{"id":8862,"date":"2020-12-17T16:43:49","date_gmt":"2020-12-17T15:43:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/?p=8862"},"modified":"2020-12-17T16:43:49","modified_gmt":"2020-12-17T15:43:49","slug":"telematic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/2020\/12\/17\/telematic\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Reasons Telematics is Essential for Snow Operations"},"content":{"rendered":"

Photo via Getty Images<\/em><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

The number-one thing public agencies should be concerned with in a snow event is keeping constituents safe, according to Amin Amini, managing partner of solutions engineering for Verizon Connect. And part of that is plowing roads quickly and efficiently.<\/span><\/p>\n

Telematics technology can help public agencies accomplish this \u2014 while also providing data points that can offer transparency, control and reduce salt use, and protect drivers.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Find your vehicles and know if they\u2019re ready to go<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

The first thing fleet managers need to know before deploying vehicles is where they are and what condition they\u2019re in, Amini said. UTVs, pickup trucks, and heavy vehicles may be in different areas of a city or county and knowing exactly where they are will help ensure the quickest response. And telematics can identify what condition vehicles are in ahead of time to help fleet departments ensure their vehicles are in good condition before they need to be used.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Plan routes and track vehicles<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Telematics can also help with route planning or be integrated with an existing route planner.<\/span><\/p>\n

For large municipalities with multiple drivers taking multiple shifts, accurate routing and tracking data allow snow operations staff to send new drivers out to areas that haven\u2019t been treated, Amini said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes, things don\u2019t go according to plan. For example, a new driver may be unfamiliar with a route and miss a turn, or an obstruction on the road prevents the driver from passing. Magellan\u2019s Return to Route feature gets drivers back on their routes as efficiently as possible, according to Ted Lee, head of business and product innovation for Magellan.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Municipalities<\/span>
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Municipalities can use telematics data to exonerate their employees when a claim comes in about property damage, which is usually higher during snow season, according to Verizon’s Amin Amini. <\/span>Photo courtesy of Verizon<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3. Know whether a street has been plowed, and when<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Fleet managers can know whether plowing or spreading has been performed. Telematics devices can detect whether a plow is up or down or if a spreader is on or off.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is important for municipalities to track to make sure service was performed well,\u201d said Sherry Wu, product marketing manager for Samsara.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wu added that Samsara\u2019s system provides live, to-the-second GPS coordinates, providing better information than ones that send data every 30 seconds or longer.<\/span><\/p>\n

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5 Questions Your Telematics System Can Answer<\/span><\/h3>\n

According to Lisa Park, AVP, advanced mobility and enterprise solutions for AT&T:<\/span><\/p>\n