In simple words, Telematics can be defined as the alliance of telecommunication with informatics. From GPS to other advanced tech features of fleet management, Telematics surrounds all. The GPS and diagnostic tools allow telematics to perform as an advanced monitoring asset.
So what exactly is telematics and how is it beneficial?
It enables us to share data with the help of long-distance transmission. This more or less justifies Fleet Telematics. Interestingly, the word originated from the combination of two French words, which mean telecommunications and data/ information.
Over the past few years, fleet management has witnessed some massive enhancements due to the assistance of telematics.
How? Let’s take a look at life before fleet telematics –
- GPS –  Earlier when a driver had to deliver shipment and various assets to a new and unknown area, he could only seek the help of manual paper maps or ask for help from people around him. With experience, we realized that both of them is a laborious and time-consuming process.
- Mechanical diagnostics – It looks after operational information such as fuel consumption, mileage, and other real-time components. But earlier, the driver had no tool or assistance to track fuel consumption rates or know beforehand the upcoming servicing routines. He had to simply rely on his understanding of the vehicle.
- Driver behavior – As a business owner, before telematics emerged, there was no way for you to know how your driver was treating your vehicle. Further, you had no idea if your driver was indulging in rash driving, unnecessary idling or was going off the predetermined route.
- Fleet Security and Control –  Which trait determines the rise of an industry? The management. The most crucial role of management is proving security. So you can imagine how tiresome and complicated it was to do security checks and other operations manually. Not to mention, dull and unquestionably less effective.
- The Fleet Management Software – The most advanced feature of Fleet Management is the FMS. Implementation of a software system into the Vehicle Management exponentially improves the management of –Â
1. Accident and risk management.
2. Budget and forecasting
3. Drivers including driver license checks
4. Fuel and emissions
5. Parts and Inventory
6. Regulatory and legal compliance Workshops and scheduling – inspections, defect reporting and audits.
7. Maintenance and repair
8. Vehicles, assets, and equipment
Reports suggest –
– Â An average fleet spends around 20-40% of its time doing nothing i.e. being idle.
– Â Remember paperwork? Each driver spends more than 100 hours annually at it.
– The Industry uses up around 51 million hours each year, reviewing the said paperwork.
But it’s because of telematics that the fleet industries can now get rid of paperwork and utilize this time over doing something more productive.
Now, let’s take a look at the major benefits of using Telematics Devices in the trucking industry.
- Increase in Efficiency
- Safety
- Job Satisfaction
- Reduction in Operation Cost
- Monitor Safety Habits
- Optimize Vehicle Performance
- Scheduled Alerts for Repair
- Offer Superior Driver User-Experience
- Enhance Security
All these features and benefits are the reason how telematics has played a major role in the advancement of fleet management. The transformation is rapid and highly beneficial. With the widespread of IoT and Artificial Intelligence, telematics continues to improve and gets better by the day. It will be fascinating to witness the rise of fleet telematics in the future and how it will transform the Indian fleet management.
