It is only natural for transport operators to continue seeking the next level of efficiency, safety and accessibility in everything they do. With this desire comes the continual need to adapt to change.
All industries have had to adjust to the ever increasingly digital world, and plenty of examples of this can be seen in trucking, both in the equipment itself and the software that is used within it or to support it.
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The modern truck is brimming with as much information as any computer, and the best operators get the most out of all the data they have at their hands.
While this can offer significant efficiency benefits, knowing how to get the most out of technology is crucial.
Andrew Hintz, Geotab AVP of Heavy Transport, APAC Region says that this is one of the current issues being tackled in the telematics space.
Keeping records in the office and work diaries is becoming more digitalised, which Geotab has seen as a new change for transport businesses.
“One of the challenges we’re seeing right now is fleets trying to remove that paper trail and the paper environment for the driver that they have always had in the cab of the truck historically,” Andrew says.
“Now it’s moving that to an application-based system where everything is digitally recorded. We’re seeing fantastic results for some of the early adopter transport companies that have got out in front of the issue.”
Geotab is finding that it has been an easy transition towards electronic solutions using its applications, even for those that are very traditionally paper-based.
“Drivers now have access to tools like pre-trip inspections, which are app based, and are built into the Geotab Drive application,” Andrew says.
“So traditionally, the driver might have to walk around the truck, checking the tires, lights, reflectors, mud guards, windscreens and every safety related item on the truck. All that information was very much paper based.
“Now you can grab your phone, or a tablet in the cab of the truck, and go through all the questions digitally using the app while conducting the walk around inspection. And once that’s done, any defects that the driver has picked up starts to trigger a workflow in the background. It’s all happening in real time.”
