If your fleet is required to document a driver’s hours of service, you should already have each fleet vehicle equipped with an electronic logging device (ELD). With the rise of telematics and fleet tracking in the industry, it isn’t likely that all fleets are using this technology to its potential. Sid Nair of Teletrac Navman is here to discuss the benefits of a telematics system in terms of safety, driver retention, and fleet operations.
MWS: WHAT IS TELETRAC NAVMAN AND WHAT IS YOUR ROLE WITH THE COMPANY?
NAIR:
Teletrac Navman is a veteran telematics company with more than 25 years of experience helping transportation fleets manage and track their mobile assets. We equip businesses with advanced data tools for location tracking, fuel monitoring, reporting, safety, and compliance—all through one powerful, user-friendly platform—to optimize efficiency, lower operating costs, and increase profit margins.
As senior director of product management and UX, I lead all aspects of our product management and UX across our global platform for our software, hardware, and vertical solutions.
MWS: AS OF LAST MONTH, ALL FLEETS THAT TRACK HOURS OF SERVICE SHOULD INCLUDE ELDS. HOW DO YOU THINK THIS WILL AFFECT FLEETS IN 2020?
NAIR:
While telematics adoption is at an all-time high, our 2019 Telematics Benchmark report found most fleets only scratch the surface of the software’s potential and functionality. With the final ELD deadline behind us, industry stakeholders—fleet managers, dispatchers, and drivers—will become more comfortable with GPS tracking technology with rising adoption.
With telematics becoming more common, data sources and volumes will continue to rapidly expand. Data is the key to digital transformation, and companies will have large amounts of data available at their fingertips. However, they won’t have the time or capacity to sort through pages of data, and how many fleets have a data analyst who can make sense of data trends? It’s the data from fleet management software that will help companies optimize operations and improve efficiency. Fleets not taking advantage of this technology to collect and expose their business’ data will find themselves trailing behind those using that same data to gain a competitive edge. With tightening margins, fleets must do more with less. Data can provide valuable insight, and without it, could cause companies to lose out on containing costs or improving efficiency.
MWS: THERE IS A PLETHORA OF BENEFITS OF ELDS, YET SOME FLEETS ONLY USE THEM TO TRACK HOURS OF SERVICE. WHAT ELSE DO ELDS OFFER FLEETS?
NAIR:
While basic, ELD-only systems track Hours of Service and ensure compliance, a fully comprehensive ELD system offers much more functionality. GPS systems can be used to monitor metrics such as aggressive starts, speeding, harsh braking and cornering, fuel consumption, and accidents or crashes—which can be used to improve safety and driver behavior, improve customer service, and create a positive driver experience. Telematics systems with integrated dash cameras also offer additional functionality and benefits via data and video footage that help provide evidence of good driving for fleet managers to give bonuses and evidence of poor driving to be used to coach drivers.
According to our same report, the average company only uses three of 12 listed telematics features. We’re actively working to educate clients on telematics use cases well beyond asset tracking, like using data to improve driver safety. But we recommend any fleet or safety manager work closely with their provider to determine which metrics to monitor based on their individual needs to personalize outcomes.
MWS: WHAT CAN TELETRAC NAVMAN OFFER FOR FLEETS THAT HAVE YET TO SWITCH TO ELDS?
NAIR:
Everyone should already be compliant according to the December 2019 law, but for those who haven’t switched yet or are interested in looking at another provider, Teletrac Navman can offer fleets a fully integrated fleet management platform. We have more than 25 years of experience bringing intelligence into driving and providing companies with a comprehensive, 360-degree view into all their vehicles and assets.
But more than that, we aim to be a true partner for fleets navigating the world of telematics. Our customer success department offers elevated assistance and consultative services to help our customers meet specific, customized needs to optimize their telematics ROI. Our team can also help evaluate how a fleet is using telematics and suggest new features or helpful integrations to maximize output.
Our customer support team is bilingual and takes calls 24/7. Fleets run all hours of the day, so we want to be available to drivers any time they are on the road. We have specific support lines for both drivers and administrative staff so our tech support teams are poised to fix the issues these two very different fleet components may experience.
Finally, we understand that transitioning from one software to another across an entire fleet can be painful. To help with the often-overwhelming transition, we offer special pricing to businesses looking to swap out a different ELD for ours to improve their compliance efforts. Teletrac Navman DIRECTOR ELD is a fully comprehensive fleet management system that can help businesses increase profits that may get lost with stricter enforcement of Hours of Service.
MWS: WHAT SAFETY BENEFITS DO FLEET MANAGERS REALIZE WITH TELETRAC NAVMAN?
NAIR:
One of the biggest benefits of Teletrac Navman DIRECTOR® is improved safety. Telematics makes it easier and more actionable to examine driver safety and behavior data in real time at both the individual level and across the entire fleet. Our Safety Analytics solution with an integrated dashboard camera makes it easier to identify outliers or larger, systemic driving patterns that may require additional training or driver education.
We also offer a Driver Scorecard to help fleets record and benchmark driver behavior in real time. The feature assigns a score based on performance and uses data to create custom safety improvement plans for each driver to allow for specific coaching and training. And it’s effective: 31% of respondents cited improved driver behavior and 20% said improved driver safety as a top benefit of using telematics. Additionally, 42% reported fewer safety incidents since adopting telematics.
We often see customers implement a rewards program using the Safety Analytics solution and Driver Scorecard to measure safety goals, reinforce coaching, and motivate safe driving. Exemplary performance is rewarded with monetary incentives, gift certificates, and other types of prizes. This type of program further demonstrates that a company values its drivers, retaining qualified talent in a tough driver market.
MWS: WHAT BENEFITS DO DRIVERS REALIZE WITH TELETRAC NAVMAN?
NAIR:
It’s not just fleet or safety managers who want to create a safe environment. Drivers want to know they work in a safe environment as well, where their contributions are noticed by managers and leadership also care about developing a safe place to work. We’ve seen fleets who implement our DIRECTOR platform and Safety Analytics module use the data to reward positive behavior and encourage safe driving habits. These types of incentive programs show drivers that the company is focused on safety and rewards those actively participating in this behavior. This can improve employee retention, keeping drivers engaged and happy.
MWS: ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS?
NAIR:
It’s important to note that putting ELDs in vehicles doesn’t offer a silver bullet solution. There’s a big difference between being a tech-compliant organization and a tech-driven one. The key to making fleets work smarter, not harder, is effectively using data to inform business decisions. Simply adopting technology won’t lead to the required results. Instead, fleet managers and other leadership must adopt a data-driven approach to all decision-making in order to digitally transform their business.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Sid Nair is the senior director of product management and UX at Teletrac Navman. Find out more about Teletrac Navman, visit www.teletracnavman.com.
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MODERN WORKTRUCK SOLUTIONS:
JANUARY 2020 ISSUE
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