Telematics systems assist Fleet Managers in making improvements across the board, from maintenance and fuel economy to route planning and driver safety. In a recent AJT Installs blog, we talked about our brand new Fleet Management Software system, Tracker 365. In this article, we are going to go into a bit more detail about the benefits of Tracker 365 to Transport Managers and transport/delivery companies.
Tracker 365 from AJT Installs provides real-time data and time-saving automated processes to monitor every vehicle in a fleet, making it easier for Fleet and Transport Managers to meet their objectives, save the company money, and reduce time spent on administrative tasks.
At AJT Installs, our expert technicians have experience in a range of sectors, including delivery services, transport, logistics, public transport and even the emergency services. Contact us for a demonstration and we will show you the benefits of Tracker 365 to your business.
The benefits of Tracker 365 - Improved driver safety
One of the main benefits of Tracker 365 is that it can help to improve driver behaviour and, therefore, safety. The data relayed to a computer in the office provides managers with valuable insights into how well, or badly, their vehicles are driven. This just wasn’t possible before telematics systems.
A traditional tachograph only detailed time, speed, and distance, helping to monitor the time spent behind the wheel to ensure proper breaks were taken at the right intervals. They could not show details regarding driver performance or alert Fleet and Transport Managers to dangerous driving habits.
The data provided by Tracker 365 can be used for several different purposes, all of which help to improve driving:
- To show driving habits that increase wear and tear on the vehicle
- To highlight bad habits that increase fuel consumption
- To demonstrate dangerous driving for example, tailgating or harsh braking
- To highlight gaps in existing driver training programmes
- To develop training programmes to combat bad driving, tailored to individual driver needs
- To improve safety by adding insights to written safety policies
- Be used to incentivise good driving habits!
Although there may be some resistance from drivers when first installed, one of the benefits of Tracker 365 is the positive effect it has on drivers who know they are being watched. The likelihood of them taking risks while out and about is greatly reduced, and it is in their interests to make sure they drive safely too!
Reduced insurance premiums
Many insurers see telematics systems like Tracker 365 as a benefit in both reducing costs to the insurance company in the event of an accident and reducing the risk factor associated with bad drivers and their risk profiles.
The data downloaded from Tracker 365 shows precise historical and real time information regarding accidents/incidents. It can, therefore, be used to generate accurate risk profiles of drivers, demonstrate a good track record, and substantiate a low accident risk to insurers.
In the event of an accident, cameras installed on the vehicle provide eye-witness evidence. This means claims can be settled quickly with no extra or unnecessary costs, or an argument about who was at fault! This can be a big benefit, reducing the time needed to process claims and the burden on companies to prove a driver was or wasn’t responsible. It makes things easier for insurance companies by speeding up the process and having the incident recorded as it happened.
Another major insurance benefit of Tracker 365 above other systems currently on the market, is that video can be downloaded either from the portal or the DVR card installed in each vehicle, and there is no limit! Most vehicle camera systems either won’t allow video to be downloaded directly from the hard drive in the DVR, or if they do, it is only up to around five minutes but with our system you can download as much as you want.
If you have to insure plant, you will be pleased to learn that one of the benefits of Tracker 365 for plant is that it includes an asset tracker. This is a real benefit to companies when negotiating insurance premiums.
Saving on fuel costs
We have already detailed the benefits of Tracker 365 for reducing bad driving habits. But these bad habits can also waste fuel. During instances of overrevving, harsh braking, unnecessary and hard acceleration, fuel is wasted!
An 2016 RAC report based on 1.000 UK businesses with telematics systems installed, found that 55% of those companies stated a reduction in fuel costs. This is a major benefit following the recent steep rises in the cost of fuel.
Effective route planning can also have an impact on fuel economy, for example, to avoid delays where engines idle, congestion charges, accident black spots, etc. The data can be used to map out the most efficient way of getting from A to B – an invaluable asset for delivery companies! With Tracker 365, vehicle cameras can also be viewed live through the portal, with no buffering! This can give a Fleet Manager vital real time information about congestion, delays, accidents or other hold-ups and ways other vehicles can avoid them.
It also shows if a driver is using the vehicle for non-work related stops or journeys as you can not only see where they are in real time, but also where they’ve been.
Longer life for fleet vehicles
And the benefits of Tracker 365 on improving driving, don’t end there. Fleet vehicles will last longer, bringing huge cost savings when multiplied across a whole fleet. There will also be savings in maintenance costs over the life of the vehicle because better driving reduces general wear and tear. Vehicles will spend more hours working for the benefit of the business with fewer hours in the garage having worn tyres, clutches and gearboxes replaced.
Cuts time spent on administration!
If you have been a Fleet Manager for any length of time, you will know how many hours a day you used to spend on administration:
- Checking logbooks
- Manual checking of tachographs
- Producing reports
- Talking to drivers about delays and congestion
- Monitoring the fuel consumption of each vehicle
- Maintenance schedules
- Unplanned maintenance
- Route planning
- Driver rotas
And the list goes on. But with the Tracker 365 client portal, you only have to hover the mouse over a vehicle to see where it is and whether it is moving or stationary. Clicking on to that vehicle will show its previous journeys too. Data can be downloaded with a click of the mouse and used to produce reports, saving Fleet Managers time they would have spent on manual processes and administrative tasks.
Why not call the experts at AJT Installs and we will talk you through the benefits of Tracker 365, to your business, and how it can help you to maximise efficiency, enhance security, and reduce costs. What’s more, because we don’t want to add to your list of worries, every product bought and installed by AJT Installs technicians carries a minimum three year warranty for your peace of mind.