What is the functional requirement of a fleet management system and how to create a fleet management system?
Every fleet owner’s trucking professional is trying to find a way to outflank the competition, improve their trucks’ efficiency, and increase profits.
Large companies also need to find a method to achieve these goals and efficiently manage a significant number of CMVs. In this case, trucking fleet management systems come to the rescue.
What is the Vehicle Fleet Management System?
It is a unique tool that allows you to easily manage all the company’s assets: trucks, buses, and other commercial vehicles.
It is a set of high-tech devices and software. For example, dashcams, electronic logging devices, truck maps, truck navigation, truck GPS, various sensors, etc. Their primary function is to track the vehicle’s performance and location.
Fleet management systems let you monitor the operation of trucks in real-time from anywhere. To do this, you only need to have a computer or tablet.
Benefits of GPS Track System For Trucks and Fleet Management
In the middle of the last century, researchers proved that driver tiredness is directly related to increased road accidents. Commercial vehicles pose a significant threat because the weight and size of trucks are more extensive than traditional cars. Therefore, it was decided to oblige commercial vehicle drivers to keep working hours in the track system for trucks. Truckers do not overwork. They have to rest for a sufficient time, which positively affects the struggle against tiredness.
- Your drivers’ safety. One of the most critical issues for an employer is the safety of its employees. While traveling, various hazards can arise on the road if we talk about the trucking sector. Fleet management devices can significantly improve the safety of your CMV drivers. With equipment, you always know where your people and assets are. You can track his location in real-time if the driver is temporarily out of touch. Modern dashcams are equipped with artificial intelligence that recognizes dangerous driving and sends warnings to the trucker.
- Regular technical checkup. Fleet management systems record indicators that can be used to judge vehicle wear. You can view the distance traveled, hours, and more to schedule a technical inspection of your trucks in advance. In this way, the system helps extend the vehicle’s life and save money. After all, it is easier and cheaper to prevent a malfunction than to repair a complex breakdown.
- Fuel consumption. The issue of fuel spent is a hot topic in the trucking sector. It is one of the most critical resources for the job and takes up a significant budget portion. Empty miles are especially damaging. Fleet management systems allow you to control the fuel consumption of trucks, reduce costs and, as a result, increase profits. You will see all the data on the fuel spent and the route of the vehicles. You can then adjust the road to reduce fuel consumption. Plus, reports that can be accessed anytime and shared with others help you adjust workflows.
Components of the Best Fleet Management Systems
The fleet management system is a set of devices interacting with each other.
Also, specially developed software displays data received from all devices.
Now we want to tell you about two of the virtual devices.
What are AOBRD Functions?
The automatic onboard recording device’s main aim is to record the working hours that the driver spent at the wheel. For this, the device must have the necessary functions. Like other logging devices, the equipment is directly connected to a truck or vehicle engine. Generally, the AOBRD has the same functions as more modern vehicle recording devices but cannot display all the data in sufficient detail.
It records various data that DOT inspection officials can further verify. Among them are the date and time — when the driver started driving. The AOBRD system also records engine hours. What are engine hours, and why is it important? Engine hour is a unit that measures the load on a running engine. The engine hour cannot be equated with the usual astronomical hour. It is directly associated with the engine’s operation and can take more or fewer minutes.
Also, an automatic onboard recording device records vehicle mileage. This indicator is essential not only when it is required to be provided during the DOT inspection. You can plan the next vehicle technical check-up using the truck’s mileage data. Thus, in the future, it is possible to avoid sudden breakdowns on the road and prevent delays in the delivery of goods. And this, in turn, directly affects profit and customer loyalty.
Can you Use and Buy AOBRD in the USA and Canada?
In the United States, the use of AOBRDs was permitted during the transitional stage of the ELD Mandate implementation. Namely — until December 16, 2019. How are things going in Canada? Is an AOBRD device still compliant?
- An ELD, or electronic logging device, records the driver’s service hours. It was designed to prevent driver tiredness, considered one of the most frequent reasons for truck crashes. Modern, sophisticated ELDs are equipped with GPS trackers with excellent performance. They connect to truck engines. These two features ensure receiving data with pinpoint accuracy. Most manufacturers provide information storage in the cloud. Fleet owner trucking masters or managers can check information about trucks online from any place.
- A dashcam, or driving video recorder, captures everything on the road. Modern cameras provide HD videos and stay reliable eyewitnesses during a car crash. Fleet management can access live videos conveniently to monitor their truckers’ work. In this way, company owners can improve the behavior of their workers. Also, the latest dashcams are equipped with computer vision and AI. These intelligent features recognize hazardous driving, send alerts and prevent accidents.
Track System for Trucks with GPS Systems for Fleet Management
One of the main features is the possibility to track your vehicles. Thus, GPS fleet management systems help you to plan the best routes for your trucks. It allows drivers to avoid traffic jams. As a result, your company reduces delays and satisfies customers.
Fleet managers always see trucks’ locations on the map in real-time. Then you can plan routes, including the necessary places of interest, such as fuel stops, rest areas, and weigh stations. It makes work more convenient. Also, the fleet management system can increase productivity.
So they can redirect vehicles when necessary and optimize the workload.
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