GPS Fleet Tracking

Five Benefits of Fleet Telematics

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You can’t make it too far in the fleet industry without at least hearing of fleet telematics. Technology is advancing everywhere, and this includes technology for fleets. Fleet telematics is just one of the many advantages of the 21st century. This feature offers benefits across the gambit of fleet management, from safety to dispatching and everything in between. You can save money and time and increase your business’s efficiency with a simple plug-in device. Let’s discuss what telematics for fleet management is and five of its benefits that can help your fleet today. 

What is Telematics? 

Telematics is a means of tracking vehicle data. This technology can track any data points you can think of, including speed, location, fuel efficiency, HoS, maintenance requirements, and far more. With dashcams and asset tracking, fleets can obtain even more detailed information to accomplish business goals. 

The hardware is simple. For example, Azuga offers a device that simply plugs into a driver’s OBD port. Within seconds, it’s ready to go. It begins transmitting data to the office’s fleet tracking software, where fleet managers can view data in real-time. Then, the software can consolidate this information into reports where managers can easily find patterns and data to make essential business decisions. This data can be used for various purposes across fleet management. 

The Benefits of Fleet Telematics

No. 1: Increased Driver Safety

Any fleet’s top priority is its drivers’ safety. Drivers are a business’s most important asset; without them, a fleet can’t operate. Telematics helps promote driver safety in a couple of ways. First, it tracks driver behaviors. We mentioned speeding earlier, but it can also track hard braking, rapid acceleration, and other behaviors that put fleet drivers at risk. Tracking these behaviors is a critical first step in ensuring the safety of any fleet. After all, how can you take corrective action without knowing what’s occurring within your vehicles? Telematics lends itself to programs like Azuga’s rewards program, which gamifies safety by providing rewards to drivers when they display positive behaviors. When you make telematics part of your fleet’s safety plan, you’ll be surprised at the results you see. 

No. 2: Optimal Fleet Maintenance

Another part of keeping a fleet safe is prioritizing vehicle maintenance. However, safety isn’t the only benefit of adding telematics to your fleet’s toolbox. It can also help your business save money and downtime. Predictive maintenance prevents wear and tear on your vehicles so they last longer. This saves money in the long run because you can avoid costly repairs and breakdowns on the road. Telematics partners with predictive maintenance to tell you when your vehicles need maintenance. It tracks engine health, tire pressure, and other factors that affect your vehicle’s performance. Keeping track of these vehicle needs on your own can be challenging, so having the right tools is crucial. 

No. 3: Better Fuel Efficiency

Fuel is any fleet’s biggest spender. Every fleet needs telematics to limit fuel use and save money. Telematics accomplishes this by analyzing driving practices that waste fuel, such as speeding, idling, inefficient routing, and unauthorized vehicle use. And as we mentioned previously, it improves vehicle maintenance, which is a critical step towards saving on fuel. 

No. 4: Lower Insurance Costs

Insurance is another high cost for fleet businesses. However, because telematics helps fleets improve driver safety and proper fleet maintenance, insurance carriers see fleets with this technology as less of a risk. Pairing telematics with other tools like asset trackers that help recover stolen vehicles even further lowers fleet risk and can significantly impact insurance premiums. 

No. 5: Improved Fleet Compliance

Complying with federal regulations is critical to cutting down on costs and keeping your fleet operational. Telematics is used for e-logs and other tools that help your fleet maintain its compliance with these regulations. The fines for non-compliance can quickly become a drain on any business, so to grow and succeed, these tools are critical. 

Start Taking Advantage of Telematics Today!

If your fleet isn’t enjoying the benefits of telematics, it’s not too late! It’s not difficult to get started. As we mentioned, the hardware is easy to install, and Azuga offers plans that meet the needs of any fleet business. Schedule a demo with one of our experts to learn more about what we can do together.