The 5 Types of Technology Deployed By Successful Fleets

With fleet technology advancing at a rapid rate, fleet operators are better equipped than ever before when it comes to successfully managing their vehicles and drivers. There are now a diverse array of tools available, and with the right systems in place, businesses can confidently optimise their fleet operations, increase productivity, and improve road safety, whilst also saving money and enhancing the driver experience.

To ensure you’re setting your fleet up for success, here’s a look at the 5 key technologies that will help you shape your fleet management practices and keep performance levels high:

1. Telematics

Telematics systems have long been an essential management tool for fleets, and with good reason. A combination of telecoms and informatics, this technology can be used to monitor and collect data on a wide range of journey details – including vehicle speed, location, fuel and energy consumption, engine idling, and plenty more besides.

Telematics solutions work through a combination of hardware and software – telematics devices are installed in the vehicle, typically through the OBD port, as the Lightfoot device is. The device, or black box, then reports data into the telematics software, which fleet managers can use to gain valuable insights into how their fleet is operating. By analysing the information recorded by fleet telematics, businesses are able to make informed decisions that can improve areas such as road safety, productivity, compliance, and sustainability.

Telematics data can also prove key for managing fleet insurance, with many insurers using the data to form a more accurate risk profile of your vehicles and drivers, and some offering discounts or incentives to fleets who opt for in-cab telematics.

2. Fleet management software

Similar to telematics technology is the fleet management system, a cornerstone of any successful fleet. Offering more advanced functionality than standalone telematics software, an integrated fleet management solution like the Lightfoot Portal will include all of the standard telematics features – such as GPS vehicle tracking and fuel/range monitoring – alongside additional elements including geofencing and safety alerts, e.g. FNOL.  

Another key area of focus for fleet management software is vehicle maintenance – an effective solution will allow you to track parameters such as vehicle health, tyre pressure, and how long until the next service is due. The system should also issue reminders regarding MOTs, tax, and other essential vehicle compliance requirements, ensuring you keep your fleet in peak condition.

The most beneficial fleet management solutions will allow you to consolidate all your fleet data in a single platform by pulling information in from additional fleet technologies through integration or API functionality. This can help to boost productivity, reduce time spent on admin, and improve response times, helping you to make faster and better-informed decisions in all areas of your fleet operations.

3. Driver coaching

A real-time driver coaching tool could be the missing piece of the puzzle for your fleet when it comes to improving driver performance and increasing employee engagement.

Driver coaching and rewards technology is not a standard fleet solution – instead, this technology takes traditional telematics and flips it on its head to provide drivers with greater autonomy and a clear insight into their own performance behind the wheel. Rather than simply monitoring and recording driver behaviour via the in-cab device, a real-time coaching system can help drivers develop safer and more efficient driving habits as they travel.

For example, the Lightfoot driver coaching device works by issuing audio and visual cues to guide drivers towards peak engine efficiency. The lightbar on the device employs a traffic light system, going from green to amber to red as drivers move away from the recommended driving style, whilst verbal alerts remind them to ease up and drive in a more considerate manner. Over time, drivers learn to accelerate more gently, brake less harshly, corner less sharply, and avoid dangerous speeding, resulting in a steadier overall driving style that sees fuel consumption reduce, carbon emissions drop, and collision rates go down.

The in-cab technology is twinned with a dedicated mobile app, which drivers can use to keep track of their journey scores, enter competitions and league tables, and win prizes when they reach the weekly target score of 85%. This helps to keep engagement levels high and ensures that performance improvements remain consistent.

4. Dashcams

Video telematics technology is another crucial tool for successful fleets. There are a variety of dashcam options available to businesses, with front and rear facing cameras helping to shine a light on driver performance, as well as protecting fleets from fraudulent insurance claims. In addition, driver-facing dashcams can be installed which monitor in-cab behaviours and alert the driver to any instances of dangerous or distracted driving – e.g. eating and drinking, using a mobile phone, or not wearing a seatbelt.

In this way, fleet camera systems serve as essential road safety hardware, allowing fleet managers to have eyes on their drivers without needing to be physically present. Not only can an intelligent AI-powered dashcam like Lightfoot Vision help to create safer driving habits by raising awareness of risky in-cab behaviours, but by combining the powerful technologies of computer vision and machine learning, the most advanced fleet dashcams can also help managers better fulfil their duty of care requirements. By automatically assessing dashcam footage and detecting incidents that require attention, these systems can ensure that less management time is spent reviewing recordings and more time is spent actively prioritising driver welfare and providing support where needed.

5. Asset trackers

Last but not least, the fifth type of essential kit deployed in high-performing fleets is asset tracking technology.

Enabling you to manage and monitor your entire fleet – not just your vehicles but everything from high-value machinery to portable equipment too – asset trackers serve an important function within fleet operations. These devices can be installed into both powered and non-powered assets in order to deliver better insights into location, usage, and availability, helping to streamline the day to day running of a busy fleet.

Fleet tracking systems such as Lightfoot Locate can also help to protect valuable assets from theft and loss, with the ability to track equipment to its exact location allowing for fast recovery if it goes missing.

–

By leveraging the right technology, your fleet has the potential to unlock new insights, make better decisions, overcome typical industry challenges, and achieve its goals.

For an all-in-one solution that offers you the ability to make use of advanced telematics data whilst managing your fleet from one integrated platform, training drivers in real time, improving fleet safety with cutting-edge AI camera technology, and tracking your assets, look no further than Lightfoot.

Our award-winning system can help your fleet succeed in several key areas. Lightfoot is proven to lower fuel consumption and carbon emissions by up to 15%, cut 84% of dangerous driving behaviours, reduce collision rates by as much as 40%, mitigate 45% of typical vehicle wear and tear, and increase EV range by up to 17%.

To find out more, get in touch with our expert team or book a free trial of our technology.