yellow transport truck

EVs Are Here; Is Your Fleet Ready?

Many fleets are choosing to make the switch to electric vehicles (EVs). Or rather, the choice is being made for them. In Europe, gas-powered vehicles will no longer be sold to consumers as of 2025. The question is no longer if EVs will be commonplace on the road, but when.

 

To add to this challenge, EV manufacturers aren’t required to standardize the way in which they provide access to vehicle-side data, which could, in theory, require a new approach for accessing said data (and essential telematics insights) for each new EV model that hits the road. That is, of course, unless there is a telematics platform that helps bridge the gap and allow for a seamless integration of data.

 

Looking 5-10 years into the future, fleet managers closer to home are recognizing that transport vehicles are on the list to get “plugged in”, and that there’s inherent value in investing in the infrastructure to support them. But what do they need to know to make wise investments in EVs and their supporting architecture, while supporting the vehicles they already have? In this piece we’ll look at what you need to know to invest in the EV evolution, and how GoFleet can help make the transition near-effortless.

 

GoFleet Can Assess Your Current Vehicles

 

There’s no need to dispense with your entire gas-powered fleet just yet. The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is an estimate of the total cost to own a car for a five year period. It includes all spent expenses and losses incurred due to the vehicle’s depreciation. As a general rule of thumb, it’s time to replace your vehicle when the costs to repair are higher than the costs to buy, and using the TCO is a great way to predict and assess which vehicles will stay and which ones need to be replaced. This is just one of the ways GoFleet can save you time and money; purchase less and use what you’ve got.

 

Let us help you decrease the risk when the time comes to make difficult purchasing decisions. We’ll help you gauge the health of your gas-powered fleet, guide you through what to replace, and how to pool your resources more efficiently and effectively. We’ll help you create a hybridized fleet based on your business needs, while weighing them against the EV wave.

 

The OEM Connection

 

Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) are already collecting data around vehicle heath. GoFleet offers a software interface that partners with OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers to leverage embedded telematics systems and improve your purchasing decisions. Currently we support over 100 EV makes and models, including John Deere, Ford, GM and International to feed your UI with essential information.

 

The data produced by vehicles provide critical insights that help fleet operators manage and optimize their vehicles. Any vehicle that is not supported could become a liability for fleet managers.

 

GoFleet has spent years developing an industry-leading approach to accessing data, and we have intentionally built systems to make it easier and quicker to “speak with” various EV models, ensuring that we continue to grow our list of supported EVs.

 

We offer support for fleets of all sizes, including the largest EV makes and models available. We work directly with vehicle manufacturers to develop unique access to EV data, ensuring your EVs will have strong, critical data support now and in the future as you continue to augment your fleet. We have your entire fleet covered, and you can operate in confidence knowing there’s nothing missing from your data.

 

Manage New EVs Through Custom Notifications

 

GoFleet can create customized notifications and personalized, built-in rules to manage your EV fleet successfully. You can for example:

  • Receive notifications when a vehicle’s battery reaches a critical level while on the road and requires charging
  • Prioritize charging order for fleet EVs based on lowest charge level
  • Remind drivers when it’s time to plug in and charge the battery
  • Avoid charging during peak electricity times and rates by establishing ‘no-charge time’ rules

 

Map Functionality

 

Immediate charging status provides a view of which vehicles are actively being charged at any given time. GoFleet’s telematics include battery charge data in real-time, as well as charging status, allowing you to identify which EVs in your fleet have the greatest battery charge so you can dispatch the right vehicles to get the job done. 

 

GoFleet Keyless Solutions

 

What if you could remotely manage your fleet with a digital key solution that enables multiple drivers to share vehicles, without the need for physical key exchanges? The ability to use any vehicle without keys lowers the number of vehicles in your fleet to save time, money and resources. 

 

GoFleet provides a mobile app that allows you to start the vehicle and unlock the doors remotely. Secured keyless access ensures only authorized drivers can access your vehicles. No more waiting for the driver of an assigned vehicle to show up with the only set of keys in the fleet; with secured keyless access, you can take advantage of complete fleet visibility to reduce, repurpose or redistribute assets and increase utilization.

 

“It’s real money,” says Vishal Singh, President of GoFleet. Singh is a major proponent of cost-saving efficiencies through digital keyless solutions. “At any given time, only 50% of your vehicles are running. So rather than sharing keys, everyone has access to an app that allows them to use any vehicle in the fleet. So now you’ve lowered the number of vehicles you need in your fleet.” A move, Singh says, that can add up to major savings over time. 

 

“Let’s say I cut 20% of the vehicles in my fleet. If the average cost of a vehicle is $50,000, that’s a million dollars I’ve just saved because those vehicles aren’t just sitting in the lot. And I’m basically operating at the same efficiency and capacity as before, with fewer vehicles,” Singh says.

 

Reporting

 

Whether you have a gas-powered fleet or are looking to incorporate EVs into your business, GoFleet’s telematics can offer cost-saving opportunities with detailed reporting and valuable insights into how your vehicles are operating. Manage and support your fleet through real-time updates. Review fuel and energy usage to assess an average electric range and the performance of your EVs against regular fuel vehicles. 

 

Determine if you’re maximizing battery usage with a charging report; a complete history of your EVs from a charging perspective, showing you when and where your EVs are charging, how long they were charging at a specific location, and the amount of charge they received. GoFleet’s EV Charge Assurance provides an in-depth look at the charging status of all of your fleet’s electric vehicles, ensuring that they’re charged and ready to complete their route:

  • Receive alerts when battery levels of a vehicle reaches a dangerously low level while on the road and requires charging. 
  • Send reminders to your drivers when it’s time to plug in and create a charging order for your vehicles.
  • Eliminate charging during peak hours; set hours when your fleet should not charge due to peak electricity rate times and receive notifications when a vehicle is charging during those hours.

 

Conclusion

 

Making the transition to an electric fleet requires a shift in mindset. What does your fleet need? How can you make the best choice around when and how you acquire new vehicles? Whether you’re already ahead of the curve with a new EV fleet, or looking to integrate electric vehicles into your existing roster, GoFleet has the telematics tools to make the transition as seamless as possible. Let us bridge the gap with scalable solutions that help you get on the road faster and more efficiently – contact us today!

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The Appeal Of Original Equipment Manufacturing, And Why Your Fleet Might Need It

With all of the well-researched benefits of having a telematics solution for your fleet, the question is no longer whether or not you should have one, but rather which platform solutions will work best for your business needs. 

 

Chances are, if you can start your car’s engine remotely or use your car’s OnStar system, you’re already familiar with how original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) work. Most major automotive OEMs currently produce vehicles that already have built-in telematics hardware, which integrate seamlessly with software designed specifically for fleet management. In fact, since 2016, vehicles manufactured with telematics hardware have become the norm. 

 

Why OEMs add value to your fleet — and your business

 

By now, you have at least a passing familiarity with Geotab — an open platform that connects commercial vehicles to the internet and provides web-based analytics to help companies better manage their fleets. Geotab automates operations by integrating vehicle data for enhanced security, safety and efficiency.

 

The Geotab OEM Data Platform aggregates third-party telematics data from OEM vehicles and makes it available on MyGeotab. Currently, Geotab offers Ford and GM Pilot Programs, which allow clients to test various OEM vehicle solutions. 

 

This solution has a specific value-add to fleets that already have vehicles with embedded telematics devices. Essentially, you can use the OEM data platform to access the additional data you need without having to replace the fleet you currently have. There’s no hardware or installation cost, and no delays related to shipment or installation — your vehicles can get on the road and you can have peace of mind.

 

By building telematics hardware into their vehicles, automotive manufacturers can now offer unique business solutions that integrate seamlessly into the existing work processes of any fleet. Having “smart” vehicles with hardware that’s telematics-ready means you can use fleet management telematics immediately, without custom installation or laborious uplift. Hardware that’s factory-installed means fleet managers can instantly subscribe to their telematics service of choice and collect data from their fleet vehicles. 

 

GoFleet’s Geotab OEM offerings 

 

New OEM integrations mean you get software solutions that are both geared towards fleet management and a source of deeper, richer analytics, data and insights. However, it’s difficult to have a one-size-fits-all fleet solution; not all vehicles perform the same tasks, and if only a portion of your vehicles have OEMs, you’ll have a set of diverse needs that need to be augmented when needed.

 

GoFleet’s Geotab integration blends seamlessly with OEM data platforms, with comprehensive telematics solutions that are feature-rich and scalable. Whether you’re looking for OEMs or aftermarket telematics solutions, our extensive integration enables your fleet to acquire incoming information, including diagnostics and repair sessions (which can be done remotely), automated job site coordination, and machine guidance. 

 

At the end of the day, knowing your business needs in both present and future states will enable you to make the best decision for your organization. GoFleet has flexible telematics solutions that can adapt to different types of fleets and services. Our Geotab Integrated Solutions are used with all types of vehicles, including GM, Volvo, John Deere, Mack and Ford; no installation or additional hardware required. 

 

OEMs ensure that quality, reliable service is available to your organization, so that you can focus on what matters most — managing safe, productive and efficient fleet operations.

Let us show you how to connect your operations with one integrated platform — contact the GoFleet team for full program details.

GoFleet’s Yearly Review: Taking a Look at 2020 and 2021

This past year has been like no other. Over the course of the last 12 months our organization not only had to change the way we operate as a result of the pandemic, but we learned new ways in which we could help our customers who came to us with new and changing needs. With that being said, we believe it was critical to self-reflect on this year and share our findings with a yearly review. 

How Did GoFleet Grow as an Organization as a Result of the Pandemic? 

As an organization, we felt the impact of the pandemic as our customers and their businesses were directly affected. A positive result that arose was that we were able to connect with our customers more on a personal level to help them navigate the uncertain events that were happening. In fact, it made us appreciate the relationships that we formed with our customers and appreciate even more the work that they do on a daily basis. 

To help, we not only reflected on our business offerings and tried to help with cost-savings incentives to our customers, but we searched for more solutions that would better fit their unique needs and budgets at this time. 

As we are focused on building long-term relationships, this is something we are doing and will continue to do. 

What was GoFleet’s Goal in 2020 and what will be GoFleet’s Goal In 2021? 

At the beginning of 2020, GoFleet created a roadmap and listed various goals that we thought was important to work towards throughout the next 365 days. More specifically, we wanted to focus on sharing how Managed Services can help our customers not only improve their operations but save them time and money. In addition, we aimed to begin to network with OEM dealers while also being leaner as a company. With the course of the events that took place in 2020, it only encouraged us even more to reach those goals and remain successful. 

In 2021, we are excited to continue to grow our OEM Sales Program and our connections as we see this to be a valuable position not only for our company, but our customers as well. With such a program available, we can better help more fleets at the beginning of their journeys. In addition, we are looking to continue to further the expansion of Managed Services to non-traditional telematics services and data consulting as we are seeing positive possibilities from being Zenduit-powered.  

What Trends do you see Coming for Fleets in 2021? 

This year we believe that there are various trends that fleets must prepare for to remain successful. Below we list the trends and/or focuses that we anticipate: 

∙ More Electric Vehicle (EV) oriented insights and analysis as EV technology is advancing and zero emission regulations are discussed and put into place.

∙ OEM data integrations growing in popularity in comparison to aftermarket hardware integrations. 

∙ More car sharing and fleet pooling which leverage iox-keyless and sharing strategies to reduce the number of vehicles that a fleet has by using mobility apps to order and manage on demand.

 

A Quick Review: What did GoFleet do in 2020? 

A lot happened in 2020, keep reading to learn more about what happened! 

 

How Our Organization Changed: 

∙ We started working remotely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure staff safety.

∙ We continued to work and adjust our approach to customer success.

 

How Our Offerings Changed:

∙ We partnered with Samsara to better help fleets.

∙ We leveraged Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) to improve safety in all fleets.

∙ We focused on promoting responder-to-vehicle (R2V) communication to improve public and first responder safety 

∙ We added a new support add-in on MyGeotab.

∙ We partnered with Drivewyze to help fleets improve efficiency.

∙ We launched GoFleet Health Check to help fleets digitally monitor the health status and potential symptoms of drivers.

 

A Few Customers We Helped: 

∙ We helped CR&R Environmental Services improve training and driver behaviour with the installation of ZenduCAM devices. 

∙ We helped DeCarolis Truck Leasing and Rental improve visibility, reporting, data collection, maintenance scheduling and more with Geotabs and Flex trackers.

∙ We helped Speedy Transport Group Inc lower unnecessary fuel consumption and increase overall productivity with the Geotab Drive app.

∙ We helped Forest Trotter with trailer made solutions to improve data collection and visibility. 

∙ We helped Rogue Transportation Inc avoid strains on work processes by leveraging new integrations. 

A lot happened in 2020 making it a year like no other. While our team was able to accomplish a lot, we want to take a moment to thank all of our customers and supporters. 

We are looking forward to what 2021 has to offer and how we can continue to not only help fleets in various industries improve their operations and save costs, but how we can drive change in the sector! 

Precision Farming: How Technology Can Improve Efforts

Even though many still envision farming to be very labor intensive, it’s important to highlight how this has changed. Specifically how the agriculture sector has been adopting innovative technologies that pair with heavy machinery to boost efficiencies. And as a result, allowed for time-specific operations to be met regardless of changing variables. Below we discuss how telematics and precision farming is the new normal for countless agribusinesses within the agricultural and agri-food chain.

 

Telematics And Precision Farming: What Is The Relationship  

 

As briefly mentioned, telematics continues to find new and impressive uses. When speaking to agriculture, the implementation of telematics began in the early 1990s. This was largely due to GPS guidance being used by tractors. Since then, a lot has changed in terms of the advancements. Specifically the increase of precision through the combination of methodology and technology. Or, otherwise known as precision agronomics and precision agriculture which boosts the accuracy of farming techniques when it comes to planting or growing crops. 

 

Precision agriculture happens by collecting information via sensors or devices which then uses cellular and satellite connections to transmit the data to varying locations. Typically this information is sent to the cloud to be stored as well as other devices where software solutions are able to utilize the data. All of which allows users to go in at a later date to view and make appropriate changes. 

 

Such adoption of sensors, trackers and other tech-tools in agriculture operations have allowed for a unique ecosystem to be formed. This is not only visible in personal operations where the data, tools and actions work hand-in-hand, but in the agricultural sector as a whole because findings or techniques are often made public. With this being said, there is a lot of opportunity for tech-driven agriculture to grow, with many predicting for even more growth to happen in the upcoming years. In fact, it is expected for precision farming to increase from being a market worth USD 7.0 billion to USD 12.8 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 12.7%. 

 

 

Where The Original Need Comes From

 

As one can imagine, farming and agriculture work can be extremely labor intensive. Meaning, tools that can reduce the physical strain (and double as tools that make it more efficient) couldn’t be overlooked once suggested. When speaking to agriculture, it was found that telematics technology could be implemented into everyday practices to help move processes along and reduce errors that lead to wasted resources. Ultimately allowing for more work to be completed in a shorter time frame with less waste of seed, fertilizer, fuel and time as new precision was found. 

 

Precision Farming 

 

As mentioned before, precise farming or otherwise known as precision agronomics speaks to combining methodology with technology. Meaning farming techniques are adjusted to allow for more precise planting and crop growing. 

 

There are four tools and/or techniques to highlight which include; variable rate technology (VRT), GPS soil sampling, computer-based applications and remote sensing technology. 

 

Variable Rate Technology 

 

Variable rate technology refers to the ability of farmers placing specific controls on certain locations. Specifically changing the amount of inputs they apply. VTR focuses on using software, controllers, as well as differential global position systems (DGPS) to adjust their efforts. 

 

This technology is useful to ensure that resources are not wasted. When seeds are planted and incorrect paths are used while planting the seeds, it could cause too many to be distributed in one location (as a result of overlap passes), causing for growth to be limited. With VTR, controls can be used after environmental data is analyzed to ensure that seeds are planted appropriately. 

 

GPS Soil Sampling

 

GPS soil sampling refers to the testing of the soil in a specific location. Focusing on the available nutrients, pH levels, and other information that can affect how well a crop may grow. Understanding this is critical because without this information, individuals planting crops may not understand how they could have a more successful season. Sometimes it can be as simple as gathering data from the soil, analyzing the information, and applying certain precautions. Such precautions could be as simple as distributing fertilizer because the soil is naturally lacking some nutrients. 

 

Computer-Based Applications

 

Computer-based applications are highlighted for their abilities to create various plans and maps including farm plans, field maps, crop scouting and yield maps. These applications allow for precise actions to happen in regards to application of inputs (pesticide, herbicides, fertilizers, etc) on a visual and geo-specific level. Resulting in knowledge of the ground level, type of soil, among other environmental aspects to be known so more direct actions can take place. 

 

These applications can allow farmers to better understand the environment where they are going to be planting. As the leveling of the ground, type of soil and other information that farm plans, field maps, crop scouting and yield maps hold may require farmers to take extra precautions when planting. Telematics implementation via computer-based applications pull all of this and display it for farmers to better understand pre-planting needs. 

 

Remote Sensing Technology 

 

Remote sensing technology is exactly as one may expect – sensor technology that can remotely monitor and manage certain efforts. For agriculture, this can be seen at times when there are certain stressors affecting the quality of the crop such as hot temperatures eliminating moisture from soil. Sensors can be used to monitor all of this and alert farmers of certain conditions that may be harmful. When discussing the example of hot temperatures eliminating moisture from soil, sensors can detect when the soil has reached a specific level of dryness, prompting teams to add additional water. Forgoing alerts from sensors means that teams will have to physically monitor and estimate not only when to make changes but how much change should be made. 

 

 

Additional Benefits Come From Telematics In Farming

 

Depending on the work being performed, some farming operations may find certain telematics solutions more useful than others. Since high demands, changing environmental conditions, and fluctuating weather patterns can all affect the agri-industry, there is an ever-evolving need to adapt. For farming and agriculture, the solution is technology and tools to allow for precision farming. 

 

While the purpose of the technology can vary, the benefits that arise are typically the same. Usually, the telematic solution will increase efficiency, boost resource utilization, improve monitoring of efforts, aid security and increase maintenance management, among others. These benefits are further discussed below. 

 

Increased Efficiency And Resource Utilization 

 

As previously mentioned, telematics solutions can be extremely beneficial within the farming sector as it allows for operational efficiency. For example, one tool that has not been discussed yet, GPS tracking technology, can be leveraged to increase efficiency and resource utilization. This is because GPS tracking can allow for teams to monitor where equipment is or has been throughout the day. In fact GPS tracking or other high precision positioning technology has been adopted in nearly 80-90% of the tractors in the Western world. Tracking this data and mapping it ensures that the planting of seeds is precise and there is no overlap passing as previously mentioned. Ensuring that the right quantity of seeds are planted to lower wasted resources and reduce overlap of paths to reduce wasted fuel. 

 

Virtual Monitoring And Optimized Efforts 

 

In addition to boosting efficiency and resource utilization, telematics helps to monitor conditions to optimize efforts. As briefly mentioned, knowing specific information about crops and environmental factors can drastically affect the outcome of the crop. For example, a crop that has soil that is too moist or too dry could be difficult to notice unless someone is walking through fields or crops and checking on the conditions. However, with telematics, devices can be implemented to gauge what the conditions are like in specific geofence locations – so if one portion seems to be too dry, teams can optimize their efforts and rewater as necessary. 

 

Security 

 

As telematics focus on tracking the GPS location of assets, many are finding that telematics can act as a security tool. When GPS location tracking information is displayed on a visual map, teams can know where equipment and heavy machinery is located – and in some cases, see the ‘last known location’ if the asset is no longer on the map. Using telematics tools to track location helps during the recovery process if assets go missing as the last known location and even in some cases the current location can be tracked. 

 

In addition, geofences can be used and set up to alert teams when an asset is removed from a pre-set zone. All of these features result in theft of heavy machinery (which can be costly to replace) to be reduced, as well, for missing equipment to be found sooner so replacement costs are avoided and perpetrators are prosecuted. 

 

Maintenance And Troubleshooting From A Distance 

 

With telematics technology installed, heavy machinery and equipment can have their health status monitored. Specifically as telematics can not only record how the asset is being used, but the data can be inputted into software solutions and applied to algorithms to determine how the asset is performing. In many cases focusing on the efficiency of the vehicles (fuel usage and idling) or preventative maintenance scheduling. Preventative maintenance is a major benefit to highlight as using telematics and IoT connectivity can help to reduce the likelihood of unexpected breakdowns that halt work as well as the need to bring heavy and large equipment to be serviced unexpectedly. When this is not prepared for, owners of the machines risk high costs related to transporting the equipment, conducting repairs and even lost time. Using telematics for preventative maintenance has been known to reduce repair costs by up to 25% if performed regularly. 

 

 

How GoFleet Is Helping

 

Above are only a few of the general benefits that companies within the agricultural and farming sector have noticed after implementing telematics. While these benefits and the extent of improvements differ from business to business, speaking to a solutions provider about your specific needs and industry can help. With our experience, we’re confident that our team can take your unique needs and find a solution that allows you to see measurable results. 

 

John Deere Program 

 

One available solution to highlight, is part of the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) program via the Geotab integrated solution for John Deere. The telematics solution works to provide more information through a number of agriculture-related equipment to boost reporting, monitoring and machine operations. 

A Strategy To Reduce Fleet Collisions

When businesses require a fleet of vehicles to move their products from one location to another, it’s critical that they are focusing on promoting safety while on the road. When they are not doing this, sometimes drivers can accidentally drive in dangerous ways. Putting everyone on the road around them at risk. With technology improving to boost safety and reduce fleet collisions, managers and business operators must use it to their advantage.

 

Where The Concern Comes From 

 

Any vehicle accident is concerning. However, when a commercial motor vehicle is involved, sometimes the outcome of the incident can be much worse. As the size of the vehicles and the cargo carried are factors into making the collision worse for all parties involved, it sheds light on why commercial trucking is considered to be in the top 10 most deadliest jobs. In fact, in 2017, FMCSA reported that there were approximately 450,000 police-reported crashes involving large trucks. 

 

With the most common fatal accidents being transportation incidents, managers and drivers themselves can’t be forgoing certain precautions to reduce the risk of collisions and accidents. Below we list various ways fleet employees at every level can do their part to reduce fleet collisions. These tips must remain top of mind as by 2030, it is predicted that road crashes will be the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S. 

 

Commitment From Management 

 

Firstly, in order to reduce fleet collisions, there must be a specific level of commitment from management in regards to maintaining safety. This means that management must continually put the right enforcement in place. This can vary from strict policy to the adoption of new technological solutions, and everything in-between – all of which we touch upon later in this article.  

 

How Managers Can Reduce Fleet Collisions In Their Fleet

 

Enforcing Strict Policy

 

Strict policy enforcement by management is critical to lowering the risk of collisions in fleets. As fleet drivers represent a business, they must act responsibly and abide by company policy at all times. This includes when commercial vehicle drivers are behind the wheel of a company vehicle as they travel to a new work site or when they are delivering cargo. Such policies should look to reduce any risky behaviour like; distracted driving, driving under the influence (regardless of if the substance is legal), driving tired, or even driving over the set hours-of-service (HOS) in your country. 

 

While some of these policies could be hard to enforce and rely largely on trusting your drivers, it’s important to know that there are technological solutions available to help you! When monitoring the behaviour of your drivers, there are innovative dash camera solutions available that use facial recognition to watch facial movements as well as the vehicle movement on the road. So when a driver appears to be distracted, under the influence (swaying over the line), or even tired, managers can be notified to make contact with the driver to ensure they are okay to drive. As well, many ELD and GPS tracking tools like the GO9 device are designed to track not only driver movement, but compliance to HOS. So drivers are well aware whether they are compliant.

 

Pre-Trip Inspection And Proper Maintenance 

 

In addition to enforcing strict policies, managers must also reiterate the importance of keeping company vehicles in tip-top condition. This includes not only educating drivers on how to perform proper pre-trip inspections of vehicles, but scheduling maintenance so all commercial motor vehicle parts are in good condition, are working properly, and are safe to use. Doing this can lower the risk of a collision (that is caused by malfunctioning or broken parts). Such inspections should look at visually checking the engine, checking fluid levels, the wheels, the brakes, and more. A more extensive list about what should be checked can be found here

 

 

If a vehicle is placed on the road when there is a pending problem that requires repairs, it places the driver and others around the vehicle at risk. One way to combat the issue of poor maintenance is to use a maintenance management software solution. Solutions like Zendu Maintenance monitors not only the activity of the vehicle but it places the data in algorithms to determine and schedule when preventative maintenance should happen.

 

 

Proper Incident Investigations And Training 

 

As briefly mentioned, to reduce fleet collisions, managers must not only offer the right training, but complete proper investigations into driving incidents when they are reported. This includes using all of the available data and reports to determine what the cause of the incident was and put efforts in place to reduce the likelihood of a similar incident happening again.

 

For example, if an incident occurred because your driver was distracted and speeding while on the road, you can review dashcam footage as well as engine data to confirm the speed they were travelling at, as well how they were distracted (whether they were looking at scenery or even a mobile device). After this is confirmed, the information can allow for a new training module to be created and assigned to the driver to complete. This ensures that they are aware of how their behaviour puts themselves and others around them at risk, while showing how they can act more safely. 

 

Encouraging Safe Driving Habits

 

Similar to the above tip of management conducting proper investigations into driving incidents and implementing new driver-focused training, management must also encourage overall safe driving habits! This means constantly having drivers review training material surrounding this topic, sending out internal communication with tips or even conducting one-on-one driver driving to highlight poor driving trends that are happening. 

 

Some safe driving habits that can reduce fleet collisions are: 

  • Following distance while driving
  • Maintaining visibility 
  • Anticipating turns 
  • Keeping attention forward

 

 

Tech Adoption Via Telematics

 

The last way management can reduce fleet collisions is to adopt and embrace new technologies. This not only speaks to hardware solutions that have been designed to boost safety (such as dash camera solutions or electronic logging devices) but telematics software solutions as well! While some newer commercial motor vehicles are being fitted with such innovative tools while at the factory through OEM (original equipment manufacturer) programs, it can still happen for fleets with older vehicles. There are now a number of simple-to-install plug-and-play style devices that can have software solutions integrated via satellite connectivity. Such hardware and software can automatically collect data about the trip route and driver behaviour so management can always know how their drivers are performing. So when an incident happens and management is alerted by the telematics solution, they can quickly and efficiently address it. Not to mention, there are innovative devices that can be installed within vehicles to monitor the road ahead, alerting the driver if the sensors detect a possible collision coming. 

 

Safety should always be a top priority in fleets regardless of their size or purpose. Whether the driver is transporting large amounts of cargo or the driver is a technician who is travelling to their next site visit, you can’t risk them behaving dangerously on the road. With the above tips management should have the right insight to begin to reduce fleet collisions. However, if you’re looking for a little more guidance in how you can increase safety in your fleet to reduce accidents and dangerous behaviour, contact us today! With our experience and knowledge of nearly every industry, we’re confident that we can address all of your safety concerns with cutting edge technology. 

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems: The Secret To Boosting Fleet Safety

Within fleets, technology continues to advance and as a result, drive new benefits. These safety benefits don’t only keep drivers and others safe on the road, but can in fact lower excess costs related to accidents or other driving incidents. At the moment, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are extremely useful and are only growing in popularity as the technology continues to impress fleets of many sizes. Below we discuss how ADAS systems can lead to improved driver safety, less driving incidents, reduced road collisions, and less dangerous accidents. 

 

What Are Advanced Driver Assistance Systems? Who Is Using This Technology?

 

As briefly mentioned, ADAS, or otherwise known as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, are innovative technological systems that help drivers not only keep better control of their vehicles, but drive more safely. As mentioned previously ADAS systems are growing in popularity due to safety benefits. However, it is also worth highlighting how many of the advancements of the technology has resulted from research and development into self-driving cars. This is because much of the advancements look towards automating driving systems and reducing the need of human intervention. 

 

Since benefits relate to improving efficiencies and safety, many fleets are implementing ADAS systems in their drivers vehicles. In fact, a recent 2018 survey found that approximately 40% of all fleets (regardless of size) are using some form of ADAS technology, with 74% of larger fleet sizes consisting of 50 or more Class 8 vehicles adopting the technology. 

 

Types Of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems Used By Fleets

 

When discussing ADAS systems and fleet use, it’s important to look at the varying ways that fleets of any size can implement the technology. But before diving into the most popular systems, it’s important to note that advanced driver assistance systems can vary from being adaptive, automated, monitoring and warning systems. 

 

Adaptive Systems 

 

An adaptive ADAS system is one that adapts to its surroundings. Meaning that as a vehicle moves throughout an environment, the systems will help provide small adjustments to improve safety. Typically using previously gathered data in relation to its current environmental surroundings. One example of this is the cruise control features in automobiles. Adaptive cruise control (ACC) focuses on using distance sensing technology to detect the space between items or vehicles on the road. In terms of driving, ACC systems focus on using radar or laser sensor technology to not only anticipate the distance of vehicles in front of the automobile it is installed in, but automatically make adjustments in speed to ensure that the proper distance is maintained while driving. 

 

Automated Systems 

 

An automated system is a little more innovative than an adaptive system because it allows for the system to gain control over the vehicle and make adjustments to ensure that safety is met. The system typically takes control of the vehicle when a collision is about to occur. An example of an automated system in vehicles is the automatic emergency braking (AEB) feature. AEB automatically and immediately begins to brake when the vehicle detects that a collision or accident may happen in attempts to avoid it. 

 

Warning Systems 

 

A warning system is exactly what one may assume it to be – a system which alerts drivers of possible risks to safety. This automatic feature consists of in-cab warnings which alert the driver of possible issues in real-time. An example of this is forward collision warning (FCW) which uses real-time data of speed and objects on the road to calculate whether a collision could happen. If the system measures that the distance or angle of an object (including vehicles) ahead could be worrisome at the travelling speed, it will warn the driver of the impending collision. 

 

 

ADAS Technologies Used By Fleets

 

Blind Spot Monitoring 

 

This is an innovative feature that has proven itself to be extremely useful not only in the safety it provides, but its average adoption rate of 77.2%. Blind spot monitoring focuses on using not only cameras, but sensors to monitor the space surrounding a vehicle. The technology monitors for objects that are located in the drivers obstructed view (or otherwise known as the drivers blind spot). When objects are detected in the blind spot, the sensor-based monitor can alert the driver that there is something in the not-easily visible area. Many sensor-based blind spot monitors are now built into vehicles at the factory stage of manufacturing via OEM (original equipment manufacturer) initiatives. OEM blind spot monitoring typically consists of exterior cameras at the side or rear of the vehicle. 

 

Forward Video Monitoring 

 

Forward video monitoring is another beneficial feature to implement within fleets of any size as it provides front-facing footage of drivers on the road. Typically, a dash camera is installed in-cab, on windshields to automatically record what is happening ahead of the vehicle. The device then records footage automatically, and typically only stores footage for a short period of time unless an incident is reported. Video monitoring is extremely useful to help provide proof of driving events, lower risky driving behaviour, coach drivers in real-time on errors of judgement, and even relieve drivers from not-at-fault accidents or crash-for-cash scams. Forward video monitoring has not been completely adopted as it is fairly new with an adoption rate of only 52% (many myths surrounding the telematics device could be to blame). 

 

Lane Departure Warning 

 

Lane departure warning (LDW) focuses on notifying drivers on whether it is safe to make lane movements. LDW utilizes video, laser and sometimes infrared sensors to monitor the lane markings on the road. When the vehicle begins to move out the lane without signaling, it automatically alerts the driver of their (sometimes unknown) movement with audio or visual alerts. This feature is impressive because it not only has an average adoption rate of 51.2% in fleets, but has been expanded to include lane keeping assist (LKA) – the technology that helps to ensure that drivers are staying in their lane by taking control of the vehicle if need be. 

 

 

Air Disc Brakes 

 

Another advanced driver assistance system that is used by fleets are air disc brakes. These brakes are designed to help reduce stopping distance by almost 40% which is extremely attractive for heavy and large trucks (as these types of vehicles often require more time to manually brake). Air disc brakes function by applying braking pressure continuously to allow for the vehicle to come to a complete stop more easily. This technology has an approximate 46.3% adoption rate in fleets. 

 

Collision Avoidance 

 

A wide-ranging category of ADAS technology that has an adoption rate of approximately 44.7% is collision avoidance. While there are numerous collision avoidance technologies, forward collision warning (FCW) and automatic emergency braking (AEB) are the most popular. As previously mentioned, both of these avoidance technologies work to decrease the likelihood of driving incidents involving collisions.

 

Adaptive Cruise Control 

 

As previously mentioned, adaptive cruise control or ACC, is a technology which utilizes radar and laser sensor innovation to judge, measure and anticipate the distance between the vehicle being driven, as well as surrounding vehicles. ACC focuses on adjusting the travelling speed according to how close or how far forward the system detects a vehicle to be. This ADAS technology has an adoption rate of 39.8%. 

 

Electronic Stability Control 

 

The ADAS technology with the lowest adoption rate that we will mention is electronic stability control (ESC). ESC utilizes sensors to monitor steering control and proactively watch whether the ability to steer will be lost. If steering is lost (sometimes in extreme maneuvers like sudden or sharp turns to avoid collision), ESC will apply individual brakes automatically. Applying the brakes individually to wheels can help course-correct the vehicles movement and in theory prevent the act of ‘spinning out’. 

 

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems

 

While there are numerous solutions available to help fleets, it’s important to highlight a tool that embodies a number of these features in one solution. This tool is the Samsara AI Dash Camera system which utilizes ADAS technology. Now, in addition to the standard Samsara dashcam features that fleets love, the camera solution will also offer the following: 

  • Forward collision warning
  • Unsafe following distance detection
  • Distraction driving detection

 

AI Dashcams With ADAS Technology Benefits

  • Receive multiple ADAS technologies and features in ONE easy-to-install device so you can see real-time results 
  • Lower the frequency of accidents while increasing the training opportunities 
  • Decrease the severity of driving incidents
  • Lower the costs related to accidents, driving incidents, and repairs 

 

 

Interested in learning more about Samsara dash camera solutions and their new innovative features? Contact us today!