Driving a commercial vehicle has always been challenging. Drivers can work long, stressful hours while navigating varying traffic conditions, the unpredictable behavior of other drivers, and severe weather.
Tasks that go beyond driving – reporting, completing forms, conducting inspections – have traditionally added an unwanted burden for drivers. What’s more, the job becomes even more complicated when their vehicles don’t work as they should, when they break down, or when they are involved in a preventable accident. When these events occur, the result is unwanted downtime, lost revenue for drivers and the company, and potential harm to the driver and others involved in the case of an accident.
Fortunately, telematics technology has eliminated much of the risk, inefficiency, and paperwork by automating ELD and IFTA reporting, equipment inspections and diagnostics, and many other tasks – enabling drivers to focus more time and energy on safe driving, and meeting customer needs with minimal downtime.
Managers and dispatchers also get access to this same robust stream of data so they can more strategically optimize routes, identify equipment that needs maintenance, and keep an eye on driver safety, efficiency, and costs.
A Wealth of Critical Business Intelligence
A great telematics system features automated reporting capability to put a wealth of critical data in the hands of those who need it when they need it. Managers, dispatchers, and other stakeholders have access to a customized dashboard that provides a powerful combined view of data for the entire organization. The automated inspection capability, accessible on a phone app, includes a form writer that drivers can use to quickly complete their before-and-after inspections – streamlining a necessary process that many drivers can often find annoying.
A wealth of reports across key categories – simple to use and tailored to fit the needs of a company – provide invaluable critical business intelligence. They include:
- Activity & Movement – Activity Detail and Summaries, Activity Without Movement, Begin/End Day, State Mileage, Stop Duration
- Driver Safety – Driver Safety Scorecard
- Engine Hours & Utilization – Engine Hours by Day, Job Site Utilization, Location Duration
- Fuel & Idle – Fuel Economy and Usage, Fuel Tax Reporting, Idle Reports
- Maintenance – Check Engine/Diagnostics (DTC)
What makes these reports especially powerful is the combined ease of generating them through automation and the ease of accessing them, along with a wealth of other data, on a computer dashboard or app.
The Rise of Two Groups
As automation has become more widespread, two distinct groups have emerged: companies and carriers that have adopted telematics-enabled automation reduced the burden on their drivers and found it easier to attract and retain drivers. The other group – the non-adopters – continues to struggle with inefficiency, profitability, and remaining fully staffed.
Don’t let yourself fall behind. Customize automation for your company and be proactive in building your future.