At a time when the South African logistics industry is struggling with rising fuel costs, economic pressures, and disruptive technological advances, fleets cannot afford to fall behind with the latest fleet management trends. If they do, they may find themselves struggling to compete in a sector that is quickly evolving.
Five Fleet Management Trends Shaping South African Fleets Today
With that said, fleets need to keep a close eye on the following five fleet management trends to stay competitive:
1. Telematics and Fleet Data
The shift to the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the rise of its related technology have helped forge a new future for the logistics industry. Whether you’re operating a fleet of 5 or 10 vehicles, logistics businesses now need telematics aid to cut expenses and drive efficiency and productivity in their fleets. With the ability to produce and simplify Big Data, fleets are now able to gain insights into their vehicle activities. This has enabled fleet managers to identify and take action on important issues in their fleets.
Read more on how to manage your fleet in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
2. New Technology with Accident-prevention Features
Parking lots pose many hazards, especially when reversing from a parking spot. According to PHH Arval’s research, parking lot crashes are the most prevalent cause of harm to fleets. Moreover, the latest study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) demonstrates that 20% of all car crashes occur in parking lots. By leveraging Geotab’s fleet management system, fleets can reduce the risk of their drivers being engaged in a parking lot accident. Equipped with technology capable of detecting in-reverse vehicle movement, your drivers will not blindly reverse into oncoming traffic.
3. Using Dashboard Cameras to Monitor Distracted Driving
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 3,400 car accident fatalities in 2016 were caused by distracted driving. The major distraction was cell phone use followed by eating and drinking, private grooming, watching videos, and talking to passengers. One way businesses can combat distracted driving is by using Geotab’s integration with Autocam AC-300. In addition to allowing fleet managers to gain insight into poor driving practices, the integration helps fleet managers access video footage to identify risky driving behaviours that cannot be captured by telematics.
4. Integrating with Other Systems and Applications
With the growing customer requirements, it has become almost impossible to run a fleet with telematics alone. But thanks to innovation in IoT technology, the integration of telematics with other platforms has become a real thing. This not only expands the use and efficiency of telematics but also enables fleets to improve data quality and achieve a deeper understanding of the fleet’s behaviour and needs.
5. Data Protection
In terms of vulnerability to global cybersecurity attacks, South Africa ranks sixth on the list of most-targeted nations for cyber attacks. This is according to the global Cyber Exposure Index, which also discovered that the exposed companies scored 300 + on the Exposure Index. Geotab’s GO7 device utilizes military-grade encryption to offer its clients complete authority and control over their data.
Author: The Geotab Africa Team
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