With the right tools and processes in place, the data that fleet tracking solutions produce can have a significant impact on your businesses efficiency and profitability.

When implemented and maintained correctly, telematics can help any company with a commercial fleet save time and money. In this article, I will outline a few tactics that your business can use to simplify back-office tasks, reduce running costs and improve operational productivity.

Focus on driving behaviour

It is a well-known fact that smooth and steady driving costs a company far less in fuel, insurance and maintenance than reckless behaviour behind the wheel. However, what you might not know is that a few telematics devices, such as Masternaut’s in-cab coach, can improve driver behaviour without the need for resource-intensive, managerial control.

Masternaut in cab coach

Masternaut’s in-cab coach is a small, dashboard-mounted device that alerts drivers about reckless manoeuvres such as harsh acceleration, braking or cornering. Instant auditory and visual feedback enables drivers to self-correct negative habits, improving personal performance and general road safety. The data produced by the telematics device that it is paired with, can also help managers identify training requirements and reward staff for best practise. A recent study about the impact of in-cab feedback on driving behaviour, actually proved that in-cab coaching not only improves driver safety, but also reduces carbon emissions and fuel costs, too.

Having implemented Masternaut’s solutions across their 900-strong vehicle fleet, Andrew Page has seen a 97% reduction in speeding incidents and over 98% of their drivers are now considered to be very low-risk. Road accidents involving Andrew Page vehicles are at an all-time low and this number is continuously falling, minimising risk to themselves and other road users.  The vast improvements seen across the entire fleet has also increased the company’s average MPG, raising it from 48 to 52.5, thus saving the company a significant amount on fuel costs.

Automate manual tasks

How much time do your staff spend filling out mileage claims manually, calculating time spent on site, or processing driver timesheets? If the answer to any of these is ‘far too much’, then consider using a telematics system to automate all of these tasks, instead. You will use far less paper and guarantee accurate documentation, as well as saving a significant amount of time on admin and money on unwarranted expenses.

After employing Masternaut’s telematics solutions, Premier Waste, one of the UK’s largest independent waste management companies, has successfully eradicated a significant amount of paper-based documentation and is using fleet data to invoice customers immediately.

Measure fuel economy and reduce spend

Vehicle idling and unnecessary speeding are two of the main reasons for excessive fuel consumption. However, with accurate analysis of telematics data, GRAHAM Construction were able to reduce their fuel costs by 11% in only four months. The business credits 6% of this saving to limiting idling times and using more efficient routes. The remaining 5% is believed to be a result of improved driving technique following the driver’s response to in-cab coaching and data driven training plans.

In addition, digital reports have replaced the company’s previous manual process of recording shift times and mileage, providing the company with a more reliable and efficient reporting solution, thus reducing admin time and expenses.

About Masternaut:

Masternaut is a leading provider of telematics systems in the UK and France, having helped over 10,000 customers across Europe to work smarter. Their innovative solutions to fleet management allow businesses to define and achieve their goals to be safer, save money, improve service, go greener and many more.