Truck Telematics: Your 10-Minute Guide to Taming Fleet Management

Truck Telematics: Your 10-Minute Guide to Taming Fleet Management

Trucks play a crucial role in the global supply chain. In 2017, a study conducted by the US Census Bureau revealed that trucks alone delivered 71.6% of the total value of all goods shipped in the US, amounting to $10.4 trillion. Given their importance, ensuring the accountability of these on-road giants is vital.

Fleet operators can leverage Truck Telematics services to enhance accountability and promote a sustainable supply chain, driving positive change in the logistics industry.

Modern trucking telematics has evolved. It’s no longer just about mounting a device onto the vehicle’s OBD port. Data is no longer monitored periodically.

Now, a synergy of devices is used, including sensors, chips, GPS receivers, SIM cards, and accelerometers, with cloud infrastructure playing a crucial role in monitoring truck fleets in real-time.

Through this article, lets understand:

1. How has Truck Telematics technology evolved?
2. How can integrating telematics enable organizational efficiency of a truck fleet management company?

Who Are the Stakeholders Involved in Truck Telematics?

A truck telematics system collects, analyses and reports data that cater to the needs of the following stakeholders:

• Fleet Managers: To monitor, analyse and optimize truck and driver performance.
• Drivers: To improve driving performance and increase the truck’s longevity.
• Customers: To gain insights on the whereabouts of their goods!
• Governing Bodies: Governing bodies can use the information gathered by the telematics sensors integrated in trucks to frame new and monitor old policies.
• OEMs: To carry out maintenance activities on their trucks.
• Insurance Companies: To find the root cause of accidents. This will help insurers in accurate and timely claim settlement.

What Are the Problem Areas Addressed by Telematics in Trucks?

Modern truck telematics systems address several critical issues in the logistics industry, improving efficiency and sustainability. Key problem areas tackled by this technology to optimize fleet operations include:

• Productivity & asset utilization
• Driver safety & insurance premiums
• Violation reduction
• Efficient fuel use & route optimization
• Driver behaviour monitoring & preventive maintenance
• Time tracking for on-time deliveries
• Aligning to regulatory compliances set by authorities
• Contactless documentation

The above factors show the extent to which truck telematics solutions ease fleet management! Now, let’s investigate the components that are essential to integrating telematics in trucks and resolving the above issues.

What Are the Components of a Truck Telematics System?

Telematics systems of old worked in isolation and relied on minimal processing power, slower and manual data transfer, and weaker communication networks (2G &3G). These limitations prevented the widespread application of telematic devices.

Improving on the legacy telematics devices, modern trucks telematics systems are integrated with:

• Sensors and cameras for data collection
• GSM chip for faster network capabilities
• Secure telematics cloud infrastructure and data transfer protocols
• Fleet Management Software (FMS) for fleet tracking and optimisation

How Does a Telematics System in Trucks Work?

1. Data Collection by IoT Sensors

Modern Trucks are integrated with several IoT sensors that communicate over a Controlled Area Network (CAN) and actively track vehicle & driver performance metrics such as:

• Speed of the vehicle
• Location (GPS) of the vehicle
• Vehicle transmission details
• Driver behaviour like acceleration & braking
• Fuel consumption
• Engine and vehicle temperature
• Engine performance data in real time

The sensor data is collected by the Telematics Control Unit (TCU), housed in the black box. The black box, plugged to the truck’s OBD-II port is equipped with GPS signal receivers, Cellular- 4G/5G Modem, data processing & storage unit.

2. Data Transmission to Cloud Through a Secure Network

The truck telematics device sends the vehicular data to the IoT Cloud over cellular networks, GPRS module & LTE (Long-term Evolution) communication. Due to the large amount of data sent over constantly varying network, MQTT – Message Queuing Telemetry Transport is implemented before the data reaches the IoT cloud server. This protocol ensures the delivery of the data to the cloud in situations with high latency and unreliable networks.

Once the data is converted to the MQTT format, the cloud receives truck telematics data in real-time.

To develop state-of the art communication interfaces for your fleet’s trucking telematics system, write to us at sales@embitel.com.

3. Cloud Data Analysis and Intelligent Decision Making

Fleet management companies partner with a hosting company to manage large amounts of real-time truck data. The host company manages the data by establishing data centres that:

• Provide a safe and secure passage for data flow.
• Segregate, standardize and store the data.
• Process the data for intelligent decision-making.

To begin with, the data coming in from the truck’s telematics control unit , is cleaned by removing noise, correcting errors, and standardizing it for analysis.

After the data is cleaned, the IoT cloud segregates and stores the truck data in the data lake. The standardized data is the base for all intelligent decision-making. After an agreement with the fleet management firm, the IoT cloud hosting company can share this data with stakeholders. For example, insurance companies use data gathered by the truck’s telematics control unit to streamline insurance claim processing.

Fleet management software (FMS) uses the computing and storage capabilities of the IoT Cloud to deliver results in real-time. These intelligent results are derived from machine learning algorithms or other third-party software, integrated into the IoT Cloud.

4. Fleet Management Software

An FMS is an example of a downstream IoT Cloud application that allows integration with third-party applications for scalability. Real-time data from a truck telematics cloud server reaches the fleet manager via the FMS.

The FMS is responsible for compiling, analyzing, and delivering performance monitoring reports from large volumes of data. It provides managers with real-time monitoring capabilities through its dashboards. Without an effective FMS, telematics data would be of limited use.

Our HMI development experts design HMIs for such truck monitoring systems to empower fleet managers in optimising fleet efficiency.

Let’s find out how the synergy between the components of a truck telematics system benefits fleet management.

How Is Truck Telematics Software Making Fleets Accountable and Efficient?

The IoT cloud infrastructure in truck telematics sets a solid foundation for complete fleet visibility, making the fleet industry safer and cost-effective.

Here are 12 ways in which truck telematics serve fleet management:

1. Fuel Volume Monitoring

For a trucking company, fuel costs are a significant recurring expense. How can fleets reduce these costs? Fleet management companies worldwide have integrated the following techniques in their truck telematics systems to prevent fuel theft and promote efficient fuel use:

• Fuel level sensors: These sensors continuously monitor the fuel level in the tank, detecting real-time fill-ups and fuel drainage.
• ECU data extraction: By extracting data from the CAN bus, fleet management software can evaluate when fuel was injected and the duration for which the fuel inlet nozzle was open.
• Flowmeters: Installed in the engine’s fuel lines, flowmeters determine the fuel flow rate during idling and running situations, yielding highly accurate results even during short operation cycles.
2. Wheel-End Temperature Monitoring

Wheels and tires are constantly exposed to friction, leading to increased temperatures between them. Excessive heat in this critical area can cause wheel deformation and early tire degradation.

If the wheel temperature exceeds safe limits, it can result in unnecessary maintenance, loss of productive hours, or even accidents.

To prevent these issues, truck telematics solutions contain temperature sensors embedded in the wheels. These IoT sensors alert fleet managers and drivers when the temperature crosses the safety threshold.

3. Trailer Door Tracking to Prevent Cargo Theft

Fleets are responsible for safely transporting large volumes of goods. By integrating sensors in trailer doors and cameras inside the trailer, fleet managers receive real-time notifications about:

• When and where the trailer doors were opened or closed.
• Whether the trailer doors were opened by authorized personnel during working hours.

This feature in truck telematics help prevent cargo theft.

4. Cargo Volume Sensing

Weighing cargo is crucial in the trucking industry. Overloading can result in fines, while underloading reduces resource utilization and profitability. Finding the optimal cargo load is critical.

Integrating axle load monitoring sensors into a truck’s telematics infrastructure helps fleet managers address this issue.

After installation and calibration, these sensors send data to the truck’s telematics unit, which is then relayed to fleet management software. Drivers can use the live axle load feed from the FMS to load the truck optimally.

5. Remote Engine Locking Mechanism

Using truck telematics, fleet managers can remotely immobilize trucks upon suspicious activity. The engine locking system includes a telematics gateway unit, a CAN-based digital-to-analog converter (signal converter), and an Electromagnetic relay coil.

Here’s how it works:

• The fleet manager sends a command to initiate engine locking.
• The truck’s telematics system analyses its location and speed.
• If the truck is stationary and the engine is off, the telematics gateway unit sends a digital signal to the signal converter.
• The signal converter transforms the digital signal into an analog signal.
• The analog signal activates the electromagnetic relay coil.
• When the relay coils open, the fuel supply to the engine is cut off.

This results in engine immobilization, which is effective in preventing vehicle thefts.

6. Pre & Post-Trip Inspections

Fleet managers conduct pre-trip inspections using data from the truck’s telematic components. Doing so helps them determine whether the vehicle is in the right condition for the trip.

If the truck doesn’t meet the set standard, proactive maintenance is carried out.

Comparing the pre-trip and post-trip Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports (DVIR) with the live-vehicle data will help the team understand the wear and tear on the vehicle.

7. Real-Time Route-Tracking

Displaying GPS data for real-time location monitoring helps fleet managers ensure their vehicles are in the right place at the right time. Additionally, GPS sensors help detect overspeeding, risky driving, and diversions from the set route.

This feature plays an important role in keeping customers satisfied. Customers expecting deliveries can track their goods with:

• Accurate ETAs
• The current location and status of the delivery
8. Diagnostics & Efficient Fuel Use

These systems report on engine performance and the truck’s health to help fleet managers take preventive measures and enable the truck to perform at its optimal level.

Monitoring data such as idle time, engine rpm, and engine oil & coolant temperature plays a key role in staying compliant with International Fuel Tax Agreements (IFTRs).

Tracking the above parameters from truck telematic sensor data helps in determining Fuel Consumption and CO2 Emission rates. Upon exceeding the permissible level of fuel consumption and emission, the driver can be alerted instantly.

9. Insurance Claims & Accident Prevention

Despite being highly skilled, truck drivers are often criticized and accused of on-road mishaps. Fleet managers and insurance companies use data from cameras in the truck telematics system to determine who is at fault and if the insurance claim is fair.

Monitoring driver behavior helps prevent accidents and avoid lengthy insurance claim processes. It does so by sending prompt alerts and tips to improve driver performance through voice coaching.

10. Workflow Management & Compliance

It is possible to schedule and monitor driver work hours to comply with Hours of Service (HOS) policies implemented by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

Using this feature, fleet management companies regulate employee payroll. This feature can be enabled through in-built ERP modules or integration with external ERP software.

11. Enabling Communications between the Driver & Fleet Managers Fleet management software is integrated with specialized communication modules that:
• Minimize driver distraction by sending voice-based messages that can then be converted to text messages using text-to-speech functionality.
• Scan, share, send, and receive documents, images, or videos between the truck driver and the fleet manager. Examples of the documents are fuel bills, invoices etc.
• Send out driver alerts at appropriate times.
12. Real-Time Driver Scoring

Advanced fleet management systems utilize machine learning algorithms for quicker and deeper data analysis. Deeper analysis involves automated driver scoring. This analyzes the segregated data sets to form color-coded dashboards. These dashboards help drivers quickly analyze and improve their performance.

Fleet managers can reward good driving habits and critique performance, backed with statistics.

The above aspects of the truck telematics system help create timely awareness to initiate countermeasures for the ease of fleet management.

Is Truck Telematics Essential for OEMs and Fleet Managers?

By leveraging modern truck telematics technology, fleet managers can significantly enhance operational efficiency, reduce total cost of ownership (TCO), improve driver and goods safety, ensure regulatory compliance, and promote sustainability.

For truck OEMs, incorporating telematics features into their trucks is a crucial step toward staying competitive in an increasingly connected world. By doing so, they not only add value to their products but also contribute to a greener and more streamlined global supply chain.

Collaboration with telematics technology enablers like Embitel Technologies, can accelerate this transition. Embitel brings expertise in creating cutting-edge truck telematics solutions, ensuring that OEMs and fleet managers receive a comprehensive, tailored system that meets their unique needs.

Together, we can drive the logistics industry toward a smarter, more efficient future, where every truck on the road is a testament to innovation and sustainability.

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