Data-Driven Fleet Management: A Truck Dealer's Guide

Today’s telematics devices and vehicle sensors generate a wealth of information about vehicles on the road. Large fleets have leveraged this data for years to improve efficiency, reduce costs and increase safety. Now, as a recent industry index shows, small fleets are beginning to embrace the same technologies, aiming for similar benefits.

Dealers can play a key role in helping these small fleet customers manage and leverage their data to make more informed maintenance, repair and asset replacement decisions. 

Drive Results With Key Data

With so much information available, deciding what data to focus on can be challenging. Dealers can guide small fleets toward the data points that'll yield the biggest gains based on their individual priorities and broader goals: 

• Driver Behavior: Track hard acceleration, hard braking, excessive idling, speeding and other behaviors that affect safety and efficiency.
• Safety: Monitor collisions, near-miss incidents, use of safety equipment, instances of emergency braking, and driver distraction alerts.
• Maintenance Tracking: Keep track of inspection schedules, mileage since the last service event, diagnostic trouble codes, tire pressure, oil and fluid levels, and maintenance compliance.
• Vehicle Performance: Measure speed, fuel consumption rates, engine operating hours, and time in idle.

Fleets may want to focus on only one of these areas or take a comprehensive approach to get a more complete picture.

Turn Raw Data Into Insights

The average connected vehicle generates more than 25 gigabytes of data every hour. But raw data alone won't lead to efficiency gains. To truly be effective, fleets need to analyze this data for trends, anomalies and actionable insights. 

Large fleets often have experts on staff to manage this process. Michelin explains, “Fleet data management encompasses the collection, analysis, organization and reporting of crucial information pertaining to fleet operations. This holistic approach furnishes comprehensive and precise insights into your organization’s fleet vehicles and associated assets.”

Help Fleets Make Sense of Data

Smaller fleets may not be able to afford an in-house data analyst. Dealers can fill that gap and offer insights into the data and help Fleet Managers turn information into action.

Here are some key ways dealers can add value:

• Suggest Maintenance Schedules: By analyzing data trends, dealers can suggest proactive maintenance schedules that’ll reduce unplanned downtime.
• Identify Failure Patterns: Data can reveal which vehicles or asset classes are prone to breakdowns and allow dealers to recommend service campaigns to address an issue before it results in an on-road breakdown.
• Offer Asset Replacement Guidance: Data like increased fuel consumption, the number of on-road failures, and how many times a truck has unscheduled maintenance events can help determine when the cost of a new vehicle is justified. 

Support Small Fleets With Best Practices

If dealers want to provide value-added services for managing fleet data, they need staff trained in interpreting data and creating actionable plans. In addition, they need to regularly review data with Fleet Managers to share insights, identify trends and recommend the best course of action to address developing problems.

Dealers should also note that adopting a more data-driven operational model may be a big change for some fleet management personnel. They should be prepared for some pushback and recognize the need to educate fleet employees on the benefits of this new approach. With the right support, dealers can help small fleet customers make smarter data-based decisions that lead to safer, more cost-effective operations.