For fleet managers, data is power, and there have never been as many tools for them to take advantage of as there are now.
Fleet managers today are more connected to their trucks than ever, and one of the biggest benefits of that is visibility. Today’s telematics offerings give fleet managers a real-time look at where assets are and what’s going on with them, which is an immense help with planning, routing and maintenance scheduling.
After all, how can you know that you’ll meet your commitments to your customers if you don’t know where your trucks are, what they’re hauling and how much of it? The same goes for your drivers: whether they’ve met their hours of service or not is data you can use to plan your routes and maximize your time throughout the fleet.
But visibility isn’t limited to simply where your trucks are. Which trucks are underperforming in fuel economy, and why? Which trucks have fault codes, and how severe are they? Where is the nearest place those trucks with severe fault codes can get serviced? With the right level of visibility, you can answer all of these questions and more.
But it’s not just about visibility, but about knowing what to do next. Visibility by itself isn’t the key; it’s the ability it gives you to make fast, data-backed decisions that improve your fleet’s operations. Being able to spot an issue that will keep a delivery from getting where it’s going on time allows you to step in and take the necessary steps to prevent that disruption, or minimize it as much as possible.
The same goes for on-road breakdowns or issues, an inevitability of our business. The sooner you see that something’s happened, and how severe it is, the sooner you can begin the process of doing something about it, and minimize its damage to your daily operations.
Visibility is all about fast, efficient decision-making, and these decisions will lead to improved uptime and, ultimately, profits for your fleet. And speaking of visibility, that’s a number that’s going to be highly visible to your fleet.
Fleet Equipment’s On The Road is sponsored by Noregon. Subscribe to our newsletter to catch every episode as we dive into the best practices and servicing information to keep your trucks On The Road.
