Big data and analytics are sweeping across industries nationwide, transforming the way businesses work for the better. You’ll find a prime example of how data can help managers right here in the trucking industry. Through it we can:

Appropriately recognize our top performers
Weed out the liabilities and underperformers
Minimize costs
Maximize profits

The industry didn’t have access to this level of information a short time ago. But today, fleet managers lead the way in implementing new fleet data gathering tools to more efficiently measure driver performance.

To use data effectively you must understand what data you’re going to measure. Let’s explore how.

1) Speeding

As a fleet manager, knowing the speed that your trucks travel can save your company a lot of money on fuel. A truck that travels at 75 MPH will consume approximately 27% more fuel per gallon than one traveling at 65. For the average truck, this is savings of almost 1 billion gallons of fuel over a 3 year period. Depending on the cost of fuel at any given time, this adds up to significant cost savings. In addition, around 28% of traffic accident fatalities can be linked to speeding of one or both involved drivers.

By tracking speeding in your fleet data, you can reduce fuel costs and the liabilities associated with drivers who don’t follow speed requirements.

2) MPG

The average operating cost for a truck nationwide is $1.38 per mile. This amounts to around 180 thousand dollars per truck per year. Fuel can account for as much as 39% of this cost. You may not be able to control wear and tear on the vehicle. But driver choices are the largest determinant of how many miles the vehicle gets per gallon. When you know a driver’s MPG, you can address any knowledge or skill gaps that may be leading to greater fuel consumption.

For example, the driver may be spending a lot more time than he/she realizes idling. When you present data to back up your concerns, it’s easier to resolve the issue.

Add MPG to the fleet data that you track as a manager.

3) Driving Style

A more aggressive driving style not only puts the driver and others at risk. It also reduces MPG.

Data can now give you greater insight into driver behaviors like:

Braking at the last minute
Accelerating too quickly
Not adhering to speed limits
Taking questionable routes

You can identify the problem and address it with data.

4) Idling

A semi of about 80 thousand pounds with no load consumes about .64 gallons of fuel per hour when idling. This may not seem like much. But over the duration of a trip, this could really add up. Measuring idling can help drivers make more energy-efficient choices.

5) Route Efficiency

The chosen route can save you time and money. Measuring this through GPS tracking software helps take the guess work out of optimizing a route by trying to add up things like:

Fewer left turns
Fewer stops
An optimal speed limit
Travel time

Instead, tracking data allows you to:

See your trucks in real time
Evaluate routes taken
Save time and money by using the most efficient route

Fleet Data Helps You Optimize Everything

Having access to more data is good for your:

Drivers
Customers
Company

It allows you to recognize what your most effective drivers are doing right and implement it throughout your fleet. Are you ready to maximize fleet efficiency through better data? Sign up for a free demo of our vehicle tracking systems.

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