Study says next five years will see significant uptake across both continents.

A new report is forecasting a substantial growth in the number of active video telematics systems across Europe and North America over the next five years.

The research carried out by M2M/IoT market research firm Berg Insight says the installed-base of systems will exceed four million units by 2024 across the two continents.

Helping Field Service Professionals

Last year (2019) the number of active systems reached almost 1.6 million units in North America which, the study says, is a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 15.7 per cent, a trend which should see the active installed base reach more than 3.2 million units by 2025.

In Europe, during 2019, figures for telematics solutions at came in under 0.5 million. In line with a CAGR of 16.1 per cent, the study expects this figure to reach close to one million systems by 2024.

The study categorised the large array of companies delivering such solutions which ranged "from specialists focused on video telematics solutions for various commercial vehicles, to general fleet telematics players which have introduced video offerings, and hardware-focused suppliers offering digital video recorders and vehicle cameras".

In the former category, the report cites Lytx as one of the "leading video telematics players in their respective categories", acknowledging the firms high number of subscriptions as the highest in the sector, which in 2019 reached over 600,000 devices and protected 1.3 million drivers.

The report's introduction argued that camera integration is one of the key trends in the fleet telematics sector, justifying its forecast of the combined number of devices across North America and Europe will exceed four billion by 2024.

Stay-at-home orders due to outbreak means essential fleet vehicles can take advantage of quieter road network.

The enforced lockdown across the United States due to the Corona Virus outbreak has meant an increase in travel efficiency for essential commercial vehicles across its cities' road networks.

Fleet Service Management

Data processed from Fleet Service Management firm Geotab and their connected vehicles operating across seven major US cities shows an increase in average commercial speeds and a reduction in time spent waiting at intersections.

Compared to averages from February 22 to March 15 the data shows that across all seven cities there has been an average road speed increase of 16 per cent with New York City, the state with the worse outbreak, seeing the highest increase of 2o per cent.

Stopping times at intersections has reduced signigificantly with Atlanta having the largest reduction of approximately 17 per cent compared to the February 22 to March 15 period.

It all equates to less traffic on the road meaning residents are adhering to Government orders to stay at home during the breakout. Vehicles tasked with carrying out essential services, such as food deliveries to supermarkets, are able to reach their destinations quicker than usual in weekday traffic figures that resemble that of the weekend.

Mike Branch, VP of Data and Analytics at Geotab expanded on the analysis. "Examining connected car datasets at the city level helps provide some clarity and understanding about what is happening in our communities during unprecedented times such as this," he said.

"We have seen a noticeable decrease in traffic congestion based on average speeds and time spent at intersections. This means that with less traffic on the roads, commercial vehicles are able to get through typically congested major cities in a more efficient way, allowing essential drivers to get where they are going quicker."

Research from Verizon Connect shows some managers not utilising technology to offset basic tasks.

A survey into the behaviour of UK fleet managers has found the majority spend time on admin preventing them from focusing on daily tasks.

Interviewed

The research commissioned by Verizon Connect and conducted by Opinium interviewed UK 201 fleet managers who operate fleets of between three and 250 vehicles.

It revealed that two fifths of those interviewed spend 14 hours a week on general administrative tasks including route and schedule planning, the monitoring of driver behaviour and daily vehicle inspections.

The study also showed that less than half (47%) use fleet management technology to automate such tasks which Verizon says is the equivalent of nearly two full working days.

Fuel costs were highlighted as a particular concern for managers as was the search to find reliable drivers.

Derek Bryan, VP EMEA at Verizon Connect acknowledged that time pressure plays a huge part in fleet managers' day-to-day but said the use of technology can help negate this. "We know time is critical for fleet managers and many are tasked with trying to juggle lots of different tasks at one," he said. The introduction of a few simple technology tools can really make their life easier and help improve business efficiency."

Bunzl Catering Supplies sign enhanced contract with fleet solution provider.

Bunzl Catering Supplies have extended their contract with fleet solution provider Microlise and supplemented its existing Proof of Delivery (POD) transport management solution with extra modules.

Modules

The firm, part of international B2B distributor Bunzl plc., have added Fleet Performance, Remote Tacho Download, Journey Management and Health and Safety modules to their current package.

Focused on the catering and hospitality sector where it sources, consolidates and distributes food packaging and hygiene products, the UK-based company conducts seven operating branches and a distribution centre.

In renewing and enhancing the partnership Bunzl hope they will make further improvements in efficiency, customer service and safety around its operational output.

"Extending the solution for us is a natural progression," said Phil Haskew, National Transport Manager at Bunzl Catering Supplies. "We have identified further workflow and customer service improvements we can make by introducing fleet utilisation, planning and health, safety and compliance management solutions."

Commenting on the deal, Nadeem Raza, Microlise's CEO said: "We are delighted to continue to partner with Bunzl Catering Supplies as they deliver a strengthened end-to-end cutsomer experience."

Fleet solutions provider give free access to SmartFlow Driver and Subcontractor Management Apps during pandemic.

Microlise has announced it will be making its SmartFlow driver and workflow management app free of charge to existing customers.

The app will be provided free of charge for the duration of the Coronavirus crisis, both to customers not currently using SmartFlow, and to those customers who already use the application, with any increase beyond typical usage incurring no additional charges.

Easing Supply Chain Pressure

The announcement comes as increased levels of consumer buying, fuelled by Covid-19, adds pressure to a supply chain which is already at operating at a high-level. Furthermore, these heightened levels are expected to continue for longer than traditional peak periods.

SmartFlow, the firms says, is a simple mobile application that supports customers to track the location of temporary or third-party drivers, manage tasks, workflows and communications, and collect proof of delivery information. Users are able to provide the App to subcontractors or contract-based drivers, with set-up taking just minutes, with all the collected data feeding directly into the Microlise solution in place.

Commenting Nadeem Raza, Microlise CEO said: “Our customers are depending on our mission-critical systems as never before. We are doing all we can to support their efforts and have identified SmartFlow as a valuable support tool in the current climate. SmartFlow will allow our customers to add additional capacity, secure in the knowledge that they can manage the operational impact in an efficient, effective and transparent way. We are working closely with our customers during this time to proactively identify areas where Microlise can provide additional support - SmartFlow is just one offering that can be quickly deployed to support operators who need to bring additional drivers on-stream.”

Integration provides fleet operators with engine filter performance data in real time from within the Geotab platform...

Geotab, a global leader in IoT and connected transportation, and Donaldson, a global leader in the filtration industry, recently announced a new integration that will enable Geotab customer’s to utilize Donaldson’s wireless Filter Minder® monitoring system. A first-of-its-kind remote, wireless filter-monitoring system for trucks and heavy-duty equipment, Filter Minder provides real time engine filter performance data to help fleet operators optimize vehicle maintenance and improve productivity.
Wirelessly monitoring the condition of truck engine air filters, Filter Minder provides customers with visibility into the remaining life of engine air filters, plus additional performance data. Seamlessly integrating with the Geotab platform, which is utilized by more than 500,000 class 6, 7 and 8 trucks across North America, the Donaldson Filter Minder system works in tandem with a fleet’s telematics solution to help businesses save money through optimized filtration maintenance.
“With the cost of fleet ownership continually rising, we intentionally set out to offer a simple solution for fleet managers with visionary companies like Geotab to help optimize fleets,” said Nate Zambon, Director of the Donaldson Filter Minder product line. “By integrating our Filter Minder solution into the Geotab platform, fleets can now receive Donaldson’s comprehensive filter analytics along with the most advanced telematics data—from their laptop or mobile device—to help lower overall cost of ownership and improve individual vehicle or fleetwide maintenance processes and performance.”
Recently introduced, the Donaldson Filter Minder system utilizes a vehicle’s telematics system to send filter performance data to the cloud through wireless sensors and receivers and provides predictive analytics that inform fleet managers when filters are approaching the end of their optimal life.
“As a global company committed to optimizing fleet management at every level, Geotab is proud to join forces with a dynamic collaborator that shares our vision for a truly connected fleet,” says Scott Sutarik, VP Commercial Vehicle Solutions at Geotab. “Integration with Donaldson will enable Geotab to continue its mission to equip its customers with the most advanced telematics solutions, while helping us innovate for a cleaner future.”

AI-powered smart video solution can intelligently capture and classify video according to the severity of driving events.

Verizon Connect Integrated Video uses artificial intelligence (AI) to intelligently capture and automatically classify video according to how severe an event is, showing only what is relevant and important to business owners and operations managers, as well as machine learning to help businesses improve driver behaviour and protect the bottom line. Verizon Connect Integrated Video also provides real data insights to help commercial drivers stay safe on the road and protect them against false claims.

Additional features include a speed Overlay, which enables operations managers to easily view the speed of the vehicle directly within the video clip to determine if speed is the factor that caused the event; and Video on Demand, which allows operations managers to request 40-second increments of available footage.

"Delivering our commitment to customers means creating innovative solutions, powered by the latest technology that helps our customers move their business forward,” said Derek Bryan, vice president EMEA, Verizon Connect. “We’re delivering next-level solutions, powered by advanced AI and machine learning to help our customers be safe, productive and efficient all over the world.

Microlise, the telematics and transport management solutions provider announces the acquisition of TruTac Ltd.

TruTac is the leading UK provider of fleet compliance and management software for Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV) and Public Service Vehicle (PSV).

The terms of the acquisition were not disclosed and as part of the acquisition, TruTac will remain an independent company as part of the Microlise Group. The acquisition underscores Microlise’s ongoing commitment to forge new partnerships and opportunities to increase product and service innovation to support its international customer base in the UK, France, India, Middle East, Australia and New Zealand. 

Microlise, headquartered in Nottingham, is the UK’s market leader of telematics and transport technology products, with over 500,000 connections around the world. Its Fleet Performance, Journey Management, Planning & Optimisation and Proof of Delivery products are used by fleet operators while its solutions are also successfully deployed by OEM partners including MAN Truck & Bus UK, JCB and Tata Motors in India.

Founded in 1990 and operating throughout the UK and Ireland, TruTac has successfully established itself as the leading designer and provider of fleet compliance software for HGV and PSV operators.  Its online product suite allows operators and transport managers to simplify and streamline tachograph and compliance management via one easy-to-use portal. TruTac’s range of products helps clients to protect their Operators Licence, reduce risk, increase fleet efficiency and reduce administration costs.

Nadeem Raza, Microlise’s Chief Executive Officer said: “We are delighted to announce this acquisition and we welcome the TruTac team to Microlise. This union strengthens our presence in both the HGV and PSV sectors, and complements our group offering of real-time fleet management systems to enable smarter and more accurate operational decisions. We have identified strong synergies between the businesses, particularly across the development of new products and services. We look forward to actively pursuing our ongoing mutual success.”

Terry Ramsey, Managing Director of TruTac added: “I am proud of everything TruTac has achieved in becoming the UK’s compliance software market leader and this is great news for both old and new HGV and PSV customers. Microlise and TruTac are guided by the same ethos and passion for transport and this union is a positive one. Combining our expertise will deliver greater customer and partner value across the commercial and passenger transport industries. I look forward to accelerating the development of new products and services and to entering new markets with a strengthened and complementary fleet management offering.”

Allison Connected Services now available as an Add-In on the Geotab Marketplace.

Geotab has announced its integration with Allison Transmission, the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial-duty automatic transmissions and a leader in electric hybrid propulsion systems. Now available on the Geotab Marketplace, Allison Connected Services provides fleet operators with real-time data and prognostics to support fourth and fifth-generation Allison transmissions.

Delivering critical transmission health information and prognosis, Allison Connected Services helps to extend the performance and safety of medium and heavy-duty commercial vehicles. Seamlessly integrating with Geotab’s award-winning platform, Allison Connected Services offers insights on diagnostic and maintenance information such as oil and filter life, clutch health and transmission information. Going one step further, drivers will receive recommendations from Allison Transmission on the appropriate next steps to address maintenance requirements, including guidance to the nearest Allison dealer to have maintenance items addressed quickly and efficiently.

“We are proud to launch our partnership with Geotab as part of an ongoing journey to provide fleets with actionable information to support their fourth and fifth-generation Allison transmissions back to model year 2006,” said Branden Harbin, Allison Transmission Managing Director, Global Marketing. “With a shared commitment to powering the global connected vehicle ecosystem by giving customers the insights they need to manage their fleets, we are able to better equip our customers with tools that ultimately help lead to increased productivity, safety and performance in the trucking industry and beyond.”

Allison Connected Services currently supports 1000 Series™, 2000 Series™, 3000 Series™, 4000 Series™ and H40/50 EP™ utilizing 4th Generation Controls software from 2009 through 2017 and currently available Allison 5th Generation Controls software.

“As a leading OEM, integration with Allison allows Geotab to provide a more comprehensive offering to medium- and heavy-duty commercial fleets through a world-class partner,” says Scott Sutarik, Geotab’s VP, Commercial Vehicle Solutions. “With a solution that eliminates the need for separate apps and web pages when viewing Allison data, together we are delivering the kind of trusted, best-in-class fleet management products and services our customers have come to expect.”