Hours and minutes matter when you are running a transport fleet. Thankfully, recent innovations in technology can help you make the most of every moment when you are on the road while helping the main office with collecting data and dispatching.

Let’s talk about a few of those technological changes that will optimize the performance of your fleet.

Safety And Compliance

One of the most important tasks for a driver or back office employee is collecting and monitoring compliance data, Getting all of this data together and keeping it can also be a tough task if you don’t have the right software in place to take care of it. We’ll call it an electronic logging device app, and they are readily available for a computer or smartphone.

The best part of using an ELD app is that you’ll spend less time filling out reports, which benefits both the back office and the driver! The records are also electronically stored, which provides a big advantage in the event that a driver or fleet needs their hours of service or record of duty data audited.

Driver Safety

While an ELD device records some compliance essentials, you should also consider its role in driver safety. You’ll want to know about potential issues with speeding, excess or sudden braking, and how your drivers turn and treat their trucks. Having this data around can help you promote a safety culture while also rewarding drivers who follow best practices with lower risks.

At the same time, if telematic data shows you that some drivers have an issue with driving too fast or braking hard, you can use that as an opportunity to coach.

Predictable Maintenance

Maintenance is definitely necessary in a transport business, as we rely heavily on everything from the tires to the headlights to work together well to promote safe travel. Unfortunately, an issue on the road can cost a lot of money to haul a truck around or hire a mobile mechanic to make on the fly repairs.

This is where using technology to enhance maintenance comes in. Apps can collect data on your trucks and give you a warning when service is coming due soon. The same app can also collect and send off inspection records to ensure the trucks are in top shape and that you are following compliance. 

So making maintenance more predictive can certainly help lower your repair costs by avoiding the problems that cause delays and paperwork.

Better Routes With Technology

One challenging aspect of transport is finding the right route at the right time when considering many conditions including the weather and traffic. Artificial intelligence, or AI can help with that! Artificial intelligence takes data like road conditions, traffic, and other unknowns that could cause hazards or otherwise slow a driver down. 

AI adjustments while traveling can lead to a reduction in time on the road, less fuel burned, and a better safety record as negatives are avoided. Overall, a transport company that uses AI can be more resourceful.

Storing Your Fleet Data

Remember when you organized your fleet data with file folders and paper? If you didn’t, you might be lucky. Electronic logging device apps make it much easier to store and find your data for later use.

Better yet, the information is accessible from nearly anywhere, and it’s yours. At home and want to check on something? You can do that. 

Reduce Repetition

Some fleet tasks are a bit repetitive and routine. While these tasks tend to be easy, they also take up time you could be spending doing something else. If you’ve ever had to spend time doing something like route planning or filing reports, you can start there for optimizing your fleet by having software do it instead.

Toll management is a hot-button topic for some fleet managers. They require that drivers keep track of paying for tolls and create additional paperwork for drivers and fleet managers alike. As a fleet manager, you have lots of responsibilities and can focus more of your energy on places where it counts!

Real-Time Tracking

You don’t have to wait until a driver checks in, and the driver doesn’t have to do much manual reporting with the real-time tracking available with electronic logging devices. With a GPS built in to collect lots of data, you’ll also know where your trucks are and their current status. Let your driver’s keep going, or use real-time data to detect potential issues then help your driver out.

Conclusion

Technology can make a significant difference in making your fleet leaner and meaner. Our suggestion is to explore some products and services like electronic logging devices to see just how much easier work gets, then move from there. You might find that work gets easier for you and your drivers.

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