Are You Using the Right Fleet Data?

I have an Apple Watch, and I use it primarily to tell time, count steps and find my phone. On a wild guess, I’d say that’s 5% of its functionality.

I know I’m not alone in underusing my tech. But if I’m getting what I need from my watch, does it matter if I’m not using the rest of the features?

The same question applies to fleet management.

Fleet managers have more visibility into their operations than ever before. Between telematics, fleet management information systems (FMIS), fuel management systems and predictive maintenance systems, they can track a wide range of information about the shop, vehicles and even techs and drivers.

But how much of this information do fleet managers actually need? With other operational demands competing for attention, realistically, how much can they use? Perhaps more important is whether you’ve chosen the information that matters and whether you’re acting on it.

Same Data, Different Goals

The first step is deciding what you want to accomplish. If vehicle downtime is your priority, reviewing maintenance metrics can help you identify what’s keeping vehicles out of service. If improving safety is your goal, you could focus on the driving behaviors contributing to that risk.

Consider telematics. Fleets collecting the same data through their telematics system can use that data for very different results. A safety-focused fleet could use it to track speeding, hard braking and seat belt use. A sustainability-focused fleet could use the same system to monitor speeding, fuel consumption and idling. They can use the information to inform policies and purchasing decisions and to coach drivers.

In a recent conversation with Steven Saltzgiver and Scott Rood from RTA, they mentioned that fleet operations could make better use of their FMIS. For example, many aren’t using their FMIS to track warranties, comebacks and standard repair times. Not tracking those could mean missed opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

But it also makes me wonder how much data fleet managers can be expected to monitor. Fleets with a dedicated analyst or someone on staff to review data consistently might not find this challenging. Smaller shops with one manager and an administrative assistant, and everyone else working on the shop floor, might have a harder time. Regardless of fleet size, I think it’s important to be selective and realistic about your data. Saltzgiver’s advice is to focus on three to five metrics.

Collecting vs. Using

Eric Richardson, a former public fleet professional turned fleet safety consultant, told me, ”You don’t just get your changes by plugging telematics into the car.”

A fleet that tracks vehicle speeding or harsh braking, for example, still needs to review the results. Staff need to use that information to coach drivers, adjust policies or take other steps to improve safety. Otherwise, they’re just collecting information.

Even when software does the sorting, someone still has to act. While writing about predictive maintenance, I spoke to public fleet professionals who use it to analyze vehicle data and flag potential mechanical problems. For understaffed operations, this can save valuable time. But not every vehicle alert requires immediate attention, and fleet staff still need to decide which alerts matter and when to act on them.

The same goes for utilization numbers. A vehicle might show low use, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t needed. Maybe it’s a snowplow that’s only used for part of the year. Without that context, the numbers could point you to the wrong decision.

So Are You Underusing Your Data?

If I ever need to know my heart rate or exercise time or whatever else my watch tracks, I know where to look. For now, I’m happy with how I use it.

Fleet tech is a much bigger investment, though, and it’s true that busy fleet managers might be missing out on features and useful data that could save them time or money. But not using all of a system’s capabilities or all the data it collects doesn’t necessarily mean you’re underusing it. It depends on whether you’ve decided which information matters most to your operation and are putting it to work.

What fleet data do you plan to focus on in the coming year, and what do you hope it will change?