Big data technology used in fleet management can help organizations improve their business. Using cloud-based platforms, businesses can collect and track data in near real time, including things like mileage and speed. Not only that but it can help when combined with telematics software because this is when businesses can really understand how their fleet of vehicles or other assets are operating on a day-to-day basis.

Fleet behaviour: Safety is a top priority for every fleet. This includes how drivers operate their vehicles both on and off the road. Telematics lets fleet managers gather data about how their drivers operate and manage their vehicles and see where they might be operating outside of what’s expected, including speeding, harsh braking, idling and other risk factors. Managers can evaluate this data to see where driver performance is exceeding expectations or where additional coaching is needed.

Fleet Maintenance: Getting ahead of vehicle maintenance issues helps to ensure you’re not missing out on any big money-saving opportunities. By leveraging big data related to vehicle health and diagnostics (e.g., engine status, fuel level and mileage) and funnelling it through a fleet management system, managers can proactively address vehicle issues before they become a problem. Fleets can also analyse the data to see which vehicles tend to remain in better shape and which may need to be replaced to optimize fleet performance.

Compliance: Many fleet vehicles are now required to make use of electronic logging devices (EDLP) to record duty status information. The digitally connected devices can be integrated into fleet management platforms to enable all data captured to become part of the decision-making workflow. Managers can easily track driver hours and see when drivers are nearing required rest periods.

Routing: Without accurate data, it’s impossible to know why a particular delivery is taking longer than anticipated, why certain routes are consistently problematic or if an unexpected obstacle is hindering a fleet vehicle’s progress. Having a near real-time picture of weather, traffic or even shortcuts at your fingertips can help you save time, improve customer service, reduce fuel costs and increase efficiency. In turn, this helps organizations improve their ability to manage complex networks of people who are moving everyday all over the country.