Many companies seem to have a tough time deciding whether fitting a telemetry tracking system to their fleet is a necessary expense. The very short answer is: yes.
A good tracking system is every fleet manager’s magical crystal ball – it supplies you with accurate real-time information crucial to running a successful fleet. With a good tracking system, fleet managers have instant access to all the data needed to make critical decisions and to effectively plan the future of their fleet.
There are two main reasons why telemetry is the answer for every company with a fleet. The first revolves around safety, and the second is for the overall management of the fleet.
Tracking systems increase fleet safety
By fitting a tracking system to the vehicles on your fleet, the fleet manager can keep track of where each vehicle is every minute of the day. In South Africa, where hijackings and accidents are a very real daily concern, a tracking system is a crucial safety system for drivers and vehicles. If something goes wrong, the fleet manager will know exactly where the vehicle is and help can be despatched immediately.
Securing the safety of your fleet also means you can get much better deals and coverage with insurance companies. Your company fleet is an asset and it should be protected and insured. For these purposes a Stolen Vehicle Tracking and Recovery (SVR tracking) system will suffice. If you want the ‘Ferrari’ of tracking and data capturing, however, a telematics unit combined with SVR is the way to go.
The Crystal ball of Telematics
In addition to the overall safety of the drivers and vehicles, telematics makes a wide range of vital data instantly available to fleet managers. Telematics makes use of GPS tracking to collect and sort a range of valuable data relating to the vehicle it is fitted to.
With a telemetry system in place, fleet managers have access to information such routes and the location of stops. You can also see how long the vehicle was stopped at each location as well as the type of cargo that’s being transported in each vehicle.
The best option is to have one supplier for your telematics and SVR units as the software can then be set up to coordinate and provide fleet managers with a comprehensive ‘magic ball’ into the workings of their fleet.
A telematics unit enables fleet managers to:
- Limit the speed of the vehicles in specific areas
- Remotely shut off the vehicle when it is stationary (reduce idling and saving fuel)
- Identify which vehicles (and drivers) are speeding within speed zones
- Replay of the exact trip to identify what is happening on scene
- Ensure medical assistance is despatched immediately in the event of an accident
Constant access to this data allows fleet managers to:
- Manage the total cost per kilometre due to accurate kilometre readings
- Accurately manage and compare data on fuel card with tracking data
- Pinpoint problem areas, such as drivers who seem to go through too many sets of tyres. It also allows fleet managers to study driver behaviour patterns. By making small changes they can make big differences to the efficiency of their fleet.
According to Willie Venter, Fleet Consulting Manager at EQSTRA Fleet Management, “It is very important for the fleet manager to use a telematics unit as the data is easily accessible and it can help identify the various areas to minimise costs in your fleet. Data provides a lot of proof and is extremely important in the management of a robust fleet.”
