What to Expect from Vehicle Telematics Systems?

In the logistics and fleet management sector, vehicle telematics software is not a new term. However, it’s not commonly familiar to every professional in the sector but they have heard of the synonyms such as fleet management software or GPS Tracking Software. 

More often than not, industry professionals use these terms interchangeably. We will not say they are wrong but they aren’t completely right either. It’s important to understand the fundamentals of all these terms. Fleet management software is a combination of GSP and Telematics technology. 

Let’s begin with telematics software first!

What is Telematics?

Telematics is the amalgamation of two technologies – Telecommunication and informatics (computer systems). Telematics is the technology that allows the transmission of data between devices, IoTs and software over long distances. Yes, similar to Bluetooth and RFIDs but between farther entities. 

Since it involves telecommunications to exchange informatics, therefore it’s called telematics. 

How Does Telematics Software Work?

Now, that you have a fair idea about telematics, the technology. Let’s take you further to explain the telematics software and its operations. 

The software that allows the sending, receiving and relaying of data over distance is called telematics software. The data can be related to anything. When this technology is infused into the logistics or fleet management domain, then it’s exclusively called vehicle telematics software. 

Due to its potency to share and communicate data at distance, telematics is redefining mobility. Let’s find out how telematics software work:

Step 1: The telematics device is installed inside the vehicle which is also, connected to the server and the software. It collects locational data from the GPS Satellites, vehicle diagnosis from OBD and other insights with the help of external sensors.  

Step 2: The telematics device collates and shoots the comprehensive data packets to the cloud server. 

Step 3: The vehicle telematic software system fetches data from the server.

Step 4: The software system massages the data and presents it in an understandable manner in the form of tabular reports, charts and graphs. 

How are Telematics Solutions Different From GPS Tracking?

GPS Tracking solutions are only about location data. GPS, the technology revolves around geospatial data – Global Positioning System. It has nothing to do with the reports, analysis or comparative analysis. It’s done by telematics or fleet management software. 

As we said earlier, people use telematics software solutions, GPS Tracking software and Fleet management software interchangeably. Let me explain to you how one is different from the other.

Since you already know about telematics, let’s jump to the GPS Tracking system. A GPS Tracking system would only collect the geo-location of the vehicle in which the GPS Tracker is installed. Telematics helps transmit data to the server which can be millions of miles away from the vehicle. 

What are the Benefits of Telematics Software?

Technology comes with its fair share of pros and cons but telematics seems to have more benefits than downsides. What are the advantages of telematics to the automotive or logistics industry? 

• Remote Monitoring

Gps tracking is possible with or without telematics. It’s the long-distance transmission that makes telematics special. Managers can seamlessly monitor all vehicles in real time from afar with the help of telematics. 

• Transparency of Data

Vehicle Telematics solutions for vehicle fleets connect scattered vehicles and manage them from one place. The software fetches data on vehicle activities and generates automatic reports. This negates any scope for data discrepancies, hence transparency is maintained throughout the hierarchy. 

• Improved Efficiency

With a pool of data on fleet productivity, trips, vehicle diagnostics and every other aspect of the fleet, it becomes so much easier for fleet managers to make profitable decisions. Automation shrinks any room for errors and speeds up operations, hence, improving efficiency. 

• Reduced Wastage and Costs

The better the efficiency, the lesser the chance of wastage. Lesser wastage ensures improved cost. 

• Insightful Decision Making

A wider pool of data ensures more confident decision-making. The historical data allows for predictive analysis. The old-school approach of guesswork and instinct is not something modern-day fleet managers would swear by. Data-driven division not only makes way fewer mistakes but also improved profits. 

What are the Top Features of Telematics Software? 

To be honest the list of features of a Telematics Software system is long. However, we’ll cover the common ones here. Telematics software providers to the likes of TrackoBit also offer custom solutions catering exclusively to your business problems.

• Real-time Tracking

Live tracking definitely the most common feature of an automotive telematics solution. However, it’s the accuracy factor that differentiates an average software from a better one. Along, with live tracking, the software also offers real-time updates on vehicle speed, status, ETA to the next waypoint, load, fuel levels, etc. 

• Vehicle Safety Features

Vehicle and consignment safety is one of the top concerns of fleet managers. Fleet management telematics solutions come with features such as an SOS button, parking mode and immobilisation that ensure 100% asset safety. Battery theft is one of the most alarming issues in developing countries like India, Bangladesh, etc. TrackoBit offers battery disconnection alarms that warn the fleet manager about possible battery theft in real-time. 

• Alerts and Notifications

What makes telematics software different from any other tracking software is its real-time updates. Live status and data updates ensure instant decision-making. Managers may opt for real-time alerts for any event they want such as ignition on/off, overspeeding, harsh braking, deliveries, etc. Notifications on the other hand act as a reminder that keep fleet managers updated and always on their toes. 

• ETA and PODs

Everybody wants to know about the ETAs even before embarking on the trip, be it the consignor, the consignee, the fleet manager or the driver. Dynamic ETAs consider the route being followed by the driver, the congestion on the route, other deliveries along the way and other factors to predict the accurate ETAs. 

Proof of Delivery is another factor that is very crucial to all the parties involved for not just safety purposes but also for monitoring purposes. It’s up to the client whether he/she wants to opt for QR code, E-sign, OTP or automatic alerts as PODs. 

• Route Planning 

Dynamic route planning is crucial in this time and age for automation. Tour creation and trip monitoring are essential to make operational decisions in the future. Route deviation alerts, ETAs and PODs are the part of this module of vehicle telematics software solutions. 

• Driver Monitoring

Monitor the driving behaviour of your drivers and encourage good driving practices in the fleet. Get notified every time a driver violates good driving guidelines. Advanced telematics fleet management software like TrackoBit not only offers driver behaviour monitoring reports but also, driver scores. 

• In-depth Reports

New-age telematics software solutions are not restricted to just providing location tracking. Vehicle diagnostics, driver behaviour monitoring, trip management, video telematics, etc are some of the modern-day fleet management solutions. The software automatically generates reports on every aspect of the fleet. More sophisticated software solutions go a step ahead to present an analysis of the data they collect. 

Is Telematics Software the Best Choice for Fleet Management? 

Good Telematics software is something that fleet owners, logistics enterprises and transporters rely on for optimised operations. They not only enable better decision-making but also allow predictable analysis. TrackoBit is enabling data-driven decision-making for more than 100 enterprises across 17 countries. 

What makes TrackoBit the most trusted name in the industry? The reliable white-label telematics software, the top-notch services and custom solutions make top enterprises lay their trust in TrackoBit.