What is fleet monitoring?

The meaning of Fleet monitoring is a complete monitoring of vehicles and their drivers in real time .

In addition to identifying possible difficulties for employees, it also helps to find the best routes, reducing expenses and even accidents .

When we talk about fleet monitoring via satellite , there is the implementation of technologies beyond GPS, involving solutions to assess the behavior of employees , passengers and cargo.

Some of them are described below, however, they do not need to be present to set up a monitoring system:

• vehicular cameras that can be placed inside or outside the vehicles;
• recorders to monitor events and alarms;
• software to manage all the information, normally associated with artificial intelligence.

These and other sensors are widely used to manage information such as fatigue detection, collision risk analysis and other information that is brought to the fleet manager .

From there, it is possible to make informed decisions to improve the company’s performance and the well-being of employees .

We’ll go deeper into the motivations for having a vehicle monitoring system in the next topic.

But first, enjoy that you are here and listen to our episode of Tangerino Talks about tools for remote teams!

Purpose of fleet monitoring

One of the first reasons that comes to mind why fleet monitoring is essential for your business is security .

And no wonder, in 2020 over 63,000 accidents were registered on federal highways and, despite a decreasing trend, it demonstrates a need for greater investments to avoid loss of goods or even lives.

Despite this daunting number, there are other goals that the manager tries to achieve when implementing a solution like this.

1-Process optimization

One of the greatest challenges for fleet managers is to optimize each freight as much as possible, balancing costs and expenses.

Based on data collected on traffic performance and even employee posture, it is possible to identify points of improvement in processes and even specific training to align conduct with the company’s organizational culture.

With the data offered by the monitoring system, it is possible to look for ways to shorten the lead time.

Despite this perspective, to achieve this goal, it is important to provide the necessary monitoring tools, generating information quickly and practically.

We believe that time management is one of the keywords that best describe the need for a modern system.

2-Assistance in decision making

Data is the oil of the 21st century. This is a statement that runs through many article titles, but what exactly does it mean?

Businesses in various niches need to create, process and use data for decision making. It is the only way to make a process really informed and, to some extent, predict the results generated .

Data such as fuel consumption history , number of accidents , driver performance, failures and hits detected can make a big difference in management.

In this way, it is possible to use this data in strategic planning so that the company continues to grow.

3-Increased profitability

With process optimization and data-driven strategic planning, there is only one possible future: increased profitability.

This happens not only due to cost reduction, but also due to the innovative organizational culture that is nurtured in highly technological environments and that rely on data for decision-making.

Thus, having a fleet management and tracking system allows the necessary information to be collected to support decision making.

4-Driver’s working day view

As they do not work directly at the company, the HR sector and the transport company’s management have great difficulties in monitoring and understanding the driver’s working hours in detail.

Thus, being able to monitor employee behavior is an important source of data to generate actions that really have a positive impact on their experience with the company .

It also helps to identify individuals who do not have an adequate organizational fit with the company , helping to seek professionals with the hard and soft skills needed for the position.

We’ll talk more about this in the following topics.

5-Improving service and attracting customers

Offering excellent services is the biggest differential when customers are comparing the solutions available on the market.

Thus, he can search for answers to his questions autonomously and quickly.

Thus, offering fleet monitoring brings a greater forecast and a sense of security to the customer , being a great way to bypass objections during a sale.

Furthermore, it is the data source that the business needs to find bottlenecks and innovation opportunities, differentiating itself from the competition.

6-Accidents prevention

The fact of analyzing the events that happen on a route, makes it possible to trace less dangerous routes , improving quality of life for drivers and lower risks for the cargo.

Thus, data on where , when and why an accident happened, allows for the planning of safer routes.

It is also important to consider road conditions, numbers of robberies and other external factors in this analysis.

7-Other reasons

There are numerous benefits to having a fleet monitoring system, however, they depend a lot on the way the system is applied and the specific objectives of the company.

Other advantages are:

• control and optimization of fuel consumption ;
• increased overall company productivity ;
• control of opening doors and unforeseen events;
• more efficient fleet management.

What types of fleet monitoring are there?

Fleet monitoring can come in many ways . After all, it’s necessary to be versatile to suit different vehicles and market sectors.

Below, the main types of monitoring are described. See how to generate useful data for decision making in your company.

1-maintenance control

Preventive maintenance is a necessary procedure to ensure road safety.

However, it is possible to carry out this process intelligently , generating long-term savings for the company.

Are there safe ways to avoid so much maintenance? The longest way or the bumpy road? These are decisions that can be taken thanks to fleet monitoring.

2-Fuel and Tire Control

Did you know that tire misuse can increase fuel consumption by up to 50%?

Keeping track of fuel usage, kilometers driven and tire types can help the company save a lot of money in the long run.

3-real-time monitoring

Knowing where each fleet unit is in real time is a great way to ensure that everything is going as planned.

This type of monitoring is ideal for managers who want to know which routes are covered , the distances and even respect for traffic rules.

Thus, it is possible to optimize the routes and resources used by the fleet individually.

What is the difference between tracking and monitoring fleets?

It is very easy to confuse the concept of fleet monitoring and tracking . However, the first is something much more complete .

Monitoring follows the path taken by the driver in real time , observing his choices during the trip, as well as collecting other data for analysis, such as filming, door opening, vehicle speed, etc.

Companies use monitoring to gather the data needed to drive the change they need to grow healthily.

Already tracking has the sole purpose of assessing the routes and optimize them , reducing travel time and consequently less costly for the company.

Thus, the first is closely related to the generation of intelligence for the company to use, mainly in decision-making.

How about getting to know more about offline time attendance? In this episode of Me Explain There, we talk more about! 

Monitoring fleets and driver’s working hours

There is no way to talk about the driver’s working hours control without talking about the Driver’s Law (No. 13.102/2015) .

It provides for the exercise of this profession, highlighting the following information:

• the working day of drivers is eight hours a day, limited to four hours of overtime (if there is no collective agreement, it is a maximum of two);
• the driver can drive for up to five consecutive hours before taking at least 30 minutes of break;
• waiting times for loading or unloading longer than two uninterrupted hours count as rest;
• drivers have insurance in the event of death or disability resulting from an accident while at work;
• it is mandatory to control the driver’s journey .

However, companies in the field have faced a major challenge: controlling the working hours of professionals who are never in the same place .

In a more archaic way, this control can be done through manual control , using tokens.

Despite this, because they are easily defrauded or lost, intelligent time control solutions ended up becoming popular in the field.

To carry out this control, it is important to make clear what must be considered in this journey:

• working time: period of travel, picking up or delivering cargo;
• overtime : which must be a maximum of two hours or four if there are agreements;
• downtime: loading, unloading or inspections are not deducted and are worth 30% of the hourly payment.