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• Connected Fleet tracking reduces fuel consumption by identifying troubling driving patterns and implementing practices to ensure fuel-efficient driving.
• Locating items that are yet to reach their destination or have gone missing in transit.
• Creating faster delivery routes, while giving managers better visibility across the entire fleet.
• Making strategic decisions in a timely manner, promptly responding to any minor issues that arise, and identify potential problems in the supply chain.
• Boosting customer service by getting jobs completed on time, sans delays.
• Ensuring maximum utilization of assets across the fleet. 

Fleet tracking technology serves as more than just a tool for navigating drivers or pinpointing the precise location of a vehicle. It has transformed the logistics industry completely and made supply chain management all the more efficient. With Connected Fleet, it is possible to know the whereabouts of vehicles at any given time, monitor vehicle speed, routes, and engine idling, keeps tab on driver behaviour, and complete jobs on time.

How does Connected Fleet tracking help in supply chain management? Take a look:

Reducing Fuel Consumption

Rising fuel costs is one of the major concerns in supply chain management. Implementing fleet tracking technology via Connected Fleet gives access to a considerable amount of data that shows the activity of individual drivers and of the overall fleet as well. This helps fleet managers to identify the drivers who are using higher than optimal level of fuel. After collating this information, specific training modules can be developed to improve driving patterns, which minimizes fuel consumption. Using Connected fleet solutions, fleet managers can also get automatic alerts whenever there is speeding, harsh acceleration and engine idling, which contributes to high fuel consumption. If drivers are notified of such issues, they can self-correct their behaviour and drive in a more fuel-efficient manner.

Locating Missing Items

When items are lost or misplaced, it can create huge problems for a supply chain. One way of dealing with this issue is to track merchandise using QR codes, barcode or RFID codes. When combined with an advanced fleet tracking system, managers get a detailed picture about the movements and routes of their goods. If items don’t arrive at their intended destination, they can check the data to find out which vehicle was carrying the shipment, what route it took, and why it failed to reach. Using Connected Fleet, missing products can be located and the shipment re-routed to its correct destination, which often saves thousands in revenue.

Optimizing Routes and Ensuring More Transparency

Smooth functioning of supply chains mean that drivers should take the shortest and most fuel-efficient route between locations. For large companies, it wouldn’t cause an immediate problem if a product was delayed, but for smaller operations, it can lead to significant issues further down the chain. As mentioned, fleet managers can pinpoint the exact location of a vehicle, which lets them know right away if a particular shipment has been delayed.

Furthermore, fleet managers can design more time-efficient routes to avoid well-known congested areas. This feature is not only beneficial for the supply chain as vehicles arrive at destinations faster, but it also speeds up the final stage where products are delivered to customers. Deliveries can happen quicker and the number of deliveries in a day can be sped up well.

Making Smart Decisions

Using Connected Fleet, supply chain managers can connect vehicles, equipment, and devices to get real time status updates on jobs. It gives them a clear insight across the supply chain, starting from the warehouse and transportation, right to the stakeholders and customers. For instance, rather than viewing any job status as “with courier” or “in transit”, managers can zero in on the exact location of the vehicles. Using analytics data from fleet tracking ensures you are familiar with every aspect of the supply chain, such as knowing where your drivers are, what they are doing, location of shipments, and outcome ofs every process and system. 

With real time tracking options, fleet managers can make intelligent and timely decisions that keep goods moving efficiently. For instance, if drivers are experiencing technical difficulties while making deliveries, managers can communicate and devise instant solutions to those problems, so a task is completed with minimal delays.  This information allows fleet managers to make timely decisions regarding maintenance, scheduled delivery, and pickups. This data can be accessed later on to asses the performance of each vehicle, why it reached its destination late, and what can be done to improve service delivery.

Improving Customer Service

The efficiency of a supply chain is determined on the basis of its connectivity. Managers can access information on their systems while in office or on mobile apps, to track where an item is in real time, so that forecasting delivery time becomes a more exact science. Potential problems can be identified sooner, which allows them to contact customers to manage their expectations or make other arrangements to meet Service Level Agreements. Connected Fleet allows automation of status updates for customers, so they stay informed about their shipments, which in turn reduces inbound enquiries to the customer service team.

Maximizing Asset Utilization

Improved connectivity allows supply chain managers to optimize fleets, which means smarter route planning and identification of assets that are delayed in traffic or held up at a previous job. Connected Fleet lets you track utilization rates to monitor efficiency of assets, thus enabling managers to schedule optimal number of jobs for each asset. With a deeper understanding of how assets are utilized, along with their performance, business operations can be fine-tuned accordingly. It helps to improve productivity by planning more deliveries and dispatches per day. When multiplied across a fleet and the entire supply chain, this could bring a huge boost to the bottom line.

Connected Fleet shows a lot of promise when it comes to supply chain management, but the implementation is only in its infancy. For companies operating a supply chain, it is crucial to install this technology. Anstel’s Connected Fleet provides a greater understanding of how your fleet is functioning as part of the supply chain, which allows fleet managers to improve operational efficiency and productivity by identifying bottlenecks and making timely, strategic decisions.

• Reasons for the rising oil prices in India.
• Logistics companies have been significantly impacted due to fuel costs shooting up!
• Connected Fleet solutions can reduce fuel expenditures by optimizing routes, minimizing idle times, implementing predictive and prescriptive analytics, curbing unsafe driving behaviour, etc.

Fuel prices are smashing records every day India as they keep on going up! Fuel prices in Delhi on the 8^th of March are 91.17 INR and 81.47 INR for petrol and diesel respectively. And if reports are to be believed, the surge is only going to continue!

What is the reason for this substantial increase in fuel prices?

Prices of Brent crude cost as much as $55.48 a barrel in January. This rise comes after prices crashed in late March 2020, because the world entered into a lockdown to curb the spread of the novel Coronavirus. At the time, prices fell from over $70 a barrel in January to around $14 a barrel in end-March. During May, prices surged to $20 again, and the upward trajectory has since persisted.

India imports more than 80% of its crude oil from other countries, so the increase in global prices has naturally had a direct impact on fuel prices in India. As the economy emerged from the lockdown, fuel consumption shot up, so higher imports were required as well. Oil imports in December were about 29% over the previous month, and about 11.6% higher than a year earlier. Part of the rise in fuel prices is due to the new duties and cess taxes levied by the Centre and state governments. It is partly due to the fact that fuel isn’t categorized under the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Since fuel is one of the few revenue sources directly controlled by the Centre and states post-GST, governments have used it to shore up weak budgets.

How are logistics companies affected by rising fuel costs?

When fuel prices rise sharply, it can have a delayed and devastating effect on companies managing or owning a fleet of vehicles, on the other hand customers are not willing to pay anything extra for delivery. Under these circumstances, carriers are forced to raise costs or bear losses. The higher cost of fuel affects logistics companies and shipping partners as well. If it costs more for the freight carrier to transport goods, the shipping partner has to be charged more to compensate. If shipping costs rise, the recipient has to be consequently asked to pay more to make up for those extra costs. Higher fuel costs lead to product inflation and impact every aspect of production transportation along the way.

Other issues that have to be considered are rapid change and price volatility. Logistics organizations generate fuel surcharges based on fuel prices of the previous week. If fuel prices go up swiftly, a lag is created between price of fuel and fuel surcharge rate. This “lag” is what impacts the trucking company’s earnings. With the continual volatility in the price for crude oil, logistics companies are forced to restructure or strategize operations to ensure their profit margins remain unaffected, while avoiding potential setbacks.

How can Connected Fleet solutions reduce fuel expenses?

Using Connected Fleet solution and telematics data, fuel costs can be reduced by almost 20% to 25%. Take a look:

Use Optimization to Plan Efficient Routes

Longer routes mean more fuel consumption. It is vital to structure the route so fuel efficiency isn’t compromised. If drivers take routes out of their way or through known high-traffic areas, this adversely impacts fuel consumption. Using route optimization software, fleet managers can analyse routes and predict the best route drivers can take to reach their destinations. This software also takes unexpected delays and additional stops into account. For instance, congestive traffic, accidents, and road closures can change otherwise viable routes for vehicles. But the software can quickly reroute by providing alternative solutions and dispatch vehicles efficiently.Companies using fleet management solutions can reduce total miles driven by up to almost 10%. You can monitor weather patterns, area topography, building footprints and vehicle clusters too. Using this information, you can improve fleet efficiencies like sending the closet vehicle via the most direct route to provide customers with quick service, while keeping fuel usage to a minimum.

Minimize Idling Times

Idling leads to wastage of fuel, so you need to monitor which of your fleet vehicles are idle for longer than necessary. Remember that a truck uses a litre of fuel for every 15 minutes of idling on an average. So an hour of idling in a week means 1460 litres of fuel being wasted every year! Using fleet management software, you can monitor events and situations that lead to excessive fuel consumption and take necessary action to prevent it. For instance, you can check idle time per vehicle, idle time averages across the fleet, the time of day when idle time is maximum and so on. Educating drivers about the necessity of reducing idle times is a must.

Reduce Speeding

Poor driving habits like excessive speed can cause fuel bills to spike. For every 10 km over 100 km/hr, your fuel economy reduces by an average of 10%. Did you know aggressive driving behaviour like speeding reduces gas mileage by over 30% at highway speeds and 5% at city speeds? Drivers have to be held accountable so this doesn’t happen! The fleet management software lets you set benchmarks for speed limits that can be used to identify when and how much your drivers speed. You can create programs for changing driving behaviour by educating them on the importance of reducing fuel expenses.

Predictive Analytics

Create automated maintenance alerts to ensure your vehicles are in peak condition. You can monitor how much fuel each vehicle is using, and predict if maintenance is required immediately. For instance, if you notice that fuel usage has gone up for a couple of vehicles, while other fleet trucks are reporting the usual amount, something is definitely wrong. Prescriptive actions to drive down fuel usage can be implemented, such as engine tune-ups or scheduling serving on a regular basis. You can also use this report to help reduce instances of fraud by reconciling fuel card expenditures with fuel consumption.

Prevent Unauthorized Use

Are you aware if drivers are using vehicles for personal work, while the company has to bear additional expenses? It is imperative to prevent unauthorized and off-hours use, because they contribute to more fuel consumption. Create work time periods and geofences – based on these parameters and the exact location of vehicles in real time, via GPS, you can ensure drivers aren’t wasting fuel by using the vehicle for errands or personal requirements.

Anstel’s Connected Fleet Solution can be used to schedule maintenance, reduce idling time for vehicles, monitor fuel consumption across the fleet, curb erratic driving behaviour, and much more. It helps reduce fuel related costs, while maintaining profit margins, especially when petrol and diesel prices remain at an all-time high and by the looks of trends, are bound to rise yet again!

• The number of people who have lost their lives to road accident are increasing at an alarming rate with each passing year.
• GPS tracking is no longer an optional feature – it is a must-have in vehicles, which makes the transition to Connected Fleet all the more convenient.
• Road safety can be improved by tracking driver behavior, customizing their training, and staying on top of the vehicle’s maintenance schedule.

As per World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 1.35 million people die each year as a result of road traffic crashes! But with the advent of vehicle telematics – a combination of GPS tacking and Internet – roads can be made much safer. As Connected Fleet managers you can greatly enhance the functionality, productivity and security of both vehicles and drivers using GPS tracking.

What is GPS Tracking?

A vehicle tracking system is basically an electronic device installed in a vehicle to enable the owner or a third party to track the vehicle's location. Most modern vehicle tracking systems use Global Positioning System (GPS) modules to pinpoint the accurate location of the vehicle. Vehicle information can be viewed on electronic maps via the Internet or specialized software. 

It is important for Connected Fleet managers to understand how vehicle tracking technology is best introduced as it has a massive impact on its acceptance by the workforce.  It should be explained that cases of vehicle theft, unauthorized use and speeding will be detected, but that any penalties will be defined in disciplinary procedures before the system starts. Employees need to clearly understand how the system has been integrated to improve emergency response in case of accidents and protect vulnerable lone workers at the same time.

How Connected Fleet Using GPS Tracking Improves Road Safety

The fact is safety and security should always be your main focus. GPS tracking devices in Connected Fleet will drastically reduce the possibility of road accidents. Apart from deaths, almost 20 to 50 million people suffer non-fatal injuries in crashes, which often result in long-term disabilities. The effect is like ripples in a pond! With vehicle tracking, you get insight into events that phone calls and texts can’t deliver, such as real-time vehicle locations and routing, insight into driving behavior and compliance, and more.

Tracking driver behavior

Having a clear insight into how your drivers perform on the road is essential to keeping costs low, drivers’ safe, and customers happy. Vehicle tracking systems give you access to safety analytics and actionable data you can use to track poor driving habits.

Distracted driving can occur due to several reasons – the driver might have something else on his mind, there might be a hurry to deliver several shipments, etc. GPS trackers in Connected Fleet can be used to effectively communicate and give them turn -by- turn directions, advice about upcoming traffic, weather conditions or obstacles to avoid accidents.

Yet another cause of road accidents is speeding. Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death among young people aged 5 to 29. Young adults aged 15 to 44 accounts for more than half of all road deaths! Unfortunately, speeding happens to the best of us when we are in a rush. It can be overwhelming for drivers on a strict schedule. Connected Fleet GPS trackers can be set to send speeding alerts, while data about driver performances can be quickly accessed using fleet tracking reports. You need to track drivers’ sudden speeding, acceleration, braking pattern, sharp turns, and so on. When you are trying to determine if unsafe driving practices are being used, the fleet tracking reports prove to be extremely informative. 

GPS tracking systems in Connected Fleet helps to pinpoint areas of concern and coach drivers when required. By curbing bad driving behavior, you not only improve road safety but also increase longevity of your fleet through less wear and tear, fewer accidents, and lower fuel costs.

Customizing driver training

As mentioned, vehicle tracking solutions in Connected Fleet help to break down driving behavior that could lead to serious accidents. Through actionable safety data, you can virtually spot trends and patterns of bad driving for individual drivers. Nowadays, many fleet managers are installing dashboard cams to record hours of driving, so they can check necessary information when required. These safety tools give you insight into your fleet’s driving habits no matter its size. You can use the information to customize training sessions for individuals and groups with specific driving habits and reward the good drivers who keep your business safe.

Reducing accidents

The weather plays a crucial role when it comes to road safety. Rainy weather, snow, storms, etc, can create unfavorable conditions, which lead to accidents. In the event that drivers consider it wise to pull over or want to steer clear of going into a bad storm, GPS trackers in Connected Fleet can help.

GPS tracking software in Connected Fleet isn’t just about monitoring vehicles – it lets you guide drivers in unforeseen events and weather conditions you wouldn’t be able to track otherwise. When out on a job or delivery, drivers navigate unfamiliar territory and often in unexpected climate, exposing them to potential risks and accidents. Predictive technology lets fleet managers track patterns and plan around bad weather using map-based risk data. Thus drivers can plan the best and most efficient routes to take by using their in-vehicle devices.

Improving vehicle maintenance

Low and middle income countries have approximately 60% of the world's vehicles, yet they make up 93% of the world’s road fatalities. You can improve road safety by ensuring your fleet is in good shape.  Vehicle tracking systems gives you an insight into the Connected Fleet’s health by creating reports about vehicle maintenance. You can set thresholds and custom alerts for pre-trip inspections and maintenance based on odometer readings from the vehicle. You get to monitor and support the fleet’s longevity, while steering clear of costly repairs or unnecessary services that often stem from poorly maintained assets.

Road safety is everyone’s responsibility and GPS tracking can make a huge difference in that aspect. Anstel has come up with innovative GPS tracking solutions in Connected Fleet to ensure safety of drivers on the road, and prevent accidents.