The transportation industry has seen many technological improvements in recent years, and fleets were put to the test during the pandemic in 2020. How well transportation fleets adapted to the sudden massive increase in logistics determines how they are doing today.
E-commerce shopping alone saw a 30% increase in Q1 / Q2 in 2020 — and that means more shipping.
Moreover, transportation also has a huge role in globalization. Without an efficient and well-developed transportation system the promotion of globalization and trade would not be possible. Hence with each passing day work is being done on transportation technology as well and quite some progress has been made up till now.
In this article, we’re going to examine six ways that technology is changing the transportation industry.
Increased Efficiency
Some of the most known benefits of integrating technology within your transport department are:
- Companies are able to meet their products’ increasing demands through the use of GPS fleet tracking which has helped companies use data related to traffic and weather.
- Reduced cost through fleet optimization which keeps you updated with insights related to the vehicle and tracking fuel usage.
- Smooth flow of operation by achieving fleet optimization and instant notification related to any breakdowns, real-time fault code alerts, and over-the-air vehicle diagnostics.
Real-time GPS Tracking
There are many aspects of the transportation process which have been made much more efficient, cost effective, and verifiable with the progress of technology. A real-time GPS fleet tracking platform technology will make fleet and cargo tracking more efficient. Objectives such as fleet optimization, coordination of cargo, and minimizing fuel costs become a reality all at the same time.
Fleet monitoring through a helicopter view will enable your fleet managers to identify upcoming traffic hold ups and automatically reroute. This buys fleets more time and protection from theft by alerting managers of unauthorized movement and usage.
Wi-Fi Hotspots
Certain technologies such as ELDs (electronic logging devices) rely on IoT connectivity, so they may upload their scanning results to a cloud platform.
WiFi hotspots cut down your costs by eradicating the need for separate cellular modems, wireless routers, or carrier contacts. This generally offers lower data costs and can provide a much faster connection than satellite in many cases.
Fleet Activity Monitoring
Alerts for your fleet activity can notify you about the arrival and departure of fleets to hubs, time spent unloading, and more. In cases of any inconsistencies your fleet managers will be notified. Moreover, zooming in will provide you with time spent on each location and time on site reports for any alternates in plan.
Driverless Future
Another technological change that is already in place and manufacturers are working on is the safely-controlled use of autonomous vehicles. Tesla has already made a lot of advancements in this particular field and as a result several states in the U.S have started devising laws to regulate and promote this technology.
Eliminating human control from vehicles will help organizations get the maximum efficiency from cars and other forms of transportation. They will be able to reach their desired fuel economy leading to reduced fuel and employee costs as well.
Weight Reduction In Vehicles
Not just driverless cars but also reducing the weight of the vehicles has proven to increase overall fuel efficiency significantly. According to studies, a 10% reduction in weight has led to a 6% increase in fuel economy. The EPA has said that a 100lb reduction in vehicle weight will increase its fuel efficiency by up to 2%. As a result, manufacturers are moving away from cast iron and steel to magnesium-aluminum alloys or even carbon fiber.
