Over the past decade, fleet managers and owners have seen a rise in availability of diverse technologies offering countless opportunities to optimize operations, increase profitability, and improve safety. However, not all fleet technologies are created equal, and understanding the differences between them, as well as their capabilities, is important in making informed adoption decisions and capitalizing on their benefits.
Image: Fleetio, all rights reserved.
Importance of Understanding Technologies
One of the key aspects of understanding fleet technology is recognizing that different technologies address specific concerns and solve specific problems. By gaining a grasp of how these technologies work — and the advantages they offer — fleet managers can identify the solutions that align with their fleet’s needs and goals. Whether the focus is on maintenance, compliance, return on investment (ROI), driver safety, or other organization-specific goals, knowing the capabilities of different technologies becomes instrumental in finding the right fit for the fleet.
Technological advancements continue to shape the industry, and fleet managers must stay ahead of the curve, armed with knowledge that can shape the future of their operations, ensure competitiveness, and maintain profitability. By staying updated on new technologies, fleet managers are better equipped to optimize operational efficiency, safety, and productivity, either by implementing these tools or expressing skepticism within their own operations if a suggested tool doesn’t fit the fleet’s needs. This knowledge enables them to make informed decisions that drive their fleets towards success.
Automotive Technologies
Fleet technologies can mostly be lumped into two categories: automotive tech and management solutions. Automotive tech can be considered technologies that focus on a specific vehicle and its driver. Autonomous vehicle (AV) technology, for example, is a rapidly evolving field, primarily focused on safety. Most original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) offer Level 0 and 1 autonomy, encompassing safety features like automatic emergency braking, collision warning, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keeping assist. Investing in vehicles with low-level autonomy can significantly improve fleet safety. Level 2 autonomy, which offers hands-free driving with the need for driver attention, is the latest to hit the market, but is still in the early stages of adoption.
Another example of upcoming automotive tech is augmented reality (AR) auto-dimming windshields, such as the one proposed by General Motors. The AR windshield is meant to tackle the issue of glare from oncoming headlights. By utilizing AR heads-up displays, light sensors and smart glass can be electrically tuned to automatically dim specific sections of the windshield when excessive light is detected. This technology mitigates the risk of accidents caused by high beams and minimizes liability.
Enhanced driver monitoring systems, such as Magna’s advanced camera technology integrated into the interior mirror, offer comprehensive approaches to driver safety. These systems actively detect and react to distracted driving behaviors while accommodating normal actions like checking blind spots. With features like seat belt detection, video conferencing, and facial recognition capabilities, enhanced driver monitoring systems promote increased safety and accident mitigation.
Hydrogen combustion engines, although woefully less promoted than electric vehicles (EVs), are another automotive technology that promise a cleaner, more sustainable future for fleet operators. By utilizing hydrogen gas as the primary fuel source, these engines produce zero greenhouse gas emissions. Hydrogen combustion engines provide high torque output and robust performance and acceleration, making them suitable for a wide range of applications, including heavy-duty transportation. With rapid refueling times, extended climate adaptability, and the potential for smaller and fewer batteries, hydrogen-powered vehicles offer distinct advantages over conventional EVs.
Image: Fleetio, all rights reserved.
Management Solutions
Unlike automotive technologies, management solutions provide operation-wide insights. Solutions such as GPS tracking, telematics, connected vehicle application programming interfaces (APIs), custom-built maintenance/management systems, and fleet management software (FMS) each offer unique benefits to fleet managers.
GPS tracking devices could be considered part automotive tech and part management solution, as it enables monitoring of vehicle location, speeding, route adherence, and harsh driving so managers can better track all assets simultaneously. Telematics, with its combination of GPS tracking and onboard diagnostics, tends to focus on compliance and fleet health versus the asset-level data afforded by GPS alone.
Connected vehicle APIs provide similar benefits to telematics and are particularly useful for EVs and vehicles without access to an OBD port. Connected vehicle APIs are still relatively new and not yet widely used, although there are some OEMs offering this technology. It is important to note that the technology may not yet be mature enough to benefit fleets that have telematics-compatible assets.
Custom-built maintenance/management systems are management solutions that cater to specific fleet needs but may come with higher costs. These types of systems offer different means of data storage, including in-house hardware and cloud-based storage. While having a maintenance or management solution built can help ensure it does what the fleet needs, it can be a costly technology that is difficult to scale as your company grows.
Consolidated fleet management solutions, such as FMS, are a great choice for fleets using — or thinking of using — multiple fleet technologies. In addition to tracking fleet data, FMS provides integration and API functionality with other fleet technologies and business solutions to provide data consolidation across your entire operation. FMS aggregates collected data into easy-to-read reports you can send to stakeholders at custom-set intervals so everyone can quickly see the metrics they need to influence decisions.
FMS also offers a certain level of fleet management automation via work order auto-approvals with set parameters and automated maintenance workflows. By collecting, consolidating, and aggregating all fleet and business data onto a single platform with FMS, managers can quickly and easily surface productivity and asset issues for faster resolution, less downtime, and increased ROI.
Understanding the various fleet technologies and their respective benefits empowers fleet managers to make informed decisions that align with their fleet’s specific goals and challenges. By leveraging the right technologies, fleet managers can optimize operational efficiency, improve safety, increase productivity, and achieve better ROI. Moreover, being knowledgeable about emerging technologies allows fleet managers to proactively adapt to industry trends and maintain a competitive edge in an evolving landscape.
Rachael Plant is a content marketing specialist for Fleetio, a fleet management software company that helps organizations track, analyze and improve their fleet operations.
