Telematics: Utilizing Predictive Technology to Support Operational Efficiency

Leveraging Predictive Technology for Enhanced Fleet Efficiency

In the fast-paced world of transportation, fleet managers and owners face a multitude of challenges and decisions every day. Refrigerated transport demands innovative solutions to stay competitive, from optimizing uptime and reducing fuel consumption to meeting sustainability goals.

Predictive technology is helping to move advancements in fleet management forward and empower companies to make informed decisions and enhance profitability.

Increasing Fleet Uptime

Historically, it has been difficult for companies to make data-driven decisions about their businesses because they needed more insight into operational cost drivers and benchmark comparisons. Artificial Intelligence (AI), including machine learning-based telematics platforms, is helping fleets better predict future performance, stay ahead of problems and identify trends.

A telematics system can provide actionable data that helps organizations make informed decisions that can lead to increased profitability. In addition, adopting an advanced telematics solution that provides benchmarking analytics enables fleets to see how their operations compare with other best-in-class fleets to learn what is possible to achieve. For example, an organization could compare the dwell time or refrigeration precool time on a fleet or unit level at various setpoints. They could also compare their fleet to other fleets in the industry by looking at the percentage of units with functioning fuel sensors and/or door switches. With this information, companies can find ways to reduce cost-per-mile and enhance fleet uptime by identifying areas of improvement and implementing best practices.

Fleet owners also need help maintaining consistent uptime due to unforeseen breakdowns and maintenance issues. Predictive alerts, driven by algorithms and machine learning, empower fleets to plan maintenance services proactively. This minimizes downtime, reduces load loss and avoids costly off-hour services.

The graphic below shows how members of the fleet monitoring team receive a predictive alert, prompting timely maintenance at the dealership before the next cargo load. As a result, the truck or trailer is back on the road quickly, increasing uptime and efficiency. With advancements in AI and machine learning, these predictions are getting smarter and able to provide more lead time before downtime events occur, as well as more accurately predict failures.

Discover Energy-Saving Opportunities

Rising fuel costs, particularly in states like California, necessitate a more stringent approach to managing fuel consumption, even for refrigeration units. Fleet managers must identify opportunities to use less fuel while safeguarding temperature-sensitive cargo.

An integrated telematics system can provide critical insights into energy usage. Through advancements in machine learning, fleets can estimate potential fuel savings by making operational changes. For example, it is not uncommon for a refrigerated vehicle to run with doors open during loading and unloading procedures. Using an energy usage dashboard allows companies to see the estimated fuel used based on the number of minutes and location of the vehicle during individual “door open” events.

Measuring and Monitoring Environmental Impact

In today's eco-conscious world, companies strive to meet environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals. Fleet operations play a vital role in achieving these objectives, but quantifying the environmental impact and having the ability to make data-driven decisions has been a challenge.

Advanced telematics can help quantify a fleet's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for both diesel and electric operations. Access to energy usage information is invaluable for reporting and sharing how the company is progressing toward its ESG goals.

As an example, key stakeholders can effectively report progress through various data points that include metric tons of CO₂ emissions, total fuel consumption, number of diesel protection hours, electric standby protection hours and total electricity used in kWh.

Unlock Your Fleet’s Potential

Fleet managers and owners can no longer afford to operate without the invaluable insights provided by telematics systems. From increasing uptime and reducing fuel consumption to measuring environmental impact, predictive technology empowers fleets to navigate the complex challenges they face daily. It is not merely a tool; it is helping drive the future of fleet management ahead.

Explore the benefits of predictive technology in fleet management with TracKing^® Pro telematics.