The Future of Truck Fleet Management is Here
Technology is changing by the minute on a global scale, and every day it permeates new areas of our daily lives in surprising ways.
The transport business is no exception. The fleet, freight and logistics spaces have transformed drastically during the fourth industrial revolution. And whether your business is commercial, corporate or industrial, keeping up with the times is imperative. So, here are three key trends that will be keeping business on the road in the next few years.
Self-Driving Vehicles & Trucks
Elon Musk’s Tesla is already equipping all of its vehicles with self-driving hardware and software. And while automated vehicles (AVs) are far from being the commercial standard in the very near future, it’s a foregone conclusion that their arrival is on the not-so-distant horizon.
The automotive “space race” to get self-driving vehicles ready for commercial sale is on. And it’s not only Tesla that’s frantically working at perfecting the technology. Uber has ploughed over a billion dollars into developing its “autonomous vehicle unit”; Volvo has piloted their “assisted driving vehicles” technology; and even Apple has allegedly thrown their hat into the ring, though the details of that are scarce at this stage.
There’s a long way to go before the drive from Bloemfontein to Blantyre is fully automated. But watch this space over the next year or two. According to sources like CNBC, self-driving trucks may even hit the road before automated cars do.
Interconnectivity
Get into the passenger seat with your driver and follow his journey from the comfort of your office chair, even if you’re a thousand miles away from the highway he’s travelling on. A few years ago, this would have sounded like science fiction, but it’s very real today.
You can now follow your driver’s journey live on camera while you track his progress via satellite. And you can talk to him in real time, thanks to fleet management surveillance technology.
On-board computers and telematics systems are collecting data that monitors a trip’s fuel efficiency, speed and distance travelled. And digitally managed customer connectivity is eliminating human error when goods are received at their destination.
The Software Boom
A rise in competition in the fleet management software arena has made it far more accessible, even to smaller businesses. You don’t have to spend a fortune to effectively manage your fleet using digital tools anymore. In fact, there are even solutions you can get for free. Options like GPSWOX, Cargo365Cloud, Odoo and Keeptruckin, for example, come at no cost. There are obvious limitations to free software that a premium product would not have, though.
If you would rather invest in paid software without the limitations that come with anything that’s free of charge, there are several affordable solutions and packages, too.
Geotab, Fleet Maintenance Pro and Telematics by TomTom are all worth investigating if that’s the case.
Speak to The Industry Experts to Keep Your Business up to Date
Impala Truck Sales supplies reliable, affordable trucks and machinery to suit a variety of different industries in South Africa and throughout Africa.
We help businesses of all sizes and people from all cultures find the vehicles they need to keep their businesses on the road – from formal to informal and agriculture to industry. Get in touch with Impala Truck Sales today, for trusted trucks that go your way, every day.
