Fleet technology – why use it & why it is so important to upgrade your technology

Managing your fleet can be challenging, but it does become easier if you have up-to-date fleet technology to assist you. While most fleet operators may think that small fleet sizes are easy to handle, this is actually a misconception. Whether the scale of your fleet operations is small, average or large, you will still face the same challenges. It is for this reason that every fleet owner should focus on upgrading their technologies.

According to recent statistics, fleet companies which relied on advanced fleet tech generated 199 billion in 2020. Today, more companies are using fleet tracking, with the fleet industry continuing to witness rapid growth and being forecasted to flourish in upcoming years. Facing increasingly intense market competition, it is now impossible for fleet businesses to thrive without using any form of fleet technology.

Do you recall the last time you upgraded your fleet technology? If it’s been a few years since you reviewed your fleet tech, it’s high time to upgrade to better fleet tools. Doing so will help you keep track of all vehicle-related details, and save you much hassle compared to outdated or manual fleet management. Here are a few reasons why you should always ensure your fleet technology is keeping up with the times:

1. Enhances Your Operational Efficiency

Do you use fleet management software? If you haven’t used any fleet management tool, you should seriously start using one as it will make your vehicle monitoring effortless. You can even improve fleet planning and schedule fleet operations with ease. With a proper fleet management software, you can ensure that fleet operations are running smoothly, thereby increasing productivity. For example, companies like Dubai Fixing are using fleet management software for hassle-free delivery.

With advanced fleet management technologies, you can locate where your vehicles are, such as checking which areas they are parked at. Do you want to know whether your vehicles are in a high-traffic area? Or, if they are on the way to a delivery location? Fleet management software will provide you with such essential information and more.

Besides this, fleet owners can also track vehicle speeds, determine the arrival time of your fleet, as well as monitor truck temperatures via installed sensors.

2. Increases Driving Safety Level

In every fleet organisation, safety should be a prime concern as fleet operations involve a high level of risk. With an effective fleet management solution, you can assess your driving risk factors and also communicate with drivers no matter where they are. Do you want to check the driving speed of a particular vehicle? With fleet management tools, you can do so easily.

If a driver is recklessly driving (ie. speeding, harsh braking, idling too long), the fleet management software will notify you through instant alerts. With data on driver behaviour, you can improve driving safety by identifying which drivers to send for training, as well as retain good drivers. On top of this, you can reduce the risk of road accidents and obtain peace of mind at all times.

3. Improves Compliance and Visibility

Fleet compliance plays an integral role in every fleet company as it will impact the growth of your fleet operations and affect your company’s reputation. Many large-scale fleet organisations use fleet tracking technology with analytic capabilities to monitor various aspects of their fleet. By installing fleet trackers, you can ensure that drivers are complying with traffic rules, assigned fleet schedules, as well as cargo transport requirements.

The use of fleet telematics will also provide you with real-time, accurate reports on vehicle health and performance, helping you to proactively oversee vehicle maintenance while enabling you to make informed fleet management decisions.

4. Prevents Vehicle Theft

Over the years, the percentage of motor vehicle thefts has increased, making it a serious concern for fleet owners across the world. Fortunately, using fleet management software with GPS tracking capabilities can deter such theft incidents by monitoring real-time driver location, past trip locations, and if a driver has exited a geofenced location.

With fleet tracking tools, you can even be alerted on fuel theft and track fuel consumption. By tracking your drivers’ fuel usage per trip, you can know if there is excessive fuel consumption and know which routes need optimisation for higher fuel economy.

5. Keeps Fleet Operations Flexible

Needless to say, fleet management software offers a plethora of benefits. Imagine a situation where you’ve forgotten to provide information about route updates to your drivers. Or, if a driver has proceeded with their job but is going in the wrong route. With fleet management tools, you can instantly notify your drivers about route changes and can even rectify the problem on the spot by sending them the correct location.

Another example of how useful fleet management is can be found in cab operating companies. With the help of fleet management software, they can update drivers about important information such as road traffic and last-minute appointment cancellations. Compared to manually calling your drivers, notifying them via software remotely is also much safer. By automating this process, your back-office work will also become more efficient.

What to Consider Before Choosing the Right Fleet Technology

Do you know what are the emerging fleet technologies in 2021? Have a better understanding first before upgrading your technology to know whether you need software features for real-time monitoring, fuel efficiency, data insights or driver safety.

Nowadays, many fleet operators are using AI to improve their fleet operations and obtain accurate data analysis of their vehicles. Another fleet management tool is GPS tracking, which is usually the ultimate solution for fleet managers. With these tools, you can ensure your drivers are compliant with rules and regulations. Some of these fleet management solutions also offer cross-platform availability, and can be used to track different vehicles including refrigerated trucks.

If you are interested in upgrading your fleet technology, we recommend looking at FMS as a powerful, advanced all-in-one solution that can be customised to suit your fleet’s needs.