Telematics is a combination of two words: the first one is telecommunications, and the other is information. Initially, it appeared in a French government report regarding the computerization of the society. Today, it merely describes two things: wireless transmission and information storage from various remote sources. These sources can be anything from vehicles to machinery.
The technological world of telematics serves numerous industries. Where in the 90s the transportation industry was one of the first main users, today every business that owns vehicles can benefit from telematics.
How Telematics Works
A telematics device is often called “black box” or “GPS black box”, while others call it a telematics box. It operates as a modem that collects different parameters and transmits all data to an external source. Today, the modern GPS black box is capable of gathering all kinds of parameters from ignition to DTC error codes. GPS tracking systems use this information to give you an exact location of your vehicle(s).
Each device has three main components:
- The GPS black box or the antenna itself
- A SIM card
- An accelerometer
Using the GPS system allows the detection of where the driver is positioned, the type of road where you are traveling on (such as a motorway or a country lane) when you use the vehicle, and the speed in which you move. Meanwhile, the accelerometer is used for distinguishing whether or not the car is involved in an accident or impact. However, it has some intelligent algorithms that can detect various events, including sharp cornering, hard acceleration, and heavy braking among others.
Since the device is linked to the central nervous system of the vehicle, any health issues, such as the car’s battery, as well as other diagnostic trouble codes can be identified with the use of the car black box.
All the pieces of information that gathered will be transmitted through the built-in SIM card, which it will send to the central cloud platform of the fleet tracking system where these details from different devices will be collected, organized, and analyzed to get actionable insights in the fleet and driver performance.
Who Can Benefit from Telematics and Why Should It Be Used?
Several businesses these days have multiple vehicles, and most of them have a car black box installed, which is primarily used for vehicle tracking. With this device in their vehicles, it enables the business owners to view the location of the whole fleet in just one place.
For example:a company has to deploy an emergency plumber to a specific location. Using the GPS black box, which has live vehicle tracking capabilities, the fleet manager can quickly identify the person or the group that is closest to the job. This way, it will be quicker and more efficient to provide service to the customer.
Aside from GPS tracking, there are also other ways that telematics can be useful for different kinds of businesses. One reason why companies benefit from telematics is that it helps reduce fuel expenditure. It is easier to monitor the vehicles, and the drivers know about the whole process. Therefore, it encourages a change in behaviour, which is common in several drivers. Some of these behaviors are speeding and harsh acceleration.
Since these drivers know that they are being monitored, they will try their best to get rid of these habits, and it is possible for businesses to save up to 30% on their fuel consumption. For consistently using FleetGO’s telematics product, it is guaranteed that huge companies can save tons of money.
Telematics is undoubtedly becoming increasingly popular for drivers, mainly because it has turned into a tool that can significantly lower their insurance premiums. It is possible to find insurers that are willing to decrease annual dividends by 30% or even more when drivers are eager to share their data with the insurance company.
Telematics is useful for various purposes, including monitoring time of use, as well as other parameters of the driver’s behavior. In this case, insurers can quickly identify the policyholders who pose the most risk. Additionally, it also allows the insurers to know which drivers have the highest tendency to be involved in a crash or an accident.
Other Telematics Uses
Firms that transport goods among others use telematics to make sure their drivers comply with the regulations of the vehicle standards agencies. These details are useful in determining the hours and breaks that the drivers take during their job. Telematics is often linked to digital tachographs, so that fleet managers can particularly identify hours, breaks, and even speeding incidents. All these pieces of information help ensure the operators will remain legal and compliant with the requirements as outlined by the federal government.
Apart from all the mentioned uses of telematics, operators of machinery and plant companies can also benefit from the device. It has predictive maintenance capabilities and can also monitor unauthorized use. These notifications can be sent to the plant manager, which will be helpful in case a machine is on its way to losing power. If it happens, work can be disrupted, and it can lead to significant losses. When the notifications are received, the managers can order the needed parts so they can carry out repairs. Therefore, business operations remain unaffected.
Black box telematics can also help remind plant owners that specific machines may require regular checks and other services. Indeed, managing the factory and the whole fleet has become easier with the help of telematics.
Why It is Time for Your Business to Use GPS Black Box Tracking
If you own a business and you are among those that use fleets for your operations, you will surely benefit from telematics if you have not applied it to your company yet. Existing businesses now use GPS tracking for managing their fleet because they already know how important the technology has become.
However, if you are new to the industry and you want to know why you should go for GPS tracking to manage your fleet, here are the top reasons why it is time for you to start learning more about the technology and why you should have it installed:
Reduction of Fuel Cost
With the use of the tracking features, you can monitor the vehicle, which can subsequently lead to the decrease in fuel consumption. It is possible because you can see the speed of the cars and you can maintain the speed limits, which has a significant effect on the fuel usage of the cars or trucks. Tracking solutions can provide information about the speed, and you can be alerted when the vehicle exceeds the preset threshold for speed.
Furthermore, it is also possible for you to track the vehicles on idle mode. You should be aware that excessive idling can contribute profoundly to significant fuel costs for several businesses. Unproductive use of fuel, especially for climate control can undoubtedly cut a hole in your budget.
Driver Performance
It is true that drivers are integral to your fleet management ad it is paramount that you know how to help them. With car black box, you can have a variety of information about the driving behavior, such as vehicle speed, startup, and shutdown of the engine, idling time, and mapping movement. You can use all these pieces of information to allow your business to come up with practical policies for training your drivers so that they will be even more efficient.
Additionally, it can also help that you can manage the risks since you can help curb unwanted behaviors of the drivers, including too much vehicle idling, speeding, and even tardiness if the driver initiates it.
Increased Safety and Security
Another reason why you should start using GPS tracking for your fleet management is that it can help enhance the staff’s security and safety – as well as your whole fleet. For example, if you are in the mining industry and your business requires movement of the trucks in various remote locations, you can take advantage of telematics. What it does for you is that it can help you know the whereabouts as well as the status of your team.
Tracking your fleet will alert you immediately if there are cases, such as stolen vehicles or even accidents. As mentioned earlier, you can also use it to learn about poor driving actions. You will always stay alert if your truck is used outside work guidelines, whether it is a working day or it is after-hours.
The black box has many features, and they often include notifications that will alert you when the vehicles need to be around for routine maintenance. As you know proper upkeep should always be ensured so that your trucks will stay compliant with the safety guidelines. It can also help decrease repair expenses in the long run.
With all these benefits and uses, it is no wonder that black box telematics is dramatically changing how companies are keeping track and managing their fleet with ease.
