In a world where technology is becoming more and more useful in everyday activities, fleet drivers are starting to heavily rely on telematics systems, or telematics for short, for their daily routes. This blend of technology, created by the U.S. military, obtains GPS and vehicle tracking data and sends it to a wireless network for future use.
This information gathered — like speed, idling time, vehicle performance, and many other factors — is then used to make your routes more efficient and convenient with data-driven vehicle insights. Here are a few ways that telematics can make your driving optimized as a modern driver.
1. Time Efficiency
Drivers can use real-time map data to determine the best route to take. Telematics can detect road conditions in real-time to let drivers know of traffic and which areas to avoid.
On top of avoiding heavy traffic areas, this software can be used by fleet companies by using current vehicle locations to reduce idling time by sending the closest drivers to pick-up locations for their next jobs. Knowing which vehicles are closest to the job saves idling time and wasted fuel which, in turn, gets the job done quicker.
Another way telematics helps improve time for companies is by saving drivers time with logs. Keeping track of odometer readings with pen and paper is a thing of the past. Telematics automatically tracks this for you which can save a lot of time and be more accurate, as well.
2. Safety
Nowadays, reckless driving is at an incline with traffic data showing people are driving more than double the speed limit in some areas. Even further, a study claims that speeding is the top cause of fatal car crashes in 2019.
With the GPS and satellite technology, telematics keeps track of vehicle speed and other driving safety factors, like seat belt usage, brake deceleration and distracted driving. It can also display road speed limits to keep you informed of the legal speed allowed on the road you’re traveling on. As a driver, this can be helpful so you know where you can improve your driving to have a smoother, safer ride and less risk of causing an accident.
Fleet managers use this vehicle information to assess how much of a risk their drivers pose to them. This information can let a company know if they should invest in safety training for their drivers or not. Using vehicle safety data and assessing driving habits can lower the risk of future accidents with better prevention tactics.
3. Vehicle Insurance Costs
More and more vehicle insurance companies are using telematics to help determine insurance premiums. As a driver, this can benefit you by reducing your monthly insurance costs by proving to your provider you are less of a risk with your safe driving patterns.
For fleet companies, when managers take action on the telematics safety insights, drivers can learn to drive more safely. Insurance companies can then use this data to better understand risk factors in the drivers they are insuring and determine a more reasonable insurance premium with the information they gathered. This can save your company money with their insurance companies knowing that they have safer drivers on the road to insure.
4. Maintenance Upkeep
Telematic systems keep track of routine maintenance so you don’t have to. It can detect when routine maintenance is needed and can even have it scheduled, too. You don’t have to worry about missing maintenance because telematics automates it for you. Maintenance neglect is costly to your vehicle and can overall lessen its lifespan, but telematics has it covered.
On top of normal vehicle upkeep, telematics tracks how many hours the vehicle is running which can help determine the lifespan of certain parts, like tires, oil, batteries and engines. Using technology for vehicle maintenance can save you money by staying on top of wear and tear before it has the chance to damage your vehicle. Assessing repairs through automated diagnostics can save you headaches, as well.
5. Fuel Efficiency
With your vehicle data being stored and tracked, telematics can use this data to track trends in fuel consumption. It can better understand where your vehicle uses the most fuel, or routes that use unnecessary mileage, and suggest new ways to improve efficiency to save money on fuel.
Optimizing fuel consumption can save you time, as a driver, so you don’t have to stop as frequently to fill up your fuel tank and can carry on with your daily routes.
The Bottom Line
Telematics is increasing in popularity for good reasons. Overall, it uses real data on your vehicles to better assess maintenance needs, help cut costs and saves you time. Telematics will help boost your productivity and optimize your driving performance with data-driven insights.
It can even increase the life of your vehicle by tracking maintenance for you so you never have to worry about missing it. Telematics also helps fleet companies keep better track of their drivers to stay productive and efficient with their work, as well. With smart technology becoming more relevant and used practically everywhere, you have the opportunity to use it to your advantage and be even more efficient in your daily life.
