Telematics help businesses operate more efficiently and effectively. Arguably no industry stands to benefit more by accessing and leveraging fleet data than construction, where the ability to track, utilize, and maintain equipment can mean the difference between costly overruns and profitability.
The irony, however, is that the complexity associated with a mixed fleet, which makes telematics data so valuable to commercial or residential construction companies, is also what prevents these companies from identifying and implementing the right solution.
Many vendors have traditionally gone after the low-hanging fruit when it comes to either telematics hardware or software. They sell a system that zeroes in on easy-to-meet needs, and then they position it as a whole-fleet solution for construction. Or they offer a solution that works well for a service company and try to apply it to the construction industry.
The problem is that solutions that work in other industries are often not the right fit for construction. For example, an ELD system may be sold with the pitch that it can be applied across the entire fleet to facilitate digital inspections, even though only a subset of large trucks may require ELDs and the inspection capability won’t work for all assets in a mixed fleet. Or, in another common scenario, the construction company will buy a tracking system or other telematics solution that is in addition to the ELD system, meaning that the company will have purchased two separate systems – at considerable additional cost – that may prove problematic, if not impossible, to integrate into a single pane of glass view of fleet utilization, status, and efficiency.
Good News for Construction
We at ASCEND are proud to offer a single customizable solution that meets the various unique data needs of construction, including the following construction fleet management features:
Telematics hardware. Given the wide range of vehicles and assets that can make up a mixed construction fleet – pickup trucks, large trucks, trailers, yellow iron, generators, and other assets – a variety of customized telematics hardware is needed to capture the data most important for each piece of equipment, whether its status, operator behavior, engine performance, and more. Location is especially important to know for construction fleet assets – imagine no longer wasting time trying to find missing equipment.
Data reporting. With one, integrated platform, fleet managers and other stakeholders can access the wealth of data and valuable fleet management reports they need in one place.
Digital inspections. Inspections aren’t just about equipment (though inspecting equipment is critically important), but also about processes and ensuring that all required steps are performed. The highly customizable inspection capabilities in the platform facilitate equipment inspections as well as provide useful checklists and complete forms. The platform’s inspection tool can be customized for virtually any piece of equipment or job role.
Managing maintenance. With this powerful telematics platform, you can not only monitor construction equipment maintenance needs but also tie the inspection tool into your maintenance system to help schedule needed repairs or preventative maintenance, log the service when it’s completed, and compile a complete service record for each vehicle or piece of equipment. Our fleet maintenance software allows you to even load in OEM maintenance recommendations for most makes of vehicles and yellow iron to keep your preventative maintenance on track.
Ability to report and access data on the go. The single sign-on capability allows for ease of use across multiple devices in the field – the same platform features are available on a native fleet tracking app as on a computer desktop – helping to ensure that nothing gets missed. It truly puts the power of telematics in the hands of all your people.
No Need to “Make Do”
To this point, construction companies have had to make do with telematics solutions that didn’t quite meet all their requirements and needs. The systems they invested in too often resulted in disappointment, poor ROI, or the inability to perform as needed. Now, with our construction fleet management software, construction companies don’t have to settle to gather, aggregate, and access the wealth of fleet data they need to manage their businesses better.