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It would be superfluous to suggest that telematics is a new feature in fleet management.

A study undertaken by Fleet Answers found that 64% of respondents surveyed were already using telematics in their fleet and that three quarters of the remaining 36% that weren’t were hoping to in the future.  Of those already using telematics, the key areas monitored by most users were idle time, and speed against the posted speed limit, while miles driven and fuel consumption also ranked highly.

The survey asked respondents for key benefits or highlights in using telematics within their fleet. Almost two thirds of drivers noted an improvement in driver behaviour, while 58% saw increased fuel savings.

“All our intelligence suggests that monitoring by telematics is increasingly accepted . . . as a fact of life and the benefits more fully understood,” Ralph Morton, editorial director of Business Car Manager said.

“Vehicles also generate data on how they are being driven — perhaps too much acceleration or speeding, for example — allowing companies to take intelligent decisions about driver training and to the benefit of fuel consumption and accident reduction,” he said.

AfMA was delighted to award our 2017 Fleet Award to Tourism Holdings Australia (thl) earlier this month, with telematics playing a major role in their successful submission.

“In late 2014, we started installing telematics devices and TomTom screens to all vehicles in order to have better communication with our customers, reduce the number of accidents, and reduce repair and maintenance costs through influencing their driver behaviour,” Nicky Bree, Tourism Holdings Australia Commercial Fleet Manager said.

“We also wanted to increase the customer experience and provide our customers with more information while on-road.”

Nicky Bree accepting the Fleet Safety Award on behalf of thl

For fleet managers installing telematics is a short term investment for a lifetime of gain. Keeping track of your drivers habits on the road will not only improve the profitability and accountability of your business, but ultimately it helps keep your drivers safe.