Ensuring effective urban transportation is a massive challenge for town planners, fleet managers, and governments. The growing urbanization throughout the world is pressuring limited city resources and making commuting a nightmare for everyone on the road.
A considerable part of a fleet manager’s job is to deal with urban transportation challenges while maintaining profitability and effectiveness. Sounds exhausting, doesn’t it? The good news is that data analytics can help you achieve that.
The following article will take a look at some of the most noteworthy examples.
Challenge # 1: Parking and payment issues
According to the World Bank and other international agencies, more than 50% of the global population lives in cities, and that number climbs by 2% every year. This is even more pressing in Australia, where the percentage of the urban population is around 86%.
Finding a good parking spot is one of the toughest challenges for people living in any metropolis. Unless you have a private parking space, your fleet drivers also deal with this issue and waste much time and fuel circling. If you use the paid parking system, tracking all those expenses and maintaining records is one more thing you have to worry about.
Big data analytics can change all that make things easier for everyone. AI-assisted systems can make tracking expenses a piece of cake for you. Big data can work with incoming data from parking lots and other existing infrastructure to recommend areas with low congestion. The driver won’t have to circle the area and can directly move towards the nearest available spot.
Challenge # 2: Inefficiencies in logistics and delivery processes
Logistical inefficiencies are both frustrating and costly. Fleet managers worldwide are always on the lookout for ways to optimize their existing processes and bring costs down. For delivery fleets, this is an even bigger problem because they have limited time and dynamic requirements.
Big data can be beneficial in optimizing your delivery mechanism. From identifying trends and predicting demands, you can leverage it to capitalize on multiple opportunities and stay ahead of the curve. Moreover, the advantages are not limited to operational efficiencies only. Big data can also play a part in making your delivery fleet green.
Challenge # 3: Traffic congestions and long-commute
According to the latest HILDA Survey (Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia), The average city worker now spends 66minutes commuting daily. With the growing urban population and a more significant number of vehicles on the road, these commute times are expected to increase.
Big Data can help your driver navigate and avoid most congestion by using real-time data from the roads. We all have experienced this in some form while using Google Map’s navigation feature. Fleet management systems that use data analytics are more advanced as they factor in several other variables while suggesting the most optimized route and time for your drivers.
Challenge # 4: Maintenance issues
Another challenge for fleet managers is to maintain their vehicles effectively. Too many cars breaking down in the middle of the road or needing repairs at the same time can impact the operations and the standing of the company.
In any field, preventive maintenance of crucial equipment can improve your productivity and keep your costs low. By addressing issues before they become a huge problem, you can keep your vehicles on the road for a longer time and maximize your profits.
Data analytics has a significant role to play in ensuring an optimized maintenance schedule. With an effective data system, you can keep an eye on regular parameters (oil levels and tire pressure) and specialized issues like engine health, consumption, etc.
Challenge # 5: High carbon emissions and negative environmental impact
Modern fleet managers need to care about the sustainability and overall carbon impact of their fleets as well. An average passenger car contributes 4.6 metric tons of CO2 in a year. Scale that up for a fleet vehicle, and you’ll understand how serious this issue is.
Apart from being better for the environment, going green makes business sense as well. It cuts your variable costs and improves the outlook of your business. Multiple government agencies also incentivize green practices, and you can benefit from them by taking small but effective measures.
Once again, data analytics can contribute to your green initiatives by ensuring the peak performance of your vehicles and reducing idling time. How you drive also has a significant impact on your overall fuel consumption. Data analytics allows you to read your driver’s behavioural patterns and address shortcomings through targeted training sessions and different incentives.
Fleet management, especially in an urban environment, is full of multiple challenges and limitations. The correct data can help you navigate those issues and maintain your productivity and effectiveness. This article addressed some of the most pressing challenges fleet managers face nowadays in major cities and how analytics can help them stay on top of things and take timely decisions. If you need help navigating through the traffic jam that is fleet data, please get in touch with Fleetyr. We are more than happy to find the best route for you.
