It’s well known in the logistics industry that telematics is a necessity to have in trucks. Having telematics in trucks has offered immeasurable benefits since first introduced in the 1970s; however, there are a few areas where telematics has fallen short. In recent years, logistics companies have noticed these gaps left open and have started to search for a new technology to fill in those gaps. Let’s take a look at what some of those gaps are and the solution that fills them in.
What is Telematics?
Odds are, if you’re reading this blog you already know what telematics is, but just in case you don’t, let’s briefly break it down. A simple way to sum up telematics is as a bluetooth plan of a vehicle. Telematics provides a line of communication between a truck and the company sending the truck on its routes. The main reason why it’s required in this industry is safety, but it also offers benefits beyond that. Since telematics provides location information about the truck, companies can use this information to determine efficiency levels and make improvements based on the data provided. You’re probably thinking to yourself, “this sounds like the perfect system; where are the gaps?” Well, I’m glad you asked.
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- Loss Prevention. Reduce the amount of loss that occurs during the supply chain process
- Location Coverage. AirFinder Everywhere uses a combination of GPS, Cellular, and WiFi to determine location everywhere
- Security Alerts. Know when a delay in shipment has occurred so the problem
can be addressed immediately.
What Gaps Does Telematics Leave?
The main issue with telematics is the fact that it’s a powered solution. In order for the telematics system to work, it needs to be connected to a power source. Relying on power is a problem because for most of a truck’s lifespan, it’s powered off. If a truck is off, you only know its last known location. What’s worse is that you lack insight into the location of your trailer, which is carrying the goods that make you money. If your truck is powered off for 12 hours, anything can happen. Your trailer can be broken into or even stolen. When the truck is disconnected from power, you don’t have any visibility of its location leading to wasted time spent searching for it or spending a massive amount of money to replace it.
How to Enhance Your Telematics System
Even with these shortcomings, it wouldn’t be wise to get rid of your telematics system for a few reasons. The most apparent reason being it is a compliance requirement to have one. You also have already invested a lot of money into your existing system so throwing it away would be a waste of money. Since you receive valuable benefits from the system, the best choice for you would be to make it better instead of replacing it entirely. How? With asset tracking technology. An asset tracking solution fills in the gaps of fleet telematics because the system doesn’t rely on power to operate.
What is an Asset Tracking Solution?
An asset tracking system provides real-time location tracking of assets indoors and on the road. Our solution, AirFinder Everywhere, tracks what’s most important to you, no matter the circumstances, location, or environment. When your truck is powered off for the night, you don’t lose sight of it until it’s turned back on, you have visibility all night long. Even more, you gain visibility of your non-powered assets. You can put a tracking tag on each individual pallet on the truck and, or on the trailer itself. Whatever item you want visibility of, you can have it at all times. If you walk outside to your lot and see a missing trailer, you don’t have to waste valuable time searching for it and glancing through budgets to look at the financial damage. You simply log into the UI system and look for its location so you can retrieve it quickly. Or, to avoid the surprise of a missing trailer altogether, you can set up geozones around your facility so you can be alerted when a trailer leaves the zone, letting you address the situation immediately.
Our solution also gives you valuable data and reporting on the usage of your assets. You can find out which trucks are being used and which ones are remaining idle. You might think you need to purchase additional trucks but find out you have some sitting idle more than planned for.
What are Your Next Steps?
Telematics is a valuable technology solution that has provided many benefits to logistics companies over the years, but at times, this solution is falling short. The best way to optimize your logistics operations is to combine your telematics solution with an asset tracking system. Book a demo with our team to learn more about our solution and how combining it with your existing telematics system can lead your company toward success.
