3 Tips for Data-Driven Fleet Utilization

As many fleet managers know, leveraging telematics data can be a game-changer. Yet, many fleet managers find themselves overwhelmed by the sheer volume of data at their disposal, struggling to extract meaningful insights that drive tangible improvements in fleet utilization and performance. If you’re grappling with this challenge, there are some actionable tips you can adopt to harness the power of data and optimize your fleet in a safe and cost-effective way.

In this blog, MICHELIN Connected Fleet shares three ways fleet managers can utilize vehicle and driver data to improve truck and trailer operations.

1. monitor idling behaviors

As of April 2024, fuel prices have risen to a national average of $3.61, marking a 16.8% increase since January 2024. With rising fuel costs, it is important to be mindful of your fuel consumption and identify behaviors wasting fuel. You may find that one significant pain point area is idling. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, over six billion gallons of gasoline and diesel combined are lost due to idling every year.

Not only does excessive idling contribute to excessive fuel consumption, it’s also a good indicator of your trucks’ and trailers’ downtime. When your drivers are spending long, unplanned periods of time idling either at a depot or in your yard, your fleet’s productivity is taking a hit. Identifying the causes and patterns of events like this with connected fleet technology can help you find new opportunities to unlock additional fleet productivity.

2. proactively plan for vehicle maintenance

Another consideration is taking proactive steps to improve the health and safety of your vehicles. When accidents happen on the road and your trucks or trailers need equipment repair, you run the risk of paused operations, costly downtime and wasted resources. To stay one step ahead of unexpected repairs or damage, consider establishing a preventative maintenance plan for your operations. With this strategy in place, you can rely on real-time data from telematics and fleet management systems to view the condition of your fleet’s vehicles and trailers. Using maintenance alerts, you can easily monitor vehicle health, control costs and improve truck and trailer operations with data captured from vehicle sensors like GPS and TPMS.

TPMS specifically is an important consideration for your preventative maintenance plan and can significantly enhance your vehicle’s safety and performance. Regularly monitoring TPMS ensures that you receive timely alerts about tire pressure irregularities. Properly inflated tires reduce the risk of blowouts, improve fuel efficiency and extend tire lifespan.

3. improve safety & compliance

A final tip for optimizing your fleet is prioritizing safety and ensuring your drivers remain compliant with state and federal regulations. When drivers engage in unsafe behaviors like harsh braking and speeding, they risk damaging vehicle equipment and causing costly operational delays and repairs. This not only directly affects the health of trucks and trailers and vehicle ROI but also endangers others on the road. To avoid potential safety and maintenance concerns, turn to connected fleet technologies like GPS tracking that provide real-time updates on driving patterns and identify areas of improvement. With real-time alerts, you can gain instant visibility into your drivers’ actions on the road and take the necessary steps to prevent accidents and lower operational costs.

GPS tracking goes one step further by providing driver behavior data that monitors compliance. By pulling insights from tracking data, you can determine whether your drivers are adhering to required regulations. Armed with this data, you can take actionable steps to initiate driver training courses, retraining drivers on proper compliance protocols and ultimately preventing costly fines and penalties.

Additionally, integrating AI cameras into your fleet can significantly enhance driver coaching and safety. These systems use artificial intelligence to monitor driving behavior in real-time, identifying risky actions such as distracted driving, tailgating and drowsiness. AI cameras provide instant feedback to drivers, encouraging safer driving habits and reducing the likelihood of accidents. By reviewing the footage and data collected by AI cameras, you can offer targeted coaching to drivers, addressing specific safety issues and improving overall performance. This proactive approach helps maintain compliance and fosters a culture of safety within your fleet.

understand your fleet data with MICHELIN Connected Fleet

Data is the driving force behind modern-day fleet utilization. Backed by the power of data, fleet managers can gain a better understanding of their truck and trailer vehicle performance, reduce unnecessary spending and improve driver and vehicle safety. Trusted industry partners, like MICHELIN Connected Fleet, can help you make sense of this data, identifying how it can impact your operational workflows and ultimately improve your bottom line.

Ready to optimize your truck and trailer fleets with connected fleet data? The MICHELIN Connected Fleet can provide you with tailored solutions that fit your business needs. For more information, call 800-358-6187 or contact us online.