The future of the fleet management industry is digital. The days of exasperating paperwork and countless sheets of driver logbooks are a thing of the past. Today, even government mandates and rules are pushing for increased technological involvement to help track and monitor both, driver and business activity.
Electronic Logbooks
Till very recently, paper logbooks were the norm, drivers had to manually enter details of their shift from the time they begin, the distance they cover and various other data points until the time their shift ended. This was not very efficient as this system depended highly on the driver’s trustworthiness.
Electronic logbooks take the entire aspect of human intervention out of the picture and record the cold hard facts. The benefits of E logs are endless and in a short time since they have been introduced, they have helped streamline the end to end process of the fleet management industry and have established themselves as its future.
Benefits of E logs
- Administrative Ease
E logs save plenty of time for the employer as well as the employees. Logbooks are generated automatically by the system. The driver can switch between personal and business trips with the click of a button and this makes it easier for the employer to track business runs and any expenses like meal consumption during the trip. Drivers do not have to spend considerable time meticulously filling out paper logbooks where any clerical error could lead to them not being paid on time. Perhaps, the greatest benefit is that all documents are in electronic form, so there is no need to scan documents. This makes archiving easier and organized.
- Maximize Efficiency
E logs allow you to optimize the cost of the entire fleet by providing an array of data in a systematic form. The data usually includes fuel consumption, the technical condition of the vehicle (engine specs) and the overall cost of your fleet. This helps you track and plan which vehicles need servicing when thus saving you the cost of unexpected failures.
- Complete Transparency
E logs are a transparent solution for both parties. All records can be accessed on an electronic device like a tablet. With unaltered data, you will help you avoid any dispute with your drivers regarding the work done, expenses, route taken and the overall efficiency of the task.
An important benefit is that when statutory compliance checks by authorities like DoT are done, your untainted records will stand you in good stead and avoid any unnecessary fines.
- Ease of Access
E logs bring important information to your fingertips. The data is easily accessible through applications. By inputting some basic data like fuel costs, you can run simulations and test various scenarios to plan how you will dispatch your fleet to reduce time, minimize fixed costs and maximize TAT.
- Safety
Efficiency and profit maximization are important but not as important as the safety of your drivers and the vehicles they drive. E logs record critical data like the average speed, duration of journey and break times. This ensures drivers are not putting themselves at risk by driving high speeds or extended hours just to meet deadlines.
Dashboard Cameras
Truck dashboard cameras have become increasingly popular over the years. Dashboard cameras record every detail on the road and inside the cab while someone is driving. There are many benefits for truckers and companies to use a dashboard camera in a variety of different situations.
Benefits of Dashboard Cameras
- Driver Monitoring
With the help of dual-view dash cameras, employers can monitor drivers by recording the inside and outside of the vehicle with 2 camera lenses. When drivers know they are under surveillance they are more likely to be on their best behavior. This will lead to drivers staying vigilant behind the wheel and driving in a safe manner. Bad practices like cell phone use will also be cut down.
- Fraud Protection
Whether it be driver fraud or insurance scams, any fraud is something that will cost your company money or at least valuable time. With a camera, it is much more difficult for scammers to take advantage of you.
It is mightly helpful when filing for insurance claims as video evidence helps decipher the scene of the accident clearly which leads to the claims being settled much faster. Insurance cameras also offer better deals when they see that a dashboard camera is installed in your fleet.
- Sleep Mode
Most dashboard cameras can be set to record even without the engine being on. This way you can record incidents that may occur while you are away from the vehicle or asleep inside it. For drivers, it is a useful way to keep an eye on your truck if they have to leave it somewhere overnight and can make sure no one tries to break in or vandalize the truck.
- Training Feature
Companies can use dashboard cameras to train new drivers or help point out mistakes to existing ones. Through a dashboard camera, one can monitor a new trainee driver who is on their first trip without having someone specifically sit and advise them 24/7.
With a dashboard camera, you can see exactly what the driver is seeing when behind the wheel. After their trip, you can go back and point out any errors or any issues that they might have missed.
