How the Internet of Things Is Improving Transport

The Internet of Things (IoT) is growing rapidly, extending its branches into more communication channels and businesses. For fleet managers, this means being able to get informed about any underlying issues in the business such as fatigue, maintenance and on-road activity.

By creating a network of devices and machinery that communicate and exchange relevant data, managers gain a new level of visibility. Bad behaviours and out of date practices have nowhere to hide when everything is connected. Mobile phones, fridges, home appliances and, of course, vehicles and equipment, can all be enhanced through IoT.

IoT, and by extension GPS technologies, allows fleet managers to measure and understand more about their drivers, assets and business overall. But you can only get these insights If you’re collecting the right information. You need to identify the data that means the most to your operation, analyse it correctly, and translate the conclusions to turn insights into actions. It provides you with the real-time information to make better decisions, quicker.

What IoT Can Do

When it comes to telematics for commercial and heavy vehicles, a common question is -- what kind of information does it collect, and how can that data be turned into action? GPS fleet tracking reveals patterns in vehicle and driver metrics, which serve as real-world performance indicators. Speed, asset management, rest breaks and routing can all be measured across your fleet with ease.

This includes everything from driver scorecards that record and analyse driver or operator behaviour, engine diagnostics that help determine appropriate maintenance schedules and real-time driver location and routing tools. Discovering insights helps to highlight what’s working properly and what could benefit from adjustment.

Open Communication

Your fleet is filled with data from every direction and the best way to get that data is to automate the process where ever possibleOnce you figure out what data you need, it then becomes all about equipping your vehicles and equipment with the right solution to attain the data. For example, finding out the ETA for a driver en-route normally means a number of phone calls and consulting maps which eats into time. When considering IoT, devices within vehicles speak directly to each other – the GPS technology tracks and sends the locational information back to the office via the web, and tell admin in real-time their status.

The New Standard

Telematics is a growing necessity for all transport and heavy vehicle industries – it’s no longer a ‘nice-to-have’ accessory. Applied technologies improve safety and driver performance, day-to-day reporting, maintenance and vehicle up-keep. It can often be a case of upgrade or get left behind by the competition within the industry around Australia. The good news is the technology is readily accessible to anyone who wants to tap into the data and leave a positive impression. Making sense of IoT requires nothing more than using the technology to translate the data into easy-to-digest, actionable decisions.

The transformation of fleets through connectivity and smart devices is comprehensive and far-ranging. The sheer volume of data entering and exiting your business gives you the opportunity to target areas of improvement and make long-term plans. Technology is growing and sparking new innovations, applications, and appliances – fast becoming a part of this web of connectivity, refered to as  the Connected Truck. Today more data is loaded onto the internet every second than was stored on the entire “World Wide Web” 20 years ago. All that data is yours for the taking, so it’s time to get connected.