Commercial fleet managers from SMBs to large enterprises are seeking effective technology solutions to enhance their operations and bottom-line results through data-driven insights. To do that, they will increase investments in technology. According to a new study by ABI Research, in 2020 60% of companies will make those investments.
Some technologies include the adoption of targeted technology solutions that allow fleets to track drivers, vehicles and other assets including cargo in near real-time.
Early commercial deployments of SAE Level 2 advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) will provide easier and safer operations.
And it is expected that full autonomy will include electrification, which will also bring greatly reduced maintenance costs.
Managers are also looking for predictive insights to better anticipate everything from at-risk drivers to unplanned vehicle downtime.
“Asset utilization is a key driver of operational costs, which averages $1.74 a mile,” states Susan Beardslee, principal analyst, Freight Transportation & Logistics at ABI Research.
Other costs with proven ROI solutions include safety and liability, idle time, and theft of cargo and fuel. Many fleets are in the midst of transitioning to an asset-light model to better predict costs and enable both factory-fit telematics and newer technologies in-cab.
“No singular technology will address every need or provide the same benefit to every fleet,” says Beardslee. “To succeed, they will need to develop greater knowledge of the fundamentals at a minimum and form trusted relationships with external experts. The ability to integrate and scale are major considerations, as well as taking a long-term perspective on fleet needs, provider capabilities and viability.”
