Work Truck Magazine, April 2018

APRIL 2018 WORK TRUCK 33 spot detection that are popular with fleets Although these features can mean higher costs they tend to appeal to fleets interested in safety Data Can Be a Huge Benefit Or Create Risk One major topic during the Fleet Technical Congress was data Representatives from multiple companies shared the ways that data can be used to make better decisions and make them sooner than traditional practices But not all data is equal Kevin Moore vice president of OEM sales for Verizon Connect noted that all telematics companies collect data but telematics systems offered directly from the OEM may have access to more data than an aftermarket solution Of course the fleet manager decides what tools that fleet will or will not use But choosing to not leverage data can be a risk Ken Burns an attorney noted that in the event of an accident between a passenger vehicle and a commercial truck many juries assume the truck driver is at fault For that reason fleets must show their commitment to safety by being proactive and leveraging data Whats Next for Fleet Depends on Who You Ask Views across the fleet industry are not standard A new piece of technology may appeal to a business looking for the next solution but may not even be on the radar for a fleet manager dealing with day to day problems By presenting several sessions as panels NTEA was able to present a variety of views on a common topic During a session about data representatives from a software company a fuel management provider and a fleet management company offered their takes on leveraging data During a session about connected vehicles the panel included the president of a technology company and a fleet manager with a discussion moderated by a fleet consultant The Smart Vehicles of the Future Will Not Replace Fleet Expertise A lot of the major news in the automotive industry is about the rise of technology Autonomous vehicles connected vehicles and software to detect fleet patterns without human analysis George Survant NTEAs senior director of fleet relations moderated the event and noted a common thread between all of the sessions The speakers highlighted the importance of data technology and other tools But taking advantage of those tools requires fleet knowledge which is where the fleet manager comes in Its really about the integration of your experience and your tools Survant said WT