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In today’s rapidly evolving transport industry, businesses are navigating an increasingly complex landscape marked by mounting pressures from multiple fronts. Customer expectations for faster delivery times and just-in-time logistics have tightened deadlines, requiring fleets to operate with greater precision and agility. At the same time, shrinking profit margins driven by rising fuel costs, labour expenses, and competitive pricing force operators to extract maximum efficiency from every trip.
Fleet operators can’t rely on traditional manual processes or outdated systems and instead need smart, integrated solutions that not only enhance productivity but also provide reliable, real-time insights to support compliance and ensure the safety of drivers and the public. This is where Smart On-Board Mass (OBM) Monitoring technology is making a significant difference.
By seamlessly combining telematics with advanced on-board scale systems, Smart OBM has been revolutionising how transport companies capture and manage payload and vehicle mass data. This innovation allows operators to monitor loads as they happen, make informed decisions on the fly, and maintain compliance effortlessly — all critical factors for sustaining competitiveness and operational excellence in today’s challenging market.
What is Smart OBM?
Smart OBM is a program offered to Australian transport operators that integrates telematics with on-board scale technology to provide real-time, accurate vehicle mass data directly from trucks. This data is automatically captured and transmitted, offering fleet managers instant insights into payload weights without the delays and inaccuracies of manual processes.
By combining telematics with approved on-board scales, Smart OBM enables businesses to automate compliance with regulatory mass limits, optimise payloads, and enhance operational decision-making.
Find out more about Smart OBM here >
Why Smart OBM Matters in Today’s Transport Landscape
- Maximise Payload and Productivity
With instant access to accurate vehicle mass data, operators can confidently load trucks to the optimal weight, avoiding underloading or overloading. This means:
- Operating at higher mass limits where permitted
- Unlocking new and specialized vehicle combinations
- Increasing freight volumes per trip, improving overall fleet productivity
- Navigate Road Networks More Effectively
You may find without Smart OBM, you can’t operate vehicles on specific roads or routes. By enrolling in Smart OBM and providing real-time mass as an assurance to compliance, you could find yourself able to run on routes previously unavailable to your vehicle combination, improving travel times, productivity, fuel consumption and much more.
- Enhance Safety and Reduce Risk
Overloaded vehicles pose significant safety hazards and risk costly penalties. By automating payload monitoring, Smart OBM helps ensure trucks remain within legal mass limits, reducing wear and tear on vehicles and infrastructure and improving on-road safety. Real-time mass can also help you with loading vehicles correctly with instant insight into how much weight is on the vehicle’s axles at any given time, meaning you can load to the correct limit and help ensure its distributed correctly across the vehicle to reduce hazards.
- Streamline Administration and Compliance
Manual paperwork and weight recording are time-consuming and prone to error. Smart OBM automates these processes, reducing administrative burdens and ensuring accurate, audit-ready records are available at any time. You can export reports and view dashboards of insights into compliance and mass in real-time through the fleet management system.
- Support Sustainability Goals
Optimised routing and payload management directly contribute to lowering the carbon footprint of transport operations. By reducing unnecessary trips, maximising existing trips, and improving load efficiency, businesses can make meaningful strides toward environmental responsibility.
Real-World Impact: What Smart OBM Delivers
Transport companies using Smart OBM report tangible benefits:
- Immediate vehicle mass data from scales accessible via telematics platforms
- Increased payload capacity through compliance with mass limits and access to specialised vehicle combinations
- Improved route planning with better network access and reduced detours
- Reduced paperwork and streamlined compliance reporting
- Lower emissions thanks to optimised fleet operations
Moreover, recent advancements, such as wireless communication between the telematics and on-board scales, allow for flexible scale installation across longer vehicle combinations, including A-Doubles up to 36.5 meters. This innovation expands the potential benefits to a wider range of fleets.
One customer operating in NSW transporting dry bulk goods was able to use Smart OBM to return to the depot via a main arterial road when un-ladened. The vehicle combinations used were not permitted across an 8km stretch meaning drivers had to journey around. After taking up on-board mass, they gained an extra 2.5 tonnes per load and saved 10% in distance that instantly reduced fuel costs. Based on the 14,000 loads per month, an additional 420,000 tonnes saved 12,500 trips in a year.
Expertise That Helps You Get the Most Out of Smart OBM
Implementing Smart OBM technology is more than just installing hardware — it requires navigating complex regulatory environments and tailoring solutions to your fleet’s unique needs. Teletrac Navman’s dedicated regulatory programs team brings extensive experience working within Australia’s compliance and regulatory frameworks since their inception in 2008. Our expertise ensures your business can fully leverage Smart OBM’s advantages, from regulatory adherence to operational gains.
In an era where every kilogram and kilometre counts, Smart OBM provides transport businesses with the intelligence needed to operate smarter, safer, and more sustainably. By embracing this technology, fleets can unlock new efficiencies and maintain a competitive edge in a challenging marketplace.
For more detailed information on how Smart OBM can transform your fleet operations, get in touch with one of our experts today.