break down, IoT-based programs can send ticket notifications to tow trucks and/or the closest gas stations to a driver’s position. IoT connections benefit business, drivers, customers, and other stakeholders.

Improved Routing and Other Efficiencies

As alluded to in the point above, IoT is useful in the area of routing. The quicker trips are, the less fuel is used, the fewer miles put on vehicles, the less pollution emitted, and the sooner items are picked up or delivered or other jobs completed. To save time, money, and energy, companies should utilize IoT to help drivers arrive at destinations sooner.

GPS systems and the like can talk to each other about real-time issues such as crashes, congestion, roadworks, changes to road conditions, and weather warnings. In turn, drivers are alerted, through automatic notifications, to roads or routes to avoid.

IoT is a plus, too, because it alleviates some time-consuming and painful jobs for drivers. For example, with the latest tech systems incorporated into vehicles, drivers don’t have to manually input hours or routes. Fuel consumption and idle time are also automatically monitored via electronic devices, so companies can reduce manual reporting needs and find ways to get vehicles running more efficiently.

Fleet management is a vital component of many business operations and therefore needs to be treated with care. Start investigating ways to incorporate IoT systems into your company today, and you’ll soon notice cost savings and see the effects of having happier workers and customers.