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As much of its work\u00a0from the truck\u00a0is stationary,\u00a0Zionsville, Ind.-based\u00a0Gravel Conveyors Inc.\u00a0needed a telematics system that could\u00a0precisely\u00a0measure fuel use for PTO applications\u00a0to apply for fuel tax reimbursements. Photo courtesy of Gravel Conveyors Inc.<\/em><\/p>\n For small fleet operators who haven\u2019t yet considered a telematics system, or for fleets that are running on systems with outdated technology, they\u2019re likely missing out on a potential goldmine in operational cost savings.<\/p>\n But with so many options available in the market, how do fleet operators choose the right one, or if they have a system, upgrade with their current telematics service provider (TSP) or move on to a new one?<\/p>\n According to three company fleet managers, the key to maximizing the benefits of any telematics system starts with understanding the company\u2019s operational needs and goals and then matching those needs to the right solution.<\/p>\n For fleet owners and managers who face the prospect of replacing obsolete telematics hardware, particularly before their service contracts are fulfilled, Elton John\u2019s 1974 hit \u201cDon\u2019t Let the Sun Go Down on Me\u201d could be their song dedication to their\u00a0TSPs.<\/p>\n Over the last two decades, the technology of telematics has undergone three major changes, says Dev Bhatia, chief marketing officer for Momentum IoT. With telematics on the verge of a fourth major transition from third generation or Gen 3 technology to LTE Cat-M or Category M technology, Bhatia warns fleet operators to be aware of a network sunset.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen a sunset occurs, devices that are out in the field literally turn into bricks (unless they\u2019re replaced),\u201d Bhatia explains. \u201cThat\u2019s a huge cost.\u201d<\/p>\n LTE Cat-M is designed specifically for the next generation of telematics devices. It utilizes LTE cellular technology to deliver more bandwidth \u2014 allowing for more robust services such as load monitoring and driver coaching \u2014 while using less power.<\/p>\n Some TSPs\u00a0actually make\u00a0fleets pay for that new hardware even as they are locked into a contract with their old hardware, he adds. Bhatia advises fleet managers and owners to ask TSPs what network technology they offer. If they haven\u2019t deployed LTE Cat-M, they should find out if the TSPs will replace old technology with new upon deployment.<\/p>\n Bhatia says that telematics network technology typically lasts about five years before it\u2019s replaced, and 3G has been around at least three years. Most TSPs are on 3G right now, with only a few TSPs having\u00a0deployed LTE Cat-M network technology, Bhatia says.<\/p>\n For fleets choosing a telematics system, Bhatia also suggests asking TSPs if they:<\/p>\n \u201cGoogle certainly helps (in determining a list of which systems to consider),\u201d advises Aaron Witmer, chief operating officer for Gravel Conveyors Inc. (GCI). \u201cBut you have to get into product demos. You have to give these salespeople and engineers an hour of your time to let them show you what their software can do.\u201d<\/p>\n The\u00a0Zionsville, Ind.-based\u00a0company\u00a0manufactures\u00a0aggregate\u00a0conveyor systems\u00a0and\u00a0slinger bodies for dump trucks, along\u00a0with operating\u00a0a fleet of 21 trucks\u00a0for gravel delivery.<\/p>\n Five years ago, Witmer\u00a0says\u00a0the company brought him on\u00a0to\u00a0apply his metrics-based management approach to the company\u2019s operation.\u00a0Before his tenure, the company\u00a0had operated\u00a0a legacy GPS tracking system,\u00a0but let the contract lapse.<\/p>\n \u201cWith the old system, it used to be, \u2018where are my dots on the map?\u2019\u201d he says. \u201cIt used to be a babysitter. (The systems today are) so much more than that.\u201d<\/p>\n With construction coming back as the local economy recovered from the Great Recession, his company needed the\u00a0reportable and quantifiable data the right\u00a0telematics system\u00a0could\u00a0offer.<\/p>\n In addition to controlling operating costs, GCI also needed to\u00a0prove the value of\u00a0its\u00a0rock-slinging work and the conveyor system the company was marketing.\u00a0\u201c(What tipped the scales) for us? It was being able to track our PTOs (power take-off\u00a0operation),\u201d Witmer\u00a0says.<\/p>\n Witmer says primarily because of its PTO tracking capability, he chose a fleet management program called Fleetmatics\u00a0Reveal, which was\u00a0later purchased by Verizon and rebranded as Verizon Connect\u00a0Reveal.<\/p>\n Generally, companies that operate\u00a0stationary\u00a0equipment like pumps, cement mixers,\u00a0and gravel conveyors don\u2019t have to pay federal taxes on the\u00a0fuel\u00a0their truck engines burn while powering PTOs. With careful documentation,\u00a0they\u00a0can apply for fuel tax reimbursements from state revenue\u00a0agencies.<\/p>\n However, some companies choose not to pursue those\u00a0tax rebates since tracking\u00a0the fuel expenditure\u00a0can be\u00a0cumbersome and time-consuming. And for those companies that choose to pursue them, calculating those figures without reliable data\u00a0can\u00a0potentially place them in the crosshairs of costly\u00a0state agency audits.<\/p>\n In terms of implementation,\u00a0Witmer cautions\u00a0the process often takes longer than expected.<\/p>\n \u201cYou need to find the one you want and play around with it for a few weeks to make sure it\u2019ll work, then learn the team you\u2019ll be working with, place the order, then get installers out. That takes time.\u201d<\/p>\n He says the process from the beginning of\u00a0his research to completion of installation took six months.<\/p>\n Sometimes changing circumstances can make the need for telematics more apparent. Take for instance the case of Treasure Valley Fire:\u00a0Steve Rooks\u00a0a company partner,\u00a0says\u00a0for years he didn\u2019t see much\u00a0value in having telematics systems installed in his company\u2019s trucks.<\/p>\n First, connectivity in the rural areas where his company is based had always been a challenge. Second, his company\u00a0prefers\u00a0to run older trucks because they\u2019re not equipped with\u00a0the computers and other electronics\u00a0that\u00a0can\u00a0tend\u00a0to\u00a0fail\u00a0in the punishing conditions his company\u2019s equipment encounters.\u00a0So, there\u00a0really\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0much in the way of vehicle performance data to monitor\u00a0and analyze.<\/p>\n Treasure Valley Fire\u00a0of Baker, Ore.,\u00a0provides fire suppression and emergency services as a seasonal firefighting contractor for\u00a0the U.S. Forest Service,\u00a0FEMA,\u00a0and fire departments across the country.<\/p>\n The company operates a fleet of 30\u00a0units, including bulldozers, service units, fire engines, water tenders,\u00a0and tactical tenders on various truck chassis,\u00a0including International 7400, International 4800\u00a0and 4900, Ford 9000 series,\u00a0and International\u00a0ProStar\u00a08000 series.<\/p>\n Last year, Treasure Valley Fire was one of hundreds of firefighting crews and emergency responders who answered the call\u00a0for assistance\u00a0during the 2018 California wildfire season. There were more than 8,500 fires that burned 1.6 million acres and resulted in more than 100 deaths, including six firefighters, and $12 billion worth of insurance claims.<\/p>\n The\u00a0California wildfire\u00a0experience\u00a0instilled a greater appreciation for the higher degree of visibility\u00a0available with\u00a0the right telematics system, Rooks\u00a0says.<\/p>\n \u201cAs the company grew, we needed a better handle on our equipment,\u201d he\u00a0adds. \u201cAnd as fires\u00a0grow\u00a0more complex,\u00a0we started thinking maybe we needed\u00a0to see where our guys are\u00a0to\u00a0help them when they need help.\u201d<\/p>\n Rooks also uses telematics\u00a0to mitigate liability.\u00a0\u201cWe can prove to our clients we were where we said we were going to be,\u201d he says,\u00a0\u201cand we\u00a0were doing what we said we were going to be doing.\u201d<\/p>\n Treasure Valley Fire chose\u00a0Momentum\u00a0IoT,\u00a0a software-as-a-service fleet management platform. Momentum\u00a0IoT\u00a0allows users to\u00a0connect multiple assets such as trucks\u00a0and\u00a0light\u00a0and\u00a0heavy\u00a0equipment and see them on\u00a0a\u00a0mobile-friendly application, making it ideal for managers like Rooks who are often in the field.<\/p>\n Rooks\u00a0says\u00a0there were essentially three things that\u00a0were important to\u00a0him and his partners\u00a0when choosing a TSP: simplicity\u00a0of use, an affordable\u00a0pricing\u00a0structure with no long-term contracts,\u00a0and a willingness\u00a0to\u00a0engineer\u00a0not-yet-available\u00a0features Treasure Valley\u00a0might want\u00a0to\u00a0add later to\u00a0enhance productivity.<\/p>\n \u201cSeasonality of our business was the other big factor\u00a0that\u00a0I took into account,\u201d Rooks\u00a0says. \u201cI\u2019ve got these big trucks that,\u00a0come the middle of October,\u00a0they lock down in our warehouse and there they will sit for the next eight months.\u201d<\/p>\n Similar to\u00a0Gravel Conveyors,\u00a0Mesa, Ariz.-based Trio Forest Products Inc.,\u00a0had\u00a0been using\u00a0a\u00a0telematics system for years,\u00a0but found a\u00a0new\u00a0TSP\u00a0with\u00a0better\u00a0options\u00a0and updated technology.\u00a0Trio\u2019s\u00a0Dru Lanoue, office manager,\u00a0says\u00a0her company\u00a0in 2010\u00a0switched\u00a0to\u00a0GPS Insight, which has\u00a0a partnership with\u00a0her company\u2019s\u00a0business management software.<\/p>\n As a wholesale lumber supplier, Trio Forest Products operates a fleet of five heavy-duty trucks,\u00a0as well as\u00a0one Ford F-550, a\u00a0Ford\u00a0F-750,\u00a0and\u00a0a\u00a0Peterbilt Model 330.<\/p>\n \u201cBack in 2010, we found that GPS Insight provided a more robust system with the capability to set up speed monitoring and alerts and geofencing,\u201d Lanoue says.<\/p>\n The telematics investment paid off dramatically two years later when a truck loaded with the company\u2019s most expensive lumber product was stolen. Police were able to track the unit all the way to California, where they apprehended the thief and recovered the truck and lumber.<\/p>\n Then when Trio Forest Products needed to add ELD (electronic logging device) capabilities to their trucks to meet new federal regulations, the company took advantage of GPS Insight\u2019s ELD solution.<\/p>\n When it comes to choosing a telematics system, \u201cIt isn\u2019t all about pricing,\u201d Lanoue says.<\/p>\n Some solutions purport to save money on hardware costs through an app-based system on company- or employee-owned smartphones or tablets. \u201cMake sure you\u2019re covering your bases, because if you don\u2019t own (the device), you don\u2019t control the business information on it,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Lanoue also brings up the security concerns should a driver leave his or her device where customer information can be accessed.<\/p>\n by Gregory Van Tighem<\/p>\n Source:https:\/\/www.businessfleet.com<\/a><\/p>\n Fleet management is the use of a set of vehicles in order to provide services to a third-party, or to perform a task for our organization, in the most efficient and productive manner with a determined level of service and cost.<\/p>\n Fleet management activities are shown in the following graph 1:<\/p>\n Graph 1: fleet management activities<\/p>\n The proposal audit analyses and assesses all fleet management activities shown in the graph 1, and its main goals are:<\/p>\n With the information obtained, we\u2019ll elaborate a report that holds the overall status of the fleet management as well as the suggestions, recommendations and the measures to take in order to cut costs and optimize the fleet management activities.<\/p>\n CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK TO DOWNLOAD THE PROPOSED FLEET MANAGEMENT AUDIT:<\/p>\n Contact:<\/p>\n Jos\u00e9 Miguel Fern\u00e1ndez G\u00f3mez<\/p>\n 34 678254874<\/p>\n info@advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com<\/p>\nTelematics: From Research to Implementation<\/h2>\n
Choosing a TSP: Beware the Network Sunset<\/h4>\n
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Demo the System<\/h4>\n
Greater Visibility<\/h4>\n
More than Price<\/h4>\n
FLEET MANAGEMENT AUDIT<\/h3>\n
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Fleet Management Audit AFMC<\/span><\/a><\/h2>\n
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I\u00b4m\u00a0a Fleet Management expert, and the manager of\u00a0