Capital Equipment News August 2020

FLEET MANAGEMENT

The company has therefore included in its offering managers the Ctrack Iris camera solution, which allows them to view live dashcam footage, including footage from cameras fitted to trucks, trailers and inside cargo bodies. “The additional need for advance driver assistance systems has grown exponentially and the Ctrack system can now reduce the fleet manager’s risk in insurance claims.” Years of R&D have resulted in in-cab devices that assist drivers with multi-tasking and route management. These provide software reports that are easily accessible via mobile devices and cloud-based platforms. “Our On the Road platform is now supported by Garmin, where the driver interaction provided by our software allows the customer to integrate their billing to their customer base with a proof of delivery feature.” He says the business environment is under great pressure, making the correct decisions vital when buying equipment such as tracking and fleet management systems. “The cost of services is most important, so it is paramount that operators evaluate payback times against immediate benefits such as fuel saving. “Operators should analyse costs, capabilities and possible future developments in their fleets. They should choose a platform which can be expanded upon automatically, instead of choosing the one that will require more hardware investments later.” Smith identifies as a current trend in the industry the use of fleet camera systems to livestream video footage which, he says, provides fleet managers with heightened control over their fleet and a better context to understand what drivers encounter on their trips. These systems also allow the viewer to monitor cargo loading and unloading, as well as possible damages that may occur during the process. The MiX Vision fleet camera solution offers live streaming from up to eight cameras simultaneously via the MiX Fleet Manager online platform or mobile app. Tools for “in-the-moment” driver coaching are another trend: “These enable the improvement of driver behaviour by means of real-time safety alerts allowing drivers to correct their actions on the road. Identifying and correcting poor driver behaviour is the first step to reducing risk, as well as fuel and maintenance costs.” He says the MiX Track and React Bureau Service assists fleet managers with real- time driving event management and quick responses to emergency incidents while the MiX Vision Bureau Service aims to decrease risky driving behaviour by means of reviewing fleet camera video footage for corrective driver behaviour coaching. b

The MiX Track and React Bureau Service.

lower price and with better service. Many competitors unable to adapt to these changes have fallen by the wayside. WesBank Fleet Management’s Loxton points to “recent developments” in car sharing, ride sharing and autonomous vehicles: “We’ll see many variations and ever- evolving business models in support of these developments.” He is, however, “not convinced” that the local market is ready for this relatively new way of assessing mobility. “In the South African market, we continue to witness an increased level of acceptance of asset rental or leasing as a more effective way of acquiring the ability to transport goods or to provide mobility. This is very encouraging as it follows the accepted business practice of more mature fleet markets such as North America and Europe.” He says it makes no sense to invest scarce resources in fast depreciating assets as the complexity of vehicle maintenance has also supported a high level of acceptance of managed fleet services. “The most prominent trend in this market has definitely been not only the acceptance of telematics to a level where it is considered essential; in the near future, we expect the emphasis to shift towards cleaner energy uses such as the electric vehicle (EV). The current oil prices would perhaps create the expectation for EVs to be some years away from reaching our shores. This is probably not wrong.” Nonetheless, the EV wave “is coming” and industry should accept that transport efficiencies beyond 2025 will be focused on the EV market, with very little if any further development of internal combustion engines. “So, current and future trends in the fleet market will focus on the integration of all of these factors through more effective use of data and analytics. Given where we are right now, I would place equal emphasis on the

ability of fleet management service providers to offer fleet owners financial sustainability. “It simply does not make sense to outsource fleet management services to price leaders promising all the bells and whistles without the expertise and a very strong and sustainable balance sheet backing the service offering.” Netstar’s Stols says fleet telematics started in earnest some two decades ago, when GPS-based positional data became commercially viable. “However, interest in ‘dots-on-a-map’ tracking was soon overtaken by more comprehensive fleet management systems, with an initial emphasis on fleet efficiency management, later supplemented with driver behaviour monitoring and safety.” With more and more truck OEMs realising the value of telematics, it has also become more viable to start measuring engine and other vehicle parameters. This, says Stols, has resulted in better maintenance regimes and the lowering of fuel and other operating costs. “In South Africa specifically, we also see a huge trend in managing cargo security and risk through the use of telematics and related technologies. But the really big shift in market trends is the value that big data is bringing.” He says on the road autonomous transport systems, accurate telematics data and inter- vehicle communication systems are “the forerunners of this new era awaiting us”. “At Netstar, we have already developed systems for the mining industry that will autonomously arbitrate potential safety conflicts such as impending collisions, and take evasive action.” Jordt says the need among fleet managers for complex solutions has been growing over the past two to four years. “Ctrack identified this need and has developed integrated solutions with third parties and products that are not normally seen as specific vehicle tracking equipment,” he says.

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