In this article for Field Service News, Sami Eric, UK Country Manager at Vimcar, discusses the benefits of digitalisation in fleet management.

With businesses looking to increase their fleets in the wake the Coronavirus pandemic, the pressure is on to efficiently and successfully keep track of any new vehicles added to growing fleets. In a recent survey by Vimcar, a quarter (24%) of fleet managers said they spend half their working day on spreadsheets, with almost half of fleet managers finding spreadsheet set up too time consuming and 37% say it leaves room for mistakes. What’s more, there are still some who have not made the switch to digital spreadsheets, as 10% of those surveyed are still using pen and paper to keep tabs on vehicles, drivers, regulations and more.

Those fleet managers using spreadsheets or pen and paper to track costs, etc. are clearly not utilising their data to analyse the efficiency of their fleets. Yet, according to thousands of key decision makers in a recent survey, 75% believe that ‘data plays an important role in underpinning business decision making’.

With the challenges facing business growth, including economic uncertainty, Brexit, driver shortages, changes in road regulations and emission charges, there is a need for fleet managers to utilise data effectively in order to keep track of the numerus changes unfolding and make key business decisions. Efficiency and accuracy are crucial, and without it, problems arise. But the benefits of streamlining fleet management processes will go beyond efficiency and time saving.

WHY FLEET MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE IS SO IMPORTANT

Fleet management software is a broad term that describes the work required to keep fleet vehicles safe and operational at all times. Unexpected vehicle breakdowns, unplanned trips and hefty fines for expired vehicle documentation are all common fleet management issues that can be solved with more efficient ways of fleet tracking, which is often part of fleet management software. Modern tools that draw on data analysis gives a more in-depth knowledge of how a fleet is running and makes it easier to spot any potential issues ahead of time. Businesses that are still using paper logs to track their fleet are at a much larger disadvantage and run the risk of overlooking vehicle document renewal deadlines, misplacing mileage logs and more.

With the current issues around HGV driver shortages, fleet management is proving to be even more vital for companies keeping up with increased customer demands. As a temporary solution to the driver shortage, the government relaxed the HGV driver’s hours rules, meaning drivers can increase their daily driving limit from 9 hours to 11 hours twice a week. However, it’s up to each company to ensure drivers are properly tracking and sticking to their hours.

The problem is that many companies lack proper oversight of their drivers’ movements, and few can afford steep fines from incompliance. Plus, when you don’t monitor drivers, resources inevitably get wasted. And during a driver shortage, efficiency is essential.

THE DIGITAL SWITCH AND ITS BENEFITS

SMEs that have not yet digitalised their fleet are at a significant disadvantage compared to those who have. Without fleet management software, it’s impossible to tell where each driver is and whether they’re running on time or within the desired driving hours. That also means customers can’t be provided with accurate ETAs, nor can they be given concrete proof of delivery or pickup.

Without this digital software, fleet managers have to monitor driving hours with manually-filled mileage logs, which take longer to go through and are easily misplaced. With fleet management software, users are able to optimisie drivers’ routes, which not only reduces travel time, but also helps to decrease fuel expenses and optimise driving behaviour.

Vimcar’s survey found that 1 in 3 SMEs digitalised their fleet during the Covid pandemic. Of those, 94% agreed that adopting more technology has directly benefited their business by making services more efficient, improving the customer experience and it making employees’ lives easier.

As the pressure grows for business of all sizes to continue to build back, whilst maximising efficiency and satisfying customers’ demands for deliveries, using data to provide insights and analysis on how fleets are performing is key. With clarity comes efficiency, but also helps to relieve the stress from fleet managers and drivers, when a fleet is well managed and under control.

TIPS AND TACTICS TO SUPPORT THE SWITCH FROM EXCEL TO A FLEET ADMIN TOOL

• Tracking vehicle hours: If you know how long a vehicle is booked for, you know how long it will be driven for and which driver you need to follow up with if they do not drive the hours specified.
• Fuel consumption: Ensure your fleet management software supports the fuel card you use. This makes it much easier to keep track of fuel costs, which are undoubtedly one of the biggest expenditures for a fleet.
• Take time upfront to input important dates and tasks: Regular tasks and deadlines such as contract expirations or MOTs can quickly creep up when they are not properly managed. By taking the time at the start to input this data will not only save a lot of time in the long run but will ensure you never miss an important deadline.
• Get the guidance you need: Make sure your fleet software provider takes the time to walk you through the software – either in person or remotely. This will give you a good understanding of how each aspect of the software works and will allow you to make the most of all of its functionality. At the very least, be sure your provider has a high level of customer service so if you do have any questions you can get through to someone easily.
• Automated workflows: Where possible, set up automated workflows to help save time, allow real-time improvements to your fleet and give you reduce running costs.
  

Further Reading:

• Read more about Managing the Mobile Workforce @ www.fieldservicenews.com/managing-the-mobile-workforce
• Read more about Fleet Management on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/fleet-management
• Learn more about Vimcar @ vimcar.co.uk
• Connect with Sami Eric on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/in/sami-eric
• Follow Vimcar on Twitter @ twitter.com/goVimcar

Survey finds ecommerce SMEs are investing in their own delivery drivers amidst ongoing driver shortages, supply chain issues and Covid restrictionsUK ecommerce businesses are taking delivery into their own hands, according to new research released by Vimcar. In a survey of 100 small and medium sized UK ecommerce retailers, almost all have experienced an increase in online orders since March 2020, and two thirds (64%) of online retailers have had to invest in their own delivery fleet to meet customer demand.

97% OF SMALL ECOMMERCE BUSINESSES HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE IN ORDERS FOR DELIVERY SINCE MARCH 2020 AND OVER TWO THIRDS NOW DELIVER GOODS USING THEIR OWN FLEET

Undertaken by Vimcar, the fleet management software for SMEs, the survey comes at a time when ecommerce retailers are grappling with the impact of delivery driver shortages, Brexit uncertainty, supply chain issues and Covid restrictions.

Increased customer demand over the past 18 months has led the majority of respondents to hire their own staff to fulfil orders rather than outsourcing delivery, with over a fifth of the ecommerce businesses surveyed hiring between 5 and 10 new fleet drivers. Having taken delivery into their own hands, 80% of ecommerce SMEs are positive about the next 12 months, despite ongoing economic issues.

Taking delivery in-house has been a successful move for many but the research also exposes the additional strain this has placed upon SME ecommerce businesses. Three quarters of respondents said that expanding their delivery fleet had made admin more difficult to manage, highlighting a need for ecommerce businesses to simplify the management of rapidly growing fleets.

Ronald Clancy, UK Country Manager at Vimcar said: “It is promising to see that business is thriving for ecommerce retailers despite an extremely turbulent 18 months. There remain many wider economic challenges for small businesses to overcome and what this research shows is that many ecommerce SMEs are having to rapidly adapt their business models in order to remain agile and continue to meet customer demand.”

Over a third of survey respondents expect demand in delivery to increase further, reflecting wider industry reports on increasing delivery volumes in the lead up to the peak Christmas season.

Clancy added: “Efficient fleet management will be crucial to the ongoing success of small and medium sized retailers as poorly managed fleets and drivers can quickly drain a business’ costs and resources. Simplifying fleet management is therefore vital to any ecommerce retailer wanting to maximise the investment they’ve made into delivery services.”

Further Reading:

• Read more about Managing the Mobile Workforce @ www.fieldservicenews.com/managing-the-mobile-workforce
• Read more about Fleet Management @ www.fieldservicenews.com/fleet-management
• Learn more about Vimcar @ vimcar.co.uk
• Find our more about Aircargo Transport @ www.aircargo-transport.eu
• Follow Vimcar on Twitter @ twitter.com/goVimcar

Vimcar, the fleet management software for small- and medium-sized businesses, has been working with international transport service provider Aircargo Transport to optimise its fleets’ route and track its vehicles – enabling the identification and tracking of a stolen vehicle in real time, resulting in minimal cost implications.Aircargo Transport is an international transport service provider, responsible for the efficient movement of air cargo and special ‘high value shipments’ via a 13-strong fleet of specially designed trucks.

Aircargo Transport initially installed Vimcar’s Fleet Geo to help optimise their fleet’s routes. With a strong focus on improving customer experience, the SaaS plug-and-play solution allowed Aircargo Transport to provide critical, real-time information on the whereabouts of their vehicles and location. Using this information, the team are then able to provide their customers with arrival times, down to the minute – even notifying the organisation when a vehicle had been stolen.

VIMCAR'S FLEET GEO ALLOWS AIRCARGO TRANSPORT TO OPTIMISE ITS FLEET' ROUTES AND TRACK ITS VEHICLES IN REAL TIME.

Sven Kirchner, Managing Director, Aircargo Transport says: “A notification came through to my mobile saying a truck was on the move. After speaking to the driver of the truck, we quickly realised it had been stolen. After a quick call to the police, they were able to track and secure the vehicle using Vimcar’s live tracking functionality before too much damage was done.”

“The truck had only travelled a small distance, but we would never have been able to find it had we not had the Fleet Geo software installed.” Kirchner says.

Ronald Clancy, UK Country Manager, Vimcar comments: “This is another great example of how businesses can benefit from Vimcar’s easy-to-use solution. As we found in autumn of last year, vehicle misuse threatens to add further economic strain to SMEs in the UK, with vehicle theft costing UK businesses more than £16,000 per year. For those looking into a telematic system, a GPS fleet management system that includes features such as live tracking, geofencing and data exportation would be the best way to curve vehicle theft and misuse.” 

Kircher continues: “Our aim is to provide our customers with critical, real-time information about the location of their goods, 24-hours a day. Punctuality is the top priority for us, no plane will wait for our trucks’ cargo. Vimcar’s solution has supported us hugely in optimising our fleets routes and making sure we are arriving on time, every time.”

Founded in Berlin in 2013, Vimcar is the leading provider of fleet telematics solutions to SMEs in its home country of Germany and introduced its Fleet Geo product to the UK market last summer. Vimcar’s SaaS telematics solutions cover all aspects of fleet management, including cost and document management, outlier analysis, CO2 reporting, real-time vehicle tracking, theft warning and route planning. With an emphasis on easy-use, affordability, and strong customer support, its products are perfect for fleets of 1-200 vehicles, particularly for smaller businesses with no dedicated full-time fleet manager. Vimcar aims to redefine fleet management for European SMEs by digitalising the company car of the future.

Further Reading:

• Read more about Managing the Mobile Workforce @ www.fieldservicenews.com/managing-the-mobile-workforce
• Read more about Fleet Management @ www.fieldservicenews.com/fleet-management
• Learn more about Vimcar @ vimcar.co.uk
• Find our more about Aircargo Transport @ www.aircargo-transport.eu
• Follow Vimcar on Twitter @ twitter.com/goVimcar

Study says next five years will see significant uptake across both continents.

A new report is forecasting a substantial growth in the number of active video telematics systems across Europe and North America over the next five years.

The research carried out by M2M/IoT market research firm Berg Insight says the installed-base of systems will exceed four million units by 2024 across the two continents.

Helping Field Service Professionals

Last year (2019) the number of active systems reached almost 1.6 million units in North America which, the study says, is a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 15.7 per cent, a trend which should see the active installed base reach more than 3.2 million units by 2025.

In Europe, during 2019, figures for telematics solutions at came in under 0.5 million. In line with a CAGR of 16.1 per cent, the study expects this figure to reach close to one million systems by 2024.

The study categorised the large array of companies delivering such solutions which ranged "from specialists focused on video telematics solutions for various commercial vehicles, to general fleet telematics players which have introduced video offerings, and hardware-focused suppliers offering digital video recorders and vehicle cameras".

In the former category, the report cites Lytx as one of the "leading video telematics players in their respective categories", acknowledging the firms high number of subscriptions as the highest in the sector, which in 2019 reached over 600,000 devices and protected 1.3 million drivers.

The report's introduction argued that camera integration is one of the key trends in the fleet telematics sector, justifying its forecast of the combined number of devices across North America and Europe will exceed four billion by 2024.

Stay-at-home orders due to outbreak means essential fleet vehicles can take advantage of quieter road network.

The enforced lockdown across the United States due to the Corona Virus outbreak has meant an increase in travel efficiency for essential commercial vehicles across its cities' road networks.

Fleet Service Management

Data processed from Fleet Service Management firm Geotab and their connected vehicles operating across seven major US cities shows an increase in average commercial speeds and a reduction in time spent waiting at intersections.

Compared to averages from February 22 to March 15 the data shows that across all seven cities there has been an average road speed increase of 16 per cent with New York City, the state with the worse outbreak, seeing the highest increase of 2o per cent.

Stopping times at intersections has reduced signigificantly with Atlanta having the largest reduction of approximately 17 per cent compared to the February 22 to March 15 period.

It all equates to less traffic on the road meaning residents are adhering to Government orders to stay at home during the breakout. Vehicles tasked with carrying out essential services, such as food deliveries to supermarkets, are able to reach their destinations quicker than usual in weekday traffic figures that resemble that of the weekend.

Mike Branch, VP of Data and Analytics at Geotab expanded on the analysis. "Examining connected car datasets at the city level helps provide some clarity and understanding about what is happening in our communities during unprecedented times such as this," he said.

"We have seen a noticeable decrease in traffic congestion based on average speeds and time spent at intersections. This means that with less traffic on the roads, commercial vehicles are able to get through typically congested major cities in a more efficient way, allowing essential drivers to get where they are going quicker."

Research from Verizon Connect shows some managers not utilising technology to offset basic tasks.

A survey into the behaviour of UK fleet managers has found the majority spend time on admin preventing them from focusing on daily tasks.

Interviewed

The research commissioned by Verizon Connect and conducted by Opinium interviewed UK 201 fleet managers who operate fleets of between three and 250 vehicles.

It revealed that two fifths of those interviewed spend 14 hours a week on general administrative tasks including route and schedule planning, the monitoring of driver behaviour and daily vehicle inspections.

The study also showed that less than half (47%) use fleet management technology to automate such tasks which Verizon says is the equivalent of nearly two full working days.

Fuel costs were highlighted as a particular concern for managers as was the search to find reliable drivers.

Derek Bryan, VP EMEA at Verizon Connect acknowledged that time pressure plays a huge part in fleet managers' day-to-day but said the use of technology can help negate this. "We know time is critical for fleet managers and many are tasked with trying to juggle lots of different tasks at one," he said. The introduction of a few simple technology tools can really make their life easier and help improve business efficiency."

Bunzl Catering Supplies sign enhanced contract with fleet solution provider.

Bunzl Catering Supplies have extended their contract with fleet solution provider Microlise and supplemented its existing Proof of Delivery (POD) transport management solution with extra modules.

Modules

The firm, part of international B2B distributor Bunzl plc., have added Fleet Performance, Remote Tacho Download, Journey Management and Health and Safety modules to their current package.

Focused on the catering and hospitality sector where it sources, consolidates and distributes food packaging and hygiene products, the UK-based company conducts seven operating branches and a distribution centre.

In renewing and enhancing the partnership Bunzl hope they will make further improvements in efficiency, customer service and safety around its operational output.

"Extending the solution for us is a natural progression," said Phil Haskew, National Transport Manager at Bunzl Catering Supplies. "We have identified further workflow and customer service improvements we can make by introducing fleet utilisation, planning and health, safety and compliance management solutions."

Commenting on the deal, Nadeem Raza, Microlise's CEO said: "We are delighted to continue to partner with Bunzl Catering Supplies as they deliver a strengthened end-to-end cutsomer experience."

Fleet solutions provider give free access to SmartFlow Driver and Subcontractor Management Apps during pandemic.

Microlise has announced it will be making its SmartFlow driver and workflow management app free of charge to existing customers.

The app will be provided free of charge for the duration of the Coronavirus crisis, both to customers not currently using SmartFlow, and to those customers who already use the application, with any increase beyond typical usage incurring no additional charges.

Easing Supply Chain Pressure

The announcement comes as increased levels of consumer buying, fuelled by Covid-19, adds pressure to a supply chain which is already at operating at a high-level. Furthermore, these heightened levels are expected to continue for longer than traditional peak periods.

SmartFlow, the firms says, is a simple mobile application that supports customers to track the location of temporary or third-party drivers, manage tasks, workflows and communications, and collect proof of delivery information. Users are able to provide the App to subcontractors or contract-based drivers, with set-up taking just minutes, with all the collected data feeding directly into the Microlise solution in place.

Commenting Nadeem Raza, Microlise CEO said: “Our customers are depending on our mission-critical systems as never before. We are doing all we can to support their efforts and have identified SmartFlow as a valuable support tool in the current climate. SmartFlow will allow our customers to add additional capacity, secure in the knowledge that they can manage the operational impact in an efficient, effective and transparent way. We are working closely with our customers during this time to proactively identify areas where Microlise can provide additional support - SmartFlow is just one offering that can be quickly deployed to support operators who need to bring additional drivers on-stream.”

Integration provides fleet operators with engine filter performance data in real time from within the Geotab platform...

Geotab, a global leader in IoT and connected transportation, and Donaldson, a global leader in the filtration industry, recently announced a new integration that will enable Geotab customer’s to utilize Donaldson’s wireless Filter Minder® monitoring system. A first-of-its-kind remote, wireless filter-monitoring system for trucks and heavy-duty equipment, Filter Minder provides real time engine filter performance data to help fleet operators optimize vehicle maintenance and improve productivity.
Wirelessly monitoring the condition of truck engine air filters, Filter Minder provides customers with visibility into the remaining life of engine air filters, plus additional performance data. Seamlessly integrating with the Geotab platform, which is utilized by more than 500,000 class 6, 7 and 8 trucks across North America, the Donaldson Filter Minder system works in tandem with a fleet’s telematics solution to help businesses save money through optimized filtration maintenance.
“With the cost of fleet ownership continually rising, we intentionally set out to offer a simple solution for fleet managers with visionary companies like Geotab to help optimize fleets,” said Nate Zambon, Director of the Donaldson Filter Minder product line. “By integrating our Filter Minder solution into the Geotab platform, fleets can now receive Donaldson’s comprehensive filter analytics along with the most advanced telematics data—from their laptop or mobile device—to help lower overall cost of ownership and improve individual vehicle or fleetwide maintenance processes and performance.”
Recently introduced, the Donaldson Filter Minder system utilizes a vehicle’s telematics system to send filter performance data to the cloud through wireless sensors and receivers and provides predictive analytics that inform fleet managers when filters are approaching the end of their optimal life.
“As a global company committed to optimizing fleet management at every level, Geotab is proud to join forces with a dynamic collaborator that shares our vision for a truly connected fleet,” says Scott Sutarik, VP Commercial Vehicle Solutions at Geotab. “Integration with Donaldson will enable Geotab to continue its mission to equip its customers with the most advanced telematics solutions, while helping us innovate for a cleaner future.”