As we are ending 2021 in a few months and beginning a new one, it’s important to look back and see the trends that took place this year in fleet management. Looking bad at the current trends and the old ones should give you a better picture of the trends that are yet to come.
Technological trends in fleet management are important to consider so you can track your progress and make your company better and more effective at its duties.
Dispatch Routing
Dispatch routing software has become one of the main trends in 2021 and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. If you haven’t already been using a dispatch routing software, you should consider using one as soon as possible. It will allow you to have a more efficient routing system.
All your drivers need to know where they are going, or you might find that their delivery time takes much longer than normal. If you use dispatch software though, you will have added benefits including:
- Being able to efficiently plan and optimize driver routes for the fastest deliveries
- Monitor deliveries and track driver progress
- Automate recipient notifications
Dispatch routing is perhaps the largest growing trend in technological fleet management, but there are many more as well.
GPS Tracking
GPS tracking is great for the customer and for the employee. GPS tracking will give your employers large improvements when it comes to safety, health, and performance. It can also allow you to know when scheduled maintenance is due for certain vehicles. This allows you to keep your company’s cars in good shape and allows for less downtime in the case that you need to suddenly reschedule your employee’s work rotation because of car repairs that you didn’t know needed to happen.
Expansion of 5G Network
With a 5G network, the GPS and the routing systems in your cars will work much better. The 5G network in the United States is continuing to grow and will be growing even quicker than the 3G and LTE Networks.
With the 5G networks growing, all your software and other platforms should perform better and more efficiently. It also allows for more smart devices to be connected at the same time. So, your drivers will be able to use their phones, GPS, and other smart navigations all at the same time.
This makes their job much easier and more enjoyable, so they will be more willing to stay working with you.
EV and AV Vehicles
AV vehicles are autonomous vehicles. This simple means self-driving. While we may not be seeing a lot of these yet, they are becoming more common than you think. Having AV cars that work properly and that are preprogrammed with route data and other software make fleet driving and delivery much easier.
EV or electric vehicles are also becoming more common because they have a smaller carbon footprint than traditional cars. More charging stations are being added worldwide and faster charging options, which means more and more of these cars are quickly being added to fleet management.
How Has COVID-19 Affected Fleet Management?
With the world battling COVID-19, fewer people have wanted to go out and buy things for themselves. More and more people want to have the safe option of delivery. This means fleet driving is only expected to grow exponentially as people are realizing the convenience and possibilities that come with it, despite the fact that life is slowly, but surely returning to normal.
As the need for fleet driving grows, the technology also needs to grow. Using the right software and tracking systems is one sure way to make fleet tracking management systems much more effective.
