In shipping, optimization is everything. After all, fleets are full of complicated processes in need of a good efficiency boost.
Consider the traveling salesman problem: finding the shortest possible route through multiple cities that returns to the starting point. It may sound simple, but it’s so tough that the world’s best mathematicians argue over how to do it. Fleet managers, on the other hand, have to take their best shot at it every day.
Telematics technology can help, using the power of data to suggest more efficient routes. And it doesn’t stop there. Here are 6 concrete ways that IoT optimizes fleets.
Cutting fuel means cutting costs – and it’s great for the planet, too. With IoT, you can get the data you need to make that happen.
IoT-enabled sensors collect data on fuel usage and other trip metrics. Interpreted properly, this data tells a story about why your fleet uses so much fuel. Are drivers speeding? Idling? Are the road conditions too rough? You can then understand whether your fleet is using more fuel than necessary.
Armed with this information, you can undertake fuel-saving initiatives, including:
Speeding, idling, and harsh braking deplete fuel quickly. With proper driver training, fleets can save fuel and ensure safer road conditions for their drivers. IoT for fuel efficiency is even being incorporated into reality-enhanced serious games, or RESGs, a gaming genre for driver training.
Fuel leaks are a waste of money, but they also carry other headaches. There are fines for missing or faulty fuel caps in the UK, for example. IoT monitoring can ensure that potential leaks are detected quickly across fleet vehicles.
By monitoring key metrics, it’s possible to determine when vehicles in a fleet need maintenance. An IoT-based predictive maintenance solution can monitor these metrics constantly, keeping up with changing conditions.
If a vehicle starts acting up, managers know what parts need attention to remedy the issue right away. Even tire pressure can be monitored and kept at optimal levels at all times.
Remember the traveling salesman problem? It’s not easy to get from point A to B-Z and back again, especially when you have to adhere to specific pick-up and delivery times. Route planning is a tricky part of logistics that wastes time and money when it goes wrong.
IoT-driven technology can analyze multiple factors — including route conditions, pick-up and delivery locations, number of employees, and the location of fleet vehicles — and calculate optimal routes.
The benefits of route optimization go beyond better routes. For example, drivers can spend less time in vehicles, which means fewer accidents (and happier drivers).
Cargo losses are a massive headache for the transportation industry. In the UK, 7.5 million pounds worth of computing equipment was stolen from a truck in March 2020, making it the largest theft in EMEA supply chains. IoT can save time and provide peace of mind with asset tracking.
For vehicles, the stolen vehicle recovery (SVR) solution includes a hidden sensor that provides location information to authorities in the event that it is stolen. For valuable assets, geofence alerts can be set to make sure products remain where they are supposed to be. Having IoT-supported asset tracking may also help lower insurance costs, as well.
The average customer doesn’t care about all of the moving parts involved in getting products from point A to point B. They are focused on end results — when a product finally reaches them.
IoT can help fleets optimize delivery and ramp up communication with consumers. The visibility IoT provides in all parts of the supply chain doesn’t need to stay with fleet managers – we can use it to give customers more accurate delivery times. With IoT, it’s easy to tell a customer where their package is.
Sustainability is a major focus in the logistics industry and will continue to be a high priority in years to come. There are already some great examples of how IoT technology has helped with significant energy savings. In the Port of Valencia, for example, a smart lighting system helped cut energy consumption by a whopping 80%.
Fleet sustainability and optimization actually go hand in hand. Think of fuel efficiency. IoT is designed to minimize unnecessary fuel usage for both cost savings and lower emissions.
Fleets can get creative with sustainability solutions, too. With IoT, it’s possible to track fuel usage per journey – a fleet could offer customers the chance to offset the carbon impact of their order, for example.
IoT is rapidly transforming the logistics industry. The movement of people and things will only get more efficient as more fleets adopt this technology.
KORE Fleet offers IoT solutions for optimizing your fleet while also providing support for seamless integration. Whether you are adopting an entire telematics suite, or simply adding some aspects to improve existing processes, KORE has customizable options for all fleet operations.
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