Optimize your trailer utilization with a GPS trailer tracking system
This guest blog from MICHELIN Connected Fleet was authored by Melissa Stratton, Enterprise Account Executive & Channel Sales Manager for MICHELIN Connected Fleet North America.
Business leaders are under increasing pressure to reduce costs while increasing efficiency and ROI. This pressure is passed on throughout the organization, creating the need for all departments to produce more effective ways of doing business. This includes fleet managers, those responsible for ensuring that product gets to its delivery point on time. But fleet managers are also responsible for more than timeliness; they’re tasked with every aspect of fleet operations, including enhancing fleet efficiency and ensuring their equipment is well maintained, road-ready and, in today’s tech-enabled world, visible…24/7.
All these issues rely on connectivity and the ability to leverage the data that is produced to help reduce operational costs and identify inefficiencies. This is as true for trailers as it is for the trucks in a fleet, making trailer tracking systems and telematics indispensable tools for fleet managers. That’s also why so many fleet managers with trailer fleets are now turning to trailer tracking technology to optimize their trailers’ utilization, since many of the issues that impact the performance of a truck affect trailers as well. This is why MICHELIN Connected Fleet created Trailer Premium, our most advanced trailer tracking solution. We know it’s not just the data gathered that matters; it’s what you can do with that data that can help manage your fleet on a daily basis. Our sensors provide the vital information needed for each trailer; the reports you can generate from that data will result in major benefits for you…and your customers.
Key benefits of Trailer Premium
Avoid emergency roadside service – Downtime is never a good thing, but it’s even worse when equipment experiences an emergency breakdown on the road. Repairs are more expensive, and downtime increases. Identifying potential issues before they turn into real problems is vital. Again, data comes into play with our GPS trailer tracking solution. Tire failures are an ongoing concern for fleet managers, not just for the downtime, but also for the potential accident liability. Our tire temperature and pressure monitoring system (TPMS) will provide real-time alerts to a manager when a problem needs to be addressed. Most trailer tire problems are related to underinflation so having the data necessary can result in an easy fix before a breakdown occurs. By collecting and analyzing the data, fleet managers can implement predictive maintenance as well as preventative maintenance strategies.
Get real-time visibility of your trailer’s location – When fleet managers can monitor the movement of their trailers in real time, that not only impacts the current delivery; it also can optimize future jobs. The data provided can help identify real-time locations and times where detention times may be excessive, enabling logistics and fleet managers to schedule deliveries at a more advantageous time. As far as route planning, trailer tracking devices provide accurate data on trailer locations that can help fleet managers identify the most efficient routes which, in turn, will minimize time on the road, reduce fuel consumption, increase on-time delivery, and lower operational cost.
Optimize trailer utilization – Depending on the size of your operation, you may have a number of trailers sitting idle in the yard. When every trailer is connected through a GPS trailer tracking system, fleet managers have insight into trailer availability and usage patterns. Having empty trailers sitting around until a driver can be found is incredibly inefficient. If an operation has multiple locations, knowing where underutilized trailers sit can enable fleet managers to optimize trailer pools, moving around those trailers to meet capacity and demand. In addition, when it comes to planning budgets (whether to sell or acquire new trailers), knowing the position and utilization of each trailer in the fleet will allow for accurate planning.
Create better customer relationships – When a customer is confident that their shipment will arrive on time, it builds trust. Tracking solutions give fleets the ability to provide accurate and real-time data on the status and locations of shipments. Customers who are given precise delivery timelines can make more informed decisions for their own organizations,
How successful your trailer GPS tracking solution turns out to be is very dependent on the provider you choose. At MICHELIN Connected Fleet, we work as a true partner, making recommendations based on your own mobility data, helping you reduce costs and improve productivity.