The Fleet Industry Advisory Group (FIAG) has released a new white paper, talking up the success stories that many companies have had with telematics around the world, as well as continuing to encourage the best practice of sale and implementation of the tracking and data analytics technology.
“Telematics is revolutionising the way in which companies run their vehicles and employees drive them,” said FIAG chairman Geoffrey Bray of the report (via FleetNews). “The telematics market is moving at a rapid pace making what was considered the future of fleet management now a central part of operations for many.”
The first company cited as benefiting from the technology is FIAG founding member, Travis Perkins, which installed telematics in its 3,300 vehicles years ago and it has had a huge success in using it. Ultimately, it’s said to have saved the firm millions of pounds in fuel and vehicle repairs.
Stannah, the stair-lift company is also mentioned, with its 600 odd company vehicles fitted with telematics not too long ago.
“Telematics is not a silver bullet, but it is one thread of fleet management and an integral part in helping manage vehicles,” said Martin Carter, operations director at the company.
Now the fleet manager knows where they are when they’re telling you that you need a new windscreen
His take on telematics was one echoed by the fleet manager over at windscreen repair firm, Autoglass. It fitted its 1,400 fleet vehicles with telematics and has seen a near 10 per cent reduction in its fuel usage, saving huge amounts of money and making the company much greener in the process. While some of that was achieved by making vehicle usage more efficient, the big savings came through adjusting driver behaviour and making them less likely to speed, less likely to accelerate sharply and thereby reducing their need for heavy braking.
On top of that it made the drivers safer, which is never a bad thing.
The final firm brought up in the FIAG white paper was Clancy Group, the civil engineering and construction firm. With its 1,100 commercial vehicles fitted with telematics, it was able to make the management of the firm a lot easier.
“Telematics has a major role to play within the cost management of the Group’s fleet division,” said Ian Housley, health and safety director at Clancy Group. “It is one of the many pieces in our fleet management jigsaw, and it is difficult to imagine telematics now not being used.”
Overall the report breaks down these individual scenarios and highlights how fuel was saved in almost every instance. It also points out that by cutting back on that, fringe benefits like reduced carbon emissions, productivity improvements and more efficient business practices can be achieved, simply because fleet managers know where their vehicles are at all times.
That also means that if one ever goes missing, it can be recovered in minutes.
