Ford Commercial Solutions has launched Ford Telematics, a web-based software platform and subscription service designed to give fleet managers access to connected vehicle data.

Through Ford Telematics, commercial vehicle customers can monitor their fleets with GPS tracking and geofencing, get live vehicle health alerts to plan and limit downtime, set reminders for vehicle service, analyze driver behavior and help manage fuel usage to potentially reduce costs, Ford says.

Ford is offering six months of free access to Ford Telematics on qualified commercial vehicle purchases from now through July 31.

With Ford Telematics, the company says fleet managers can help:

• Keep track of fleet vehicles with GPS tracking and geofencing capabilities.
• Receive proactive notifications and vehicle health alerts to plan and stay ahead.
• Monitor the fuel consumption of all vehicles and identify areas of waste as well as their causes.
• Manage the fleet and driver compliance every day with a range of notifications, including advance service reminders or a warning if a driver isn’t wearing their seatbelt.
• Gain insights into driver behavior to inform coaching opportunities to increase efficiency, reduce waste and improve compliance.

As part of a Ford Telematics subscription, commercial customers will also have access to the Ford Telematics Drive mobile app, which offers a way to associate drivers with vehicles and for drivers to report the condition of their vehicles. Digital vehicle checks remove the need to file paperwork, and the app also allows drivers to relay information that may not be readily available through a vehicle’s telematic control unit, such as tire conditions or broken mirrors, Ford says.