Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/145964
OPERATIO 1 Turn raw data into usable information 2 Understanding the Whys and Hows F leet intelligence, GPS-based vehicle tracking, has been around for a while, but not everyone understands why it's important and how best to use the information it provides. Many think of it as a "Big Brother" program, a way for employers to run roughshod over their employees. But, according to Todd Ewing, director of product marketing for Fleetmatics Group, once you get past the "Big Brother" attitude, telematics has a lot to offer. If used in the proper way, it can greatly improve production, reduce downtime for equipment, and serve as a training tool. "The technology lets you know where things are, where they've been, how fast they got there, and how long the engine ran after they arrived," Ewing says. "For aggregates, there are a few more specific items that it can help with, such as tracking vehicles equipped with power takeoff (PTO). You need to be able to know how long the PTO runs on a piece of equipment for maintenance purposes, and GPS-based telematics can provide that information." According to Karen Heller, CEO of Silica Sand Transport Inc., the technology helps her company keep track of deliveries to customers. The company specializes in short-notice deliveries of silica sand. Using GPS-based telematics for her fleet of delivery trucks allows her to know, and prove, that the deliveries are on time. "Before we had the technology, if a customer claimed a delivery was late, it was our word against theirs," Heller explains. "We didn't want to argue with a customer, so we put up with it. Now, with the fleet intelligence, we have a record of where the trucks are at any given time. I can print the readout and present it to a customer to prove their delivery was on time. That changed things instantly." John Walker, vice president of Walker Sand and Stone Inc., says he has been using GPS tracking for five years at his quarry. He uses it to keep track of the company's fleet of highway trucks as they deliver sand to various customers in Virginia and the surrounding states. "We've seen an increase in production since we started using it," Walker says. "We can get more done with fewer vehicles by maximizing their time. Knowing exactly when they'll be back allows us to schedule more deliveries and get more out of each vehicle. And by getting more done with fewer vehicles, using fewer employees, it raises our bottom line." Ewing says the magic is starting to come off of GPS-based telematics. "Everyone knows what it does, understands that it can be valuable, and wants to know the details behind it," he adds. "It is becoming mainstream. If you don't have this in place, you're going to be behind the curve and at a competitive disadvantage." In the aggregate industry, where safety issues are at a premium, understanding how a vehicle is driven is important. A fleet intelligence device on each vehicle gathers information — time, GPS coordinates, speed, distance, details about an event or occurrence — and sends it to the provider via a cellular connection and a small motherboard. The provider then turns that raw data into something customers can look at and easily understand. 3 4 Live fleet tracking GPS-based telematics enables users to track fleet vehicles in real time. Knowing where the trucks are, if they have delivered the load, when they will return, and when they will be available for another load allows dispatchers to better time and coordinate deliveries, which greatly reduces idle time and increases efficiency. AGGREGATES MANAGER OperationsIllustrated_AGRM0813.indd 20 7/12/13 9:47 AM