Navigating the Road Ahead: The Benefits of Connected Fleet Management

The way businesses manage their fleet directly reflects upon their productivity, customer experience, and expenses. A Connected Fleet management system is a must nowadays, as it restructures existing practices to generate greater fleet efficiencies. It is connected to in-vehicle GPS tracking systems and onboard diagnostic devices (OBD) to provide a regular stream of telematics data, which is used to make informed decisions.

What is a Connected Fleet Management System?

To put it in a nutshell, a Connected Fleet management system is a solution that equips fleet managers with proper data and information, so they can control, organize, and coordinate vehicles in a more effective manner. It offers a clear and comprehensive view of the fleet’s activities. The system performs optimally when connected to sensors, GPS trackers, and telematics devices to keep track of data about the behavior of the driver, maintenance requirements, fuel used, and much more. To sum up, a fleet management system:

• Helps to manage fleet budgets, and track & validate costs.
• Minimizes unnecessary fuel consumption, while sensors ensure excessive idling is prevented.
• Issues service reminders and helps maintain track of previous maintenance.
• Triggers alerts when drivers engage in unsafe driving practices.
• Automates tasks and generates reports on driver performance, vehicle maintenance, etc.

What are the benefits of Connected Fleet Management?

Minimizes Operational Costs

Fuel costs are rising sharply, and inefficient management due to lack of route planning and tracking is a contributor to higher fuel consumption and expenses. For bigger fleets, this is a huge problem. The Connected Fleet software can be used to optimize routes, which can help reduce fuel consumption and idle time. Fuel consumption can also be controlled by keeping detailed records and identifying the best times and places for refueling. An additional feature of many fleet management systems is workflow automation, which can result in additional cost savings.

Boosts Driver Safety

Driver safety shouldn’t be compromised under any circumstances. According to a recent report, it was revealed that around 30% of fatal accidents occurred because of speeding. Driver performance and behavior should be the main focuses of a fleet management system. The system sends notifications in real-time whenever a driver engages in harsh braking, rapid acceleration, sharp turns, or any unsafe patterns. Managers can issue warnings to drivers to correct actions, and provide additional coaching so they follow the rules of the road.

Compliance Readiness

Connected Fleet management systems are an excellent resource when it comes to managing your fleet data. It includes information related to vehicle maintenance, repairs, inspections, and certifications. When this data is digitized and available to your entire staff, it becomes very easy to find crucial references when required. These systems also support electronic inspections in many cases, allowing the field team to quickly verify vehicle performance from anywhere. Digitized records, along with a comprehensive audit trail are all the more crucial for maintaining compliance with local, state, and federal regulations.

Vehicle Monitoring

A fleet management solution can notify the fleet manager about vehicle status and alerts. For example, the fleet manager can be alerted in case of any vehicle failures so that they can immediately resort to a mitigation plan. Using an OBD device, the software lets managers keep an eye on the vehicle status to ensure safe and effective fleet execution. Moreover, such a solution can track vehicle status, speed, temperature, and any stoppages on the route.

Customer Satisfaction

Customer experience is a vital factor these days. With robust tracking, the fleet management system lets managers track their fleet in near real-time and redirect vehicles whenever necessary. They can check job completion status, estimated arrival, and delivery times. Customers can be provided with regular updates regarding the same. It saves a lot of time for fleet managers, as they don’t have to keep calling the driver for information.

Vehicle Maintenance

Using Connected Fleet management systems, the entire lifecycle of every vehicle can be tracked. The sensors installed in each vehicle are used to transmit telematics data to the central server, for a more complete view of vehicle performance and operating parameters. Fleet management software allows managers to track vehicle downtime caused by breakdowns, jumpstarts, tows, and emergency repairs.

Optimizing your maintenance work using this data can lead to less vehicle downtime and an overall increase in fleet utilization. The software provides you with sufficient data so you can create a preventive maintenance schedule for your fleet. You can check whether vehicle components aren’t functioning as they should be, and schedule inspections accordingly. Thus, small issues can be detected and fixed immediately, before they become major headaches.

Anstel’s Connected Fleet management system can consolidate your operations in a centralized manner and make it much easier for fleet managers to monitor assets. It helps businesses run in a more effective and streamlined manner, while cutting down on operational costs and improving driver safety.