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AI for Fleet Management

This article was published on: 06/4/20 by the Robert Hall

Commercial fleets rely more on modern technology today than ever before. Trucking fleets, delivery companies and transportation providers need high-quality fleet management strategies to protect their workers and assets. 

A rising trend in mobile businesses today is AI fleet management, which is used to optimize routing accuracy and vehicle monitoring. With this innovative technology, you can establish a fleet that does more in less time while fostering a safer work environment.

What Is AI Fleet Management?

AI fleet management is the use of artificial intelligence to create more efficient processes for mobile businesses. It utilizes the latest technology to help you monitor vehicles on long-distance trips and establish effective communication between workers. 

Artificial intelligence for fleet management automates both simple and complex processes. It can help transform all types of businesses, including:

What Are the Benefits of AI?

As consumer demands grow, more and more businesses are implementing AI solutions. The reason AI is so valuable is that in many cases, it can handle certain tasks more quickly and accurately than the average person can. Its capabilities take a heavyweight off your shoulders and allow you to reallocate your employees so you can focus on more creative, customer-driven strategies.

The main benefit of AI in fleet management is that it helps your employees increase job performance while decreasing the risk of costly errors. You can minimize safety issues and maximize cost savings by automating tedious or challenging processes, which will allow you to establish a more productive fleet in the long run.

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How Is AI Integrated With Fleet Management?

There’s a wide variety of ways you can incorporate AI solutions into your fleet management strategy. With AI, you’ll be able to:

  • Track vehicles: AI paired with fleet tracking allows you to receive real-time updates about driver location and habits. This flow of data allows you to monitor performance and safety, while GPS capabilities make your employees’ lives easier by helping them stay on route and find resources.
  • Enhance routing: Use AI solutions to plan better routes and become more adaptable on the road. Predictive analytics offers invaluable data on roadblocks, traffic, conditions and more.
  • Improve communication: Communication is a major factor that can impact your entire process. Without a way for everyone to relay emerging information, confusion can ensue quickly. AI helps you and your drivers reach each other over long distances, which can come in handy during sudden changes or emergencies.
  • Store and use relevant data: Data is one of your most valuable assets. Automated systems make it easier to gather and store details than ever before. Once you have enough data from drivers, sales and incidents, you can use AI to create helpful analytics and build better strategies. 
  • Invest in AI vehicles: AI in fleet management covers more than tracking. Some fleets today are even implementing AI safety strategies such as self-stopping vehicles. In some cases, AI can help predict accidents and sense moving obstacles.

The Future Of Fleet Management

Because of the continuing growth of technology, fleet managing is an ever-changing profession, with new technology constantly coming to market designed to make your job easier. Keeping an eye on the future of fleet management will help you plan for your fleet and embrace those technologies that will make your fleet as effective and efficient as possible. Here are three fleet management trends to anticipate:

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The Reality of Autonomous Vehicles

It may sound like something out of a science fiction cartoon, but self-driving vehicles are not as far away as you might think. Of course, taking the driver out of the equation completely isn’t likely to happen anytime soon, but autonomous vehicles will help your employees be more productive. These vehicles allow drivers to override the autonomous driving when necessary, but to focus on other tasks when routine driving conditions occur. These vehicles (or a combination of autonomous features with traditional driving) may be a safer option than trucks driven by distracted or sleepy drivers.

Automated Vehicle Sharing

Some companies have fleets filled with equipment or vehicles that multiple employees need to access. Managing a case of keys is time consuming and tedious, but new car-sharing technology can be implemented into the fleet to make it easier for drivers to access a vehicle when it is needed.

Using keycards and on-vehicle electronic immobilizers, employees can gain access to vehicles or equipment they are authorized to use whenever needed, while keeping access controlled for those without permission. Digital tracking ensures the fleet manager knows who is using the vehicle and where it is, keeping the fleet secure and flexible at the same time.

An Increasing Reliance on Fleet Telematics

Most fleet management tips you will find today will involve the use of GPS fleet tracking. This is not changing in the future. Tomorrow’s fleet is going to rely largely on GPS tracking and fleet telematics systems. Telematics is not a new concept, but in the past, it was considered a feature for large fleets and million-dollar companies. This is changing, as more and more providers are offering scalable systems for smaller fleets, and telematics is reaching markets where it was not being used often.

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In order to stay competitive, future fleets will absolutely need telematics systems. This is no longer going to be simply a nice feature to have. Continuing government mandates for electronic records and, in some countries, GPS tracking to reduce theft problems — combined with an increased demand for on-time deliveries and happy customers — is going to make telematics a necessity.

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Are you interested in learning more about tracking solutions and artificial intelligence for fleet management? We’re glad to help. Contact us today for a quick quote.