Mobility solutions are taking the transportation industry by storm. They can greatly increase the efficiency of your fleet and help you tap into analytics you didn’t even know were possible.
In this article, we will outline evolving trends within the transportation industry including the driver shortage, the growing use of technology, and rising liability insurance rates. We will also discuss mobility solutions helping to improve fleet performance including increased efficiency on the road, reduced paperwork, and utilizing mobile data for analytics.
Additionally, we will explain how fleets can meet the future demands of growing cities including parcel lockers, urban consolidation centers, and night deliveries. Lastly, we will highlight OpenFleet as a complete mobility solution for the transportation industry.
Evolving Trends within the Transportation Industry
To understand what solutions are emerging in the transportation industry, it helps to understand what is causing them to gain popularity. There are 3 key trends that are having a notable impact on the transportation industry as a whole.
The Driver Shortage
The most recent data from the American Trucking Association finds U.S. fleets short approximately 60,800 drivers. This number is expected to rise in future years and might even double over the next 10.
Factors including an aging driver population and a lack of new entrants into the trucking industry are contributing to the driver shortage. Fleets should invest in more robust hiring, driver support, and employee training.
Growing Use of Technology
Fleets are increasingly incorporating technology into their daily routines. The electronic logging device (ELD) mandate has already required most trucking fleets to use some form of telematics device.
Fleets of all sizes are utilizing digital dispatch and accounting systems to increase the flow of information. Data from telematics devices can be used to improve operations and increase safety.
Rising Liability Insurance Rates
Liability insurance rates are forecast to continue to rise. Many bankruptcies of trucking companies in the past year have been due to increased insurance costs. Insurance claims due to collisions involving trucks have increased in frequency and gravity over the last few years and yet premiums paid to insurance carriers have not kept up.
This has created a hardened truck insurance market. Even the most risk-conscious fleets have been hit with rate increases. Fleets should look at reducing their Compliance, Safety, and Accountability (CSA) scores and actively engaging in the claims process to combat the insurance companies’ rising rates.
Mobility Solutions Helping to Improve Fleet Performance
Increase Efficiency on the Road
There is a wide variety of mobile apps for fleet drivers. There are also tons of amazing fleet management apps available. These apps can aid in routing, route planning, or help dispatchers find the closest driver for a job. Overall, these apps can help increase efficiency on the road.
Reduce Paperwork
Fleets can eliminate paperwork using mobile devices and cloud storage. Doing so means that drivers in your fleet have immediate access to all data they require, no matter their location.
Managers can also send out information to the entire fleet in real-time. Any processing by drivers can also be done digitally and remotely using a smartphone or tablet.
Utilize Mobile Data for Analytics
When fleets switch to mobile not only do they get the immediate benefits of using the technology, they are also able to receive valuable insights from the data generated.
Mobile data analytics can help fleets see how they are performing and address the areas that need improvement. Data mining can be utilized to gather information on everything from wait times to collision statistics.
Regularly reviewing analytics reports helps fleets identify problems in advance before they get out of control. Mobile data analytics is used by fleets all over the world to streamline their operations.
Meeting Future Demands of Growing Cities
Cities are the core of the global economy and account for over 80% of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP). Fleets are integral to keeping shelves stocked in cities. By 2030, over a billion more people will live in cities around the world. Here are some ways that fleets can meet the future demand of growing cities:
Parcel Lockers
Parcel lockers are secure and convenient delivery points. They provide 24/7 access to customers looking to pick up packages. Parcel lockers save mileage and time due to more efficient routing and fewer failed deliveries. They can also cut vehicle emissions by as much as 70% and decrease labor time per parcel by 70%. Additionally, they reduce delivery costs per parcel by 35%.
Urban Consolidation Centers
Urban Consolidation Centers are generally located on the outskirts of cities. They are large buildings where packages are brought, sorted, and dispatched. Urban Consolidation Centers increase the efficiency of loading and routing for delivery trucks. Fleets in dense, developed cities could save 25% per package delivery due to Urban Consolidation Centers. They reduce delivery-related mileage by almost 50% and cut vehicle-maintenance expenses in addition to greenhouse gas emissions.
Night Deliveries
Fleets operating in dense, developed cities could cut their total delivery time by delivering at night when streets are less congested. Doing so could reduce delivery costs and lower vehicle emissions.
Complete Mobility Solutions for the Transportation Industry
OpenFleet
OpenFleet is a complete mobility solution for the transportation industry. Its full portfolio of mobility solutions includes onboard telematics, online supervision platforms, and mobile apps. OpenFleet makes managing a mobility service easy.
OpenFleet features instant vehicle access. Drivers no longer need to deal with cumbersome key boxes. They can now use their badges, smartphones, or smartwatches to unlock and drive fleet vehicles.
You can build a sophisticated mobility service with OpenFleet. The service features mentoring programs, and customer service is available 24/7. OpenFleet can also help with training—a dedicated Mobility Manager is available to help fleets with their mobility projects. If you’re looking for a complete mobility solution for the transportation industry look no further than OpenFleet.
Conclusion
Mobility solutions can greatly benefit the fleets who effectively use them. One bleeding-edge mobility solution available to fleets is Azuga’s FleetMobile. It is a fleet tracking app that rewards drivers for good behavior on the road—helping fleets to retain their best workers.
FleetMobile is the combination of two fleet tracking solutions—a fleet tracking driver application and a powerful administration view. It allows drivers to keep track of their safety scores and performance in real-time.
Fleets looking for one of the best mobility solutions on the market should consider Azuga’s FleetMobile.
