Telematics for Commercial Fleet Management

What is Telematics for Commercial Fleet Management?

Telematics is the joining of two very distinct areas of technology – telecommunications (the transmission of information by various technologies) and informatics (the processing of data for storage and retrieval).

When referring to fleet telematics specifically, information about the driver and vehicle — such as vehicle location, fuel usage and more —  can provide valuable data for fleet management to improve different areas of their operations.

Vehicle Telematics Components

The basic telematics system setup consists of a fleet tracking device installed in a vehicle through either the ODBII (on-board diagnostics) port or a 3-wire engine install. Once the vehicle is in operation, the vehicle tracking device will collect telematics data via 4G cellular or satellite services and organize / display this information to end users through a fleet management application on desktop, tablet or mobile devices.

GPS fleet tracking data can include a vehicle’s real-time location, speed travelled, idle engine time, hard braking alerts, and other metrics which can be used to improve a fleet’s overall productivity and safety.

Below are the different components of a telematics system and what type of vehicle tracking data is collected from each:

Engine Control Module

Fleet telematics data collected includes speed travelled, brake use (regular and hard braking), engine oil pressure, engine temps, engine trouble diagnostic codes

GPS Fleet Tracking

Vehicle location, speed traveled, geofence triggers

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)

Relative following distance to other vehicles / objects in addition to lane departures

Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs)

Record and send logging hours for truckers on the road for FMCSA compliance. Other ELD vehicle telematics data includes location reporting, engine hours, and driver identification.

The Benefits of a Telematics System for Fleet Management

There are numerous advantages to having a vehicle tracking system in place. From fuel savings to improved vehicle safety, fleet tracking has been a long proven method for optimizing productivity and increasing your bottom line.

Benefits include, but are not limited to:

Save Money on Fuel Costs

Fleet managers can see, on average, a 10% or more decrease in overall fuel costs through idle engine monitoring and fuel management.

Insurance Premium Discounts

Many insurance providers offer discounts on insurance premiums with up to 15% in annual savings.

Improved Productivity

Vehicle fleets can benefit from improved productivity by using vehicle tracking to reduce delivery times through route optimization. Positive reviews from customers also leads to a better online reputations which more often results in increased business.

Keep Vehicles in Prime Condition

Maintenance reminders can ensure your vehicles are in prime condition by setting notifications for routine maintenance including oil changes, battery replacements, and tire rotation.

The Rise of Video Telematics for Fleet Safety

In just the last few years, fleet dash cams have been combined with traditional GPS location reporting to evolve the fleet management industry. With the ability to review driver-side and road-facing footage as well exonerate drivers from conflicting reports of road accident events, fleet dash cams are saving businesses MILLIONS of dollars from accident lawsuits.

Contact Us Today

Want to learn more about improving driver safety and saving money on fleet costs? Contact Fleet Optix today at (844) 453-5338 and see how fleet dash cams can revolutionize the way you manage your fleet.