The cost benefits of GPS telematics are many; choosing just five in a system of EROAD’s calibre is no easy feat. While some of the ways EROAD can save you money are more obvious, like fuel savings and reduced road user charges (RUC), Ehubo2’s best-in-class technology enables a world of possibilities you may be less aware of.
Many of these benefits are interrelated and fall into multiple categories. The good news is that once you start using EROAD to track one thing, you’ll enjoy knock-on benefits in other areas without much, or any, additional input on your part.
With EROAD’s super-accurate locational and distance tracking and a host of built-in features, you’ll be able to spend less, get more money back, and even earn more in the first place by delivering exceptional service.
It’s a given that everyone wants to spend less on fuel, one of a fleet’s largest expenses, and EROAD helps customers do that in several ways. Innovative software features help you understand your fleet’s fuel consumption, identify possible waste, and encourage driver safety. Using EROAD, you can:
Did you know that driving at 90 kmph requires 20 percent less power, and therefore less fuel, than driving at 100 kmph? Reducing peak speeds by just 8 kmph can reduce fuel consumption by 10 to 15 percent, not only saving fuel but also reducing wear and tear – and associated vehicle maintenance costs. More on that later.
Posted Speed displays current speed against road network speed for driver awareness and self-correction. Drive Buddy provides real-time feedback on speeding, idling, and harsh steering or braking, alerting the driver and logging any events for review. And at the fleet level, EROAD’s idle reports can highlight excess fuel use due to idling or a poorly tuned vehicle. Reducing idle time and speed just a little each day can add up to massive savings – in many cases, thousands of dollars per year (depending on the size of your fleet).
Electronic monitoring increases accountability, motivating drivers to do the right thing – and do it consistently. This includes better, safer driving (less speeding, harsh braking, and non-productive idling, all of which waste fuel) as well as using the vehicle for authorised trips only.
When you can see who is driving, how fast, where, and when, you’re going to enhance driver compliance with safety best practices and company policies. Organisations who use EROAD’s Driver Behaviour Analytics have 38 percent fewer speeding events than organisations who don’t, and Driver ID alone, linking data to a specific operator and vehicle, has been shown to reduce overspeeds by up to 85 percent.
Because the insurance game is all about risk, anything you do to reduce your risk profile will be taken into account. In fact, some companies won’t cover transport fleets unless they get telematics installed. As with home insurance, your insurer assesses your risk based on factors including the nature, size, and location of your business to determine what your insurance costs will be.
While installing a telematics system certainly improves your risk profile, be aware that it doesn’t automatically entitle you to a discount. Work with your broker to review your risk profile every year, examining any improvements made and where the opportunities lie. For example, if organisations have EROAD units installed, are insured by NZI, and their drivers rank among EROAD’s top 25 percent, then NZI will waive the excess in event of an incident as part of its Safe Driving Rewards programme.
Then actually use your telematics system! Improved driver behaviour and a positive culture shift spurred by Ehubo2 will naturally lead to fewer accidents and a better overall safety profile, with lower premiums as an indirect result.
Download our free report to find out more about how dashcams can improve visibility.
By automatically and accurately documenting how and where you use your fuel, you can recover the maximum rebate you’re entitled to – and put that money back into your business. And if you use contractors you pay based on distance, rather than relying on the driver to read the odometer, you could be finding additional savings from the more accurate record keeping.
In New Zealand, the NZ Transport Agency requires heavy vehicles to pay road user charges (RUC) – a hassle to buy and administer manually. Using EROAD to buy RUC electronically and track off-road usage means you won’t overpay, you’ll receive the RUC refunds you’re entitled to, and you’ll save time and money on RUC administration.
As discussed earlier, better driving achieved through driver monitoring and real-time coaching reduces collisions and vehicle wear and tear. Another way EROAD saves you money on maintenance is by proactively managing servicing and repairs. In our cloud-based ecosystem, the driver, fleet manager, and workshop team are always on same page, seeing the same thing at the same time.
Drivers can perform vehicle inspections using EROAD’s Inspect app on any mobile device or by using Ehubo2 to record any actions required. A pre-start inspection checklist helps you stay on top of things like tyre inflation and tread, existing scrapes, and turn signal function so you know you’re safety-compliant before you leave the yard. While a weekly pre-start inspection may suffice for light vehicles, a truck necessitates at least a daily check. In cases where multiple operators are using the same vehicle, pre-start inspections may be needed several times a day.
EROAD Inspect also tracks vehicle defects, logging them on a defect board in MyEROAD Fleet Maintenance for you, or your team, to take action. Captured data can be enriched with photos and driver comments and forwarded to the service provider in real time from any location.
Scheduled notifications, including warrant of fitness (WOF) and certificate of fitness (COF), can be automatically sent to Ehubo2 to keep maintenance on track – and your fleet in top condition. Ensure a solid compliance record, minimise unexpected maintenance costs, and reduce unnecessary vehicle downtime.
Fleetwide visibility allows fleet managers to maximise assets by ensuring their optimal use. With MyEROAD, you can track every aspect of your operation and manage all your vehicles and assets using one platform. Fuel consumption, fleet scheduling, vehicle activity, driver behaviour, maintenance schedules, and more can be displayed on a cloud-based portal, allowing you to respond to events as they happen and identify areas for future improvement.
Track usage and billable hours by identifying the closest asset, the most suitable person for the job, or if anyone is available. See which jobs were completed, how long workers spent on site, how far they travelled, and when auxiliary equipment was used. And in the case of pooled vehicles, know who is using them, when, and for how long to determine whether you actually need more vehicles before you purchase them.
EROAD can also monitor vehicle idle and working time to identify under-performing assets or drivers, improve fuel economy, and reduce engine wear and tear. While driving efficiencies is fundamental to good fleet management, a more productive fleet also means happier customers, which can translate into business growth and a healthier bottom line.
If you’re an existing EROAD customer, talk to your account manager about the cost-saving benefits you can access with the full suite of MyEROAD reporting tools.
If you’re new to EROAD, book a demo and see what’s possible.