As the coronavirus pandemic continues, many fleet managers have to quickly adapt to a changing environment. With drops in ridership and the need to keep drivers and passengers safe, fleets have shifted towards more flexibility and operations changes.
Amidst the changes, the adoption of technology such as GPS tracking is helping some fleets continue to provide an essential service during this challenging time. With GPS tracking technology, your fleet managers can track critical details about your fleet from the palms of their hands.
Stay Proactive and Connected by Building a Smart Fleet
Being smart isn’t just for automated watches, cars, and homes. Fleet companies can leverage technology to handle sudden adjustments in fleet operations in real time. Telematics technology (the monitoring of vehicles using GPS and diagnostics) is a key tool for fleet managers looking to streamline their operations and stay organised during covid-19.
4 Advantages of Using Real Time Data During Covid-19
1. Keep an Eye on Driver Safety
In the face of the pandemic, knowing the locations of your vehicles and drivers can be invaluable in the event a driver tests positive for the virus and contact tracing becomes necessary. A combination of real-time tracking and access to historical data makes contact tracing faster and more accurate so that managers can react quickly.
In accordance with government’s containment measures, fleet managers can be alerted with Geo-fencing technology when drivers have entered or exited high-risk areas. With real-time data, fleet managers have access to important insights to ensure driver safety.
2. Monitor Operating Expenses and Prevent Cost Inefficiencies
The economic impact can be felt all throughout society. Fleet companies are no exception.
As some industries experience slowdowns, a preventable vehicle breakdown can be crippling. While fuel and toll expenses might deflate, demand for maintenance as well a rise in maintenance costs can make repairing your vehicles costlier. By analysing the fleet operation with real time and historical data, fleet managers can forecast future operating and maintenance expenses, and reduce unnecessary costs.
If you outsource your maintenance, covid-19 may have reduced the operating hours of shops. This means that your vehicle could be out of commission for quite some time. Save on high maintenance fees by scheduling routine maintenance for your fleet during downtime.
3. Get Strategic with Real Time Data
With a strategic plan to navigate a landscape of uncertain outcomes, rapidly changing scenarios and new government regulations and restrictions, the future isn’t as scary. To produce a strategic plan to model a variety of scenarios and outcomes, you need accurate data.
Access to real time data (such as driver hours and vehicle capacity and locations) empowers fleet managers to make the decisions that will keep fleets running cost-effectively and efficiently.
Even as we get back to normal, fleets that have taken the time to plan and make decisions backed by real-time data will have the advantage over their competitors.
4. Prevent Vehicle Theft and Unauthorised Usage
You might need to leave your vehicle unattended or unsupervised for a prolonged period due to inactive operations. This creates an opportunity for thieves. In some places, vehicle theft has spiked in covid-19 pandemic. Having the ability to immobilize a stolen vehicle from your own mobile phone in events of theft and unauthorized usage gives you a peace of mind during this difficult time.
The immobilizer is intelligent enough to play a role in keeping your assets safe remotely. It allows you to set your vehicles on guard and only enable the engine to be started when the device receives the correct signal from authorised users. Having such measures for theft-prevention, you can now work from home in peace.
Implement Telematics into Your Fleet Management Strategy
Real-time data is a game changer for fleet management. As the pandemic continues, having real-time data empowers managers to make the decisions that will keep their fleet running efficiently.
Powered by IoT and telematics, iFleet’s GPS, video, and Wi-Fi solutions give fleets an edge over their competition. Our intelligent GPS Tracker keeps managers updated on their vehicle’s movement, driver behavior and location without the need for guessing. Data provided by our GPS Fleet Tracker is instant.
By choosing the SIRIM-certified GPS Fleet Tracker, you gain the connectivity, real time-tracking and fleet services to take your fleet operations to the next level.
