Back to Basics: What is Vehicle Telematics?

Vehicle Telematics 101

Any fleet manager could benefit from the use of telematics. Whether they want to track their vehicles and keep a close eye on their condition or monitor their drivers. But to fully utilize this technology one needs to understand it. Let’s break down the basics:

• Vehicle telematics is a technology that assists with surveilling and running diagnostics on trucks, cars — basically anything on wheels.
• In our increasingly digitized society, technology is smarter and more intuitive. This means that the automotive industry had to get with the program (literally). This is where vehicle telematics comes into play.
• In 1983 mobile phones became accessible to the public at large and thus so did GPS technology.

Now that we’ve covered the gist of things, let’s unpack the nitty gritty of vehicle telematics:

How does vehicle telematics work?

As cell phones evolved to be faster and more compact, this opened the door for fleet management companies to modify these technologies into devices that monitor vehicles in real time regardless of location.

Fleet tracking operates via a compact vehicle tracking device that works in unison with telematics software to collect and compile the user’s data and communicate these insights to fleet managers. At MiX by Powerfleet our fleet management technology tracks vehicles, drivers, and assets providing reliable analytical information to act on and report on.

This enabled users to keep their eye on every aspect of their fleet’s performance and streamline operations.

How will this benefit your business?

Having access to the treasure trove of information that telematics solutions offer can help you manage safer, more efficient fleets. All bases are covered from monitoring speed, fuel consumption, and vehicle downtime to tracking whether a driver is on the correct course.

As safety is always top of mind, MiX by Powerfleet’ in-cab video allows fleet managers to identify hazardous driving practices and stop them in their tracks. Managers can track according to a particular driver, vehicle, location, and day. This keeps them informed on an immediate and constant basis and further safeguards their fleet.

This is a prominent example of how telematic solutions don’t just keep your drivers safe but shows them where they could improve, optimizing performance.

Another key benefit of fleet management is monitoring and reporting fuel-wasting behaviors like speeding, unnecessary idling, or harsh acceleration and breaking. This is effective in reducing fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions.

Vehicle telematics is essential — it gives you the real-time data needed for that extra bit of assurance needed to make roads safer, and to make key changes to fleet management and maintenance.

The future of vehicle telematics

Customized vehicle telematics software is evolving at a lightning pace. Customers can tailor their product bouquet according to their specific needs, ensuring all bases are covered. This is an indicator of the influence fleet customers have on swaying industry trends.

As consumers are constantly looking for the latest and greatest, they provide telematics companies with real-world know-how about the way this technology works and highlights opportunities to improve.

We can collect the operational data and metrics in the world, but it needs to be actioned to take advantage of this technology’s potential. This will truly change how fleets operate for the betterment of safety, efficiency, and sustainability.