Driving the future: How AI will shape the fleet industry
Artificial intelligence (AI) is simply an intelligent machine.
Unlike a human’s natural intelligence, AI is where a machine has been programmed to possess intelligence which can help make jobs and tasks easier for us.
It’s used in many industries, but one where it is already present and going to thrive further is in the fleet industry.
AI fleet management
By investing in smart fleet tracking solutions, it can help to streamline your operation, from providing you with accurate data to help plan more effectively to help you improve driver performance. But AI-powered fleet management can cover many more elements of an operation. These include:
Real-time tracking
Data is king in the fleet industry and accumulating enough of it can help you make informed decisions, such as if a specific route is cost-effective.
It can help you plan the best possible journey; the shortest route, for example, doesn’t always bring with it the greatest financial saving. With AI-backed real-time tracking it can use analytics to determine the best road conditions, traffic issues and weather conditions.
Customer satisfaction
That leads us nicely onto our next point: customer satisfaction, or improved customer service. Both can be achieved with smart fleet tracking. With the real-time enabled machine, you can give customers an accurate time they can expect the driver to arrive.
Not only that, but if the driver does find themselves delayed, the customer can be updated promptly. By keeping your customers informed, they may be more inclined to work with you again.
Reduce fuel consumption
The tech can also help you conserve fuel. It’s one of the biggest costs to a fleet business, so if a machine is capable of telling you where you can save, why would you pass that up?
The technology can analyse driver behaviours and tell drivers when they need to drive more economically, such as telling them to reduce how often they accelerate or brake too harshly.
AI in maintenance
Artificial intelligence can also help in areas such as vehicle maintenance. Most modern-day vehicles have warning lights for when tyres are flat and or if the engine requires some maintenance, but these are quite basic signals.
An engine warning light can mean many things, but with advances made in AI, it’s getting easier to accurately pinpoint faults on vehicles. Back in 2019, Tesla announced its vehicles can self diagnose, order its own parts and even book itself into a local garage to get repaired (you can override the repairs if you deem them unnecessary, though).
This could speed up the service and MOT process and reduce your vehicle downtime drastically.
AI in safety
AI can also help with your fleet’s safety. Built-in breathalysers are a common sight among fleets. While it isn’t a legal requirement yet, following a landmark decision by the European Council breathalysers must be able to be fitted into all new cars from 2022.
The breathalyser technology cleverly disables the vehicle if alcohol is detected. It can reduce the number of accidents caused by drunk driving, helping you to ensure your business only sends out the safest drivers.
By investing in AI, it can help shape the fleet industry into becoming even more efficient, economical and safe.