MARKET REPORT SOFTWARE & TELEMATICS SYSTEMS
Some telematics devices now plug straight into an OBD (on-board diagnostics) port.
On the right track
Already well established for truck and van operators, telematics is now a growing presence in plant hire. Dan Jenkins examines how the technology is evolving and the benefits it can bring.
Vehicle tracking emerged as a method of controlling costs for operators of large fleets of vans and trucks. This track-and-trace capability enabled managers to monitor employees, giving them hard evidence on important metrics such as time spent on site. It also helped to identify unauthorised use of company vehicles, and assisted police in recovering stolen assets.
Over the past decade or so, telematics has crossed over into plant hire and is now also turning up on tools and other equipment. Following a similar path to commercial vehicles, the initial focus was on theft and unauthorised use. However, more recently, both plant and vehicle tracking have evolved to offer an increasing array of services. For hire companies, this ‘Big Data’ can be both a blessing and a curse - telematics can provide a huge amount of information; but it’s only any use if it aligns to your business objectives.
If all this sounds daunting for smaller independents, it doesn’t have to be. Most platforms have user-friendly dashboards and reports, so you can find the information you need with minimum fuss. Even if you don’t think you have a large enough fleet to warrant using telematics for your plant, you could still benefit from it for your sales, service and delivery vehicles. There are cost-effective systems that can minimise paperwork, enhance customer service and reduce fuel expenditure.
However, think carefully about what you want to get out of telematics. Proven benefits include preventing theft, increasing utilisation rates, and improving workforce productivity. Some platforms do them all, but most are specialists in certain areas.
Preventing plant theft
Plant theft is a tricky subject: we all know it goes on, but many hirers don’t like to talk about it publicly. According to the Plant and Agricultural National Intelligence Unit (PANIU), in 2018 the mini excavator was the most popular type of equipment targeted, with 650 reported stolen. Dumpers took second place, as thieves helped themselves to 463 machines. Other frequently-stolen plant included rollers, generators, survey equipment, and telescopic handlers.
Vehicle tracking can provide real-time locations of hirers’ vans.
For some telematics brands, theft recovery and prevention remains their key selling point. Companies such as
CanTrack specialise in hidden tracking devices, which cannot be located by the scanners now used by increasingly sophisticated criminal gangs, and recovery is offered as part of the package. Other providers, such as Trakm8, rely on geo-fencing to provide an alert if equipment is moved out of hours. Geo-fencing is the creation of digital, virtual boundaries on a map. Every time a machine or vehicle crosses the boundary, the fleet manager receives an alert.
Improving productivity
Machine downtime due to malfunction, damage, or breakdown is another major headache for hirers. As with modern cars or vans, most plant now uses a CAN bus (controller area network) operating system. CAN bus is the ‘brains’ of the machine, and is able to communicate a huge amount of data, which telematics devices turn into useful information. The most obvious example is diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs). Tracking providers such as Microlise, Teletrac Navman, Trackunit and Trakm8 all have the ability to provide DTC alerts, helping hirers to take the appropriate action to service or repair the fault.
Dashboards provide quick access to key metrics. 18
Most systems can also provide accurate hours-of-service data, enabling more cost-effective maintenance regimes. All of this adds up
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