When a company decides to start the journey of selecting and implementing a telematics solution, there are usually two key aims behind this decision; firstly, to improve safety and minimize incidents, and secondly to lower costs and save money by creating efficiencies within the organization.
There’s no doubt technology has changed the way we live, disrupting everything from how we dine and shop to how we work and travel. While most industries have been forced to adapt, some have managed to continue on with business as usual while technology alters everything around them.
Drivers and personnel who have access to fuel can be tempted to steal it, causing an acute problem for organisations both large and small. The inability to monitor your fuel and prevent theft can lead to significant financial loss.
Around the globe, roads and highways can be a dangerous place, and the UAE is no exception. There were 675 deaths on the road in 2015, and this figure increased in 2016 to 725.
Recognising a need to improve safety standards on its roads, the UAE government has chosen to promote road safety and is committed to the reduction of traffic accidents and deaths, drawing inspiration from a decade-long global plan developed by the UN Road Safety Collaboration of World Health Organization.
Online shopping has altered consumer and business expectations around standard delivery times. As a result, Carriers face increased demands to transport goods faster and more reliably to complete more deliveries than ever before.
This, coupled with issues like driver shortages, fuel increases and roadworks or accidents causing diversions on our roads, creates an almost impossible situation for fleet operators. They must do more with less; more deliveries and miles with fewer drivers and trucks. At the same time, they must also battle the need to cut costs, comply with a host of regulations and face a range of daily hurdles that could prevent goods reaching their destination.
Poorly maintained temperature control can lead to food and other perishable cargo being wasted in the supply chain, and as such, it is key for transportation companies operating in the UAE, where temperatures regularly exceed 40 degrees
In recent weeks, the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (ESMA) revealed that it intends to enforce the compulsory installation of digital tyre monitoring technology in the region, with the new rule expected to go live as soon as Q4 2017.
In 2016, a lorry driver was jailed for 10 years in the UK, for killing a woman and three children. His vehicle ploughed into their stationary car while he was scrolling through music on his mobile phone. The victims died instantly on impact; the vehicle hit them at 50mph and they were shunted under another heavy goods vehicle, crushing the car to a third of its size.
On passing sentence, the judge Maura McGowan, said his attention had been so poor that he "might as well have had his eyes closed".
All of us depend on technology, some more than others. If you’re a trucking professional — whether an independent operator or a fleet manager — the technology you use every day, including GPS fleet tracking, supports both your life and your livelihood. So you’re well aware that a schedule of preventative maintenance not only keeps everything going, it helps hinder costs and other issues from getting out of hand.
Whether you own a trucking business or run one, there are some alphabetic combinations that are top of mind — for example, ROI, EBIDTA and P/L. You’re on the lookout for ways to make positive cash flow more positive. In that light, adding GPS fleet tracking to your vehicles can be a powerful tool.
