For businesses operating a commercial fleet as part of a supply chain, disruption to their fleet can have a significant impact in several key areas. For both businesses and customers, this can be not only frustrating but costly. One way to help mitigate and avoid disruption to a supply chain is for companies to install vehicle tracking technology. Sometimes known as telematics, this technology allows fleet managers to view highly accurate data about their fleet’s performance and individual vehicle’s live location. There are several key ways in which telematics can help mitigate and avoid supply chain disruption, and businesses worldwide are already seeing the benefits. If a vehicle has to be taken off the road for maintenance Vehicles needing maintenance and having to be taken off the road can cause major disruption to a supply chain.Additionally, a truck accident lawyer can use the information from a telematics device to help your case should your couriers be accused of dangerous driving or breaking the law.
For businesses with a small commercial fleet, being even just one vehicle down can have a significant impact on the productivity of the overall fleet. There are two critical ways in which telematics can mitigate the disruption of losing a vehicle can cause. Firstly, there are some telematics providers which offer in-cab coaching systems for their drivers. These systems provide drivers with instant audio and visual feedback on their driving and alert them to a range of issues. Fleet managers can also view this data at a later stage. A common problem for commercial vehicles is excessive wear on brakes, which is often caused by heavy braking. In-cab coaching devices alert drivers to harsh braking, and this allows the wear on brakes to be reduced. The second area telematics can help, is by providing more accurate data about the overall health of the vehicle. By monitoring vehicles more closely, fleet managers are better able to predict when a vehicle needs maintenance. This allows them to schedule the maintenance and alter the work of other commercial vehicles to cover for one being off the road. When fleet managers can do this, there is far less disruption than when a vehicle faces unscheduled maintenance. Estimated arrival times and better routes Traffic is a constant issue for companies operating a commercial fleet as part of their supply chain.
At any point in the supply chain, a simple traffic jam could have wide-ranging knock- on effects if a delivery is significantly delayed. While this can cause logistical problems for the company, it can also have an impact on customer satisfaction and their overall experience dealing with a company. While most companies who have products, which need to be delivered, use courier services already equipped with vehicle tracking technology, some companies do still deliver their own products through their own commercial fleet. One of the main benefits of telematics systems is that estimated arrival times can be passed on to customers based on the vehicle’s location. This is an excellent way of improving the customer service offered by a company.
Furthermore, in any city, there are areas where traffic congestion is common, by analysing the data produced by vehicle tracking fleet managers can identify areas to avoid and plan routes to avoid such areas. This can help improve journey times, and for a company delivering items, increase their productivity throughout the day. Driver safety The safety of a driver should be of paramount importance to any company operating a commercial fleet. Not only is it crucial for employee safety but the safety of other road users. The in-cab coaching systems mentioned before can significantly improve the safety of a commercial driver by highlighting driving actions deemed to be dangerous. These actions include speeding, harsh acceleration and cornering, all of which can be dangerous for other road users along with the commercial driver. If an accident were to happen between a commercial vehicle and another road user or just involving the commercial vehicle, the potential damage could take the commercial vehicle out of use for a significant amount of time. As mentioned above, being without even one commercial vehicle can cause severe problems for a business’s supply chain and its customers. Overall, telematics have proven to be a valuable resource for businesses operating their own commercial fleet. While it’s impossible to totally avoid any disturbance to a supply chain, the benefits which come from vehicle tracking have shown to mitigate common issues for commercial fleets. Along with the benefits listed above, fleet tracking has also shown to save businesses a significant amount of money on the costs of operating their fleet. This article was written in collaboration with fleet tracking experts Masternuat. You can find more information at their website
