Field Services – Positioning Universal

Streamlining Field Services with Intelligent Telematics Solution

Geoff Weathersby — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 13:39:22 +0000

Background

Field Service companies have the unique challenge of managing a workforce that is always on the move while needing the nimbleness to quickly respond to unplanned events. These challenges can be broadly categorized into two main areas:

Managing a Mobile Workforce

One of the primary challenges for field service companies is effectively managing a mobile workforce. With technicians working away from the office, tracking and coordinating their activities can be a daunting task. Lack of visibility into daily operations can lead to inefficiencies, delays, and poor customer satisfaction. Transparency is crucial for building and maintaining strong customer relationships with customers.

Navigating Unplanned Events

Even with meticulous planning, field service operations are often subject to unplanned events which can impact the team’s ability to arrive on time for service appointments and, at times, create a cascading disruption to the remaining service appointments. These unexpected occurrences, such as adverse weather conditions, traffic delays, vehicle breakdowns, and last-minute customer cancellations or emergencies that require immediate attention, necessitate rapid adjustments to the day’s schedule and resource allocation.

Operational Improvements through Telematics

Telematics systems, especially with AI-enabled dashcams, offer a powerful solution for field service companies to enhance efficiency and productivity across their operations. By leveraging real-time data and insights, telematics can drive significant improvements in the following areas:

Driver Monitoring and Coaching

Telematics solutions with dashcams offer field service companies powerful tools for driver monitoring and coaching, significantly enhancing fleet safety and efficiency. By tracking real-time driving behaviors such as speed, acceleration, braking patterns, and cornering, managers can identify high-risk drivers and pinpoint specific areas for improvement. This data-driven approach allows for personalized coaching sessions, where drivers can receive feedback on their performance and learn techniques to improve their driving habits. Additionally, telematics systems can provide in-cab alerts to drivers in real-time, prompting immediate corrections for unsafe behaviors. According to a Together for Safety Roads (TSR) survey of over 500 professional drivers, 25% of surveyed drivers indicated they avoided a crash due to in-cab alerts. This proactive approach not only reduces the risk of accidents but also helps lower fuel consumption, minimize vehicle wear and tear, and improve overall operational efficiency. By fostering a culture of safety and continuous improvement, field service companies can enhance their reputation, reduce insurance costs, and ultimately deliver better service to their customers.

Fuel Efficiency

Real-time vehicle tracking is a powerful tool for optimizing routes, which helps minimize

unnecessary mileage and reduce fuel consumption. By monitoring driving patterns and fuel usage data, fleet managers can identify areas of inefficiency and implement corrective measures, including enhanced driver training based on the telematics data. Telematics systems play a crucial role in this process by providing real-time alerts for behaviors such as excessive idling and aggressive driving, allowing for prompt interventions to curb fuel wastage. Additionally, these systems offer data-driven insights into utilization patterns and highlight opportunities for further improvement in fuel efficiency across the fleet. Based on research from Telematics Wire Market, fleet owners who effectively use telematics reduce their fuel costs by as much as 14%.

Predictive Maintenance

Telematics systems play a crucial role in vehicle maintenance by enabling proactive strategies through real-time monitoring of fault codes and alerts. This allows for timely intervention, preventing minor issues from developing into major, costly repairs. By leveraging vehicle usage data, these systems facilitate predictive maintenance schedules, helping to keep assets in optimal condition and significantly reducing the risk of unexpected breakdowns and associated downtime. The real-time diagnostics and alerts provided by telematics enhance overall service process efficiency. Furthermore, analysis of telematics data helps identify recurring issues across the fleet, enabling managers to implement proactive measures that prevent future downtime and improve long-term vehicle reliability.

Service Delivery

Customers highly value punctuality and expect services to be delivered within the committed timeframe. Telematics systems provide real-time visibility into the location and status of field technicians, allowing for accurate estimation of arrival times (ETAs). This transparency empowers companies to keep customers informed about any delays or changes in schedule, fostering trust and managing expectations effectively. Additionally, telematics data enables optimized routing and dispatch, minimizing travel times and ensuring technicians arrive at job sites promptly.

According to a ReachOut survey, 89% of customers want to see modern, on-demand technology applied to their technician scheduling, and nearly as many customers would be willing to pay a premium for it.

Billing and Reporting

Telematics systems streamline billing processes by automating data collection and reporting. Field service companies can leverage telematics to capture accurate information on technician hours worked, mileage driven, and other job-related metrics. This data can be integrated into billing systems, ensuring customers receive precise invoices based on actual service delivery. Furthermore, comprehensive reporting capabilities provide valuable insights into operational performance, enabling data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement.

Customer Communications

Effective communication is vital for maintaining strong customer relationships. Telematics facilitates improved communication by enabling real-time updates on job progress, delays, or any issues encountered. Automated notifications and alerts to dispatchers/central office staff can keep customers informed throughout the service delivery process, fostering transparency and building trust. Additionally, telematics data can support post-service follow-ups, reviews, and feedback collection, providing opportunities for continuous improvement and customer retention.

By leveraging telematics solutions, field service companies can deliver a superior customer experience, characterized by punctuality, transparency, and open communication. These benefits not only enhance customer satisfaction but also contribute to building long-lasting relationships and a positive brand reputation.

Future Telematics Trends

The future of telematics is poised to be shaped by the integration of cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.

AI and Machine Learning

The advent of AI stands as a transformative force, elevating the discipline far beyond conventional GPS tracking. AI-driven telematics and dashcams systems are in the early stages of creating a fundamental shift in the business and operational insights from telematics data. As an example, AI can provide detailed insights into driver behavior through analysis of factors like acceleration patterns, braking habits, and traffic rule adherence. This enables field services companies to identify high-risk behaviors and implement targeted training programs, enhancing both safety and operational efficiency.

Machine Learning

Machine learning enables more sophisticated analysis of vast amounts of data collected by telematics systems. This technology allows for more accurate predictions of maintenance needs, optimized routing based on complex factors, and personalized driver coaching programs that adapt to individual performance patterns over time.

Looking ahead, continued advancements in AI and Machine Learning, the increasing availability of real-time data, and the evolution of connectivity technologies from 5G to 6G networks will further enhance the capabilities of telematics systems, enabling even more responsive and data-intensive applications in the future.

Refer to our blog, “On the Road: Exploring the Synergy of Machine Vision, AI, and Dashcams for Fleet Safety,” for additional information of these emerging technologies.

Conclusion

Telematics systems have emerged as a key critical success factor for field service companies, addressing the unique challenges of managing a mobile workforce and navigating unplanned events. By leveraging real-time data and advanced technologies, telematics offers comprehensive improvements across various operational aspects, including driver monitoring and coaching, fuel efficiency, predictive maintenance, service delivery, billing and reporting, and customer communications.

As the field service industry continues to evolve, the integration of AI and machine learning with telematics promises even greater advancements. These technologies will enable more sophisticated data analysis, predictive capabilities, and personalized solutions, further enhancing operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. Field service companies that embrace and effectively implement telematics solutions will be well-positioned to thrive in an increasingly competitive and dynamic market, delivering superior service while optimizing their operations for long-term success.

About Positioning Universal

Established in 2013, Positioning Universal is the leading global provider of off-the-shelf and customizable mobile IoT devices and GPS vehicle and asset monitoring solutions. Our Systems Integration (SI) services deliver turn-key solutions for smooth IoT implementations, leveraging our team’s extensive industry knowledge.

With a deep understanding of IoT technologies, we guide companies in designing and deploying IoT solutions that meet their unique needs. Our comprehensive offerings, paired with best-in-class customer support, empower businesses with essential business intelligence to sustain a competitive edge in rapidly evolving markets.

Technology Profile:

AI-Powered Dashcams with Edge Processing to Enable Machine-Learning ADAS

Driven by a real-time high-performance edge processing GPU, our AI-powered dashcams enable machine-learning Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and can actively monitor up to 5 cameras simultaneously. This includes detecting triggerable events such as alerting the driver about pedestrians, identifying dangerous driving violations like running red lights and stop signs, and much more.

Telematics solutions using AI-powered dashcams with edge processing contribute to driver and public safety by capturing real-time footage and alerting drivers of potential hazards. With our cutting-edge technology, we are committed to fostering a safer driving environment and providing invaluable guidance and alerts in critical moments on the road.

Urban streets vs Rural roads, which is a bigger threat?

Jennifer Curley — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 22:12:00 +0000

Urban streets and rural roads are two different beasts, especially for the fleet driver. Even for everyday drivers like myself, I loathe routing through packed urban streets, where everyone is in a rush and the lanes are very claustrophobic. But then just thinking about rural roads and long road trips makes me flirt with slumber wherever I am.

Now, imagine that for a fleet driver, hauling tons of cargo and completing long trips in both environments daily. It is hard to confidently decide which is harder for them and which is less safe. Having big trucks deliver necessary items to stores in packed streets, through tight turns and cramped spaces—where often drivers must cone off areas and hope the drivers comply—is a nightmare. But on the other side, seeing the same shade of green on hour twelve and day five of driving likewise poses major threats to fleet safety. So, which is riskier, and how can fleet drivers approach both environments to stay as safe as possible?

Urban vs Rural Roads: What the stats tell us

According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), fatalities occurred more on rural roads than urban roads consecutively from 2008-2016. However, in 2017 and 2018 the trend changed, and urban roads actually saw more fatalities. However, when tightening the scope to commercial vehicles, rural roads still pose the biggest threat to fleet safety. The NHTSA reported in 2017 that for commercial vehicles 58 percent of the 4,761 road fatalities involving a large truck occurred on rural roads compared to 40 percent in urban streets.

While rural roads pose the bigger risk for fleet operations, both are very prevalent and deserve a deeper examination.

Rural Roads: Causes and Solutions

For rural roads, the threats for fleet safety include a lack of seatbelt usage, distraction from the road, higher overall speeds, and finally the remote location that these accidents take place.

Seatbelt Usage

According to a study conducted by the CDC in 2017, the death rate in motor vehicle accidents are three to ten times higher in rural counties compared to urban ones, and in that same study it was found that drivers in rural counties use their seatbelts less. Seatbelts are essential to staying safe on the road, so even if accident rates were the same on rural and urban roads, the lack of seatbelt usage helps explain why fatalities are so much more common on rural roads.

Distractions (Rural)

For me personally, this is my biggest threat while driving in rural environments. Distractions are everywhere, especially nowadays with vastly improved internet connectivity. For rural roads, though, the monotony of the drive can cause drivers to lose focus while driving. From our previous blog post on Distracted Driving, we can se that distracted driving is not just scrolling through twitter while driving, or turning around to tell your kids to stop fighting with each other. It also includes things such as daydreaming, which is very common in rural environments.

High Overall Driving Speeds

The rural roads virtually always have higher speed limits than its urban counterparts, and therefore the accidents on those roads usually occur at higher speeds. Naturally, with higher speed collisions comes more drastic casualties. It always feels as though these open roads are perfect for racing through, but that likewise poses major threats to vehicle safety.

Remote Location

Another factor that makes rural collisions have such a higher fatality rate is the actual location where it happens. Rural roads are rural because there is not much around it. Often these roads feature signs like “Next McDonalds 400 miles” which lets everyone know they are on their own for a while. But when looking at that through the lens of driver safety, it also means many lifesaving resources—hospitals, ambulances, etc.—are also few and far between. So, should an accident occur, the response time could be low, and if in a spot with no service, communication is not even possible.

Rural Road Solutions

For fleet drivers, the best solution to safely traversing the open road is utilizing every resource possible. For the first three threats, a consistent and thorough training program can help instill the best driving practices in drivers and reduce things like not wearing a seatbelt or getting distracted on the road.

On top of that, GPS tracking telematics solutions are vital to fleet safety. Solutions such as Positioning Universal’s AI Fleet Camera Solution, allow fleet managers to not only see what is happening on the road, but can also look into the cabin and verify if the driver is practicing good driving behavior which includes wearing a seatbelt and staying focused on the road. Likewise, the FT7500 gateway solution, which seamlessly pairs with the AI Fleet Camera, reliably tracks the location of the vehicle and monitors speed and idling. This feature is critical to responsiveness to collisions in rural roads because the gateway automatically alerts fleet managers of collisions and gives them the accurate location of the vehicle, allowing managers to expedite response times no matter how far away they are. Historically, this has saved many lives in collisions and is something that is invaluable for overall fleet safety.

Urban Roads: Causes and Solutions

While rural roads are more fatal, the number of accidents, and resulting deaths, have been increasing over time. The main threats to urban roads include distractions (but in a different form), street violations, generally crowded and tight streets, and overall aggressive/reckless driving.

Distractions (Urban)

While rural roads can lead to daydreaming and dozing off, urban streets are quite the opposite. There are many new things happening every second and with everything going on, distractions are almost inevitable. Cities like Los Angeles and New York feature billboards and LED signs all over the road, tempting even the most focused drivers to see what its all about. On top of that, though, since traffic is worse in urban areas, drivers often use their phones while slowly traversing the urban environment. This becomes very dangerous, though, as even the smallest distractions can lead to a collision.

Street Violations

As brought up in our last article about Rolling Stops, approximately 50% of accidents are attributed to intersections, and many of these intersection related accidents derive from a street/traffic violation. Whether that be a rolling stop at a stop sign/red light, an illegal U-turn, improper yielding in things such as round-a-bouts, or other violations, they all add up and cause a significant number of accidents. Some of these violations come from driver’s willingly trying to rush through, but also the nature of urban streets makes it difficult to properly drive through.

Crowded and Tight Streets

Similar to street violations, the nature of urban roads allows very little room for error. A slight mistake or distraction can lead to an accident because the streets are very compact and filled with not only other drivers, but many pedestrians as well. For fleet drivers this threat is compounded with the fact that their vehicle is so big.

Aggressive/Reckless Driving

It seems that every person I know from a major city claims that drivers in their city are “crazy” or “don’t care”. And to be fair, every major city I have driven in, I have had the same reaction. In tight city streets, many drivers practice poor driving behaviors like tailgating, reckless driving, and harsh accelerations/braking. These actions inevitably lead to more accidents on the road. Considering that most of these behaviors derive from wanting to get to their destination faster, fleet drivers—who on average drive slower than everyday drivers—are even more threatened by aggressive driving because the drivers are trying to get around them and beat them to a particular spot.

Urban Roads Solutions

Urban road solutions look very similar to rural road solutions from a high level. Proper training and utilization of telematics technologies are key to ensuring safe fleets. When inspecting with a finer lens, urban road training should focus on reacting to all the different elements of the road and likewise best practices on getting through tight spaces. On the telematics side, the AI Fleet Camera Solution and FT7500 Gateway can monitor when fleet drivers make mistakes on the road and give managers video footage for things to improve. Likewise, though, it can help managers locate causes of accidents that do happen and identify whether the driver was at fault. This can be invaluable towards saving the fleet money when they are not in the wrong. But more than anything else, having these tracking solutions gives drivers more assurance on the road, which is vital in stressful driving situations like urban roads.

Conclusion

In all, both rural and urban roads pose serious threats to fleet drivers and their safety. While rural roads produce more fatalities than their urban counterparts, both require necessary training and technology to keep everyone safe. Solutions like Positioning Universal’s AI Fleet Camera and FT7500 Gateway are both amazing tools that not only assure the driver but offer game-changing insights to create a better future of fleet operations.

Cellular Frequency Bands and their Impact on Telematics

Jennifer Curley — Wed, 20 Apr 2022 20:56:06 +0000

On episode 2 of Well’s Words, Positioning Universal CEO Mark Wells briefly discussed cellular frequency bands that smart phones, as well as mobile IOT devices, use to transmit data through the network. Today we are going to dive further into cellular frequency bands and what they mean in the greater telematics picture.

In the episode, Mark Wells illustrated how mobile IOT devices have 1-3 “bands” versus smartphones that have over 30 of these bands to work on. Likewise, he mentioned that smartphones can use multiple technologies whereas mobile IOT devices usually only use 1 technology (4G LTE). So, the question is what are these “bands” and how do they work? Let us examine this question through the lens of the smartphone.

Cellular Frequency Band Basics

Before we jump into the nuts and bolts of frequency bands and how they work, let us take a step back. Smart phones are so great because they merged the ability to makes calls with the ability to access the internet. On top of that, with a smartphone, you can access the internet from anywhere, unlike your computer. Normally, accessing the internet requires an ethernet cable or Wi-Fi connection. But as seen from walking a little bit away from your connection (say your house, for example) the connection through Wi-Fi gets lost as it only stretches a limited distance.

The G’s (Generations) of Signal

The beauty of smartphones is that devices can access the internet without the need for Wi-Fi or an ethernet cable. Smartphones can connect anywhere there is a cellular connection. 3G, 4G LTE, and 5G are all different versions of this connection, or technology as Mark Wells refers to it. 5G is the fastest connection to date, but smart phones can still use the other technologies to try and connect to the internet if necessary. This is why sometimes in bad service areas your phone shows 3G service because the 4G and 5G connections do not work there. These technologies each represent the figurative tunnel/pipe that data can travel through to get to the cell tower. More on this later.

The Wave

Data travels and is communicated through radio signals. Whenever a signal is transmitted, it travels as a waveform. Each wave has a specific frequency that distinguishes it from another wave. The wave’s frequency is how many cycles of that wave are completed per second of time and is measured in Hertz (Hz). The diagram below shows how a different frequency affects the shape of the waveform. Notice how the bottom wave completes two full cycles while the top wave only completes one.

Using this example, at a high level a cellular frequency band is a range of different frequencies. When radio signals are sent out, they actually use a range of frequencies to communicate their message. The width of that range represents the “bandwidth” of the data and indicates how much data can be processed through the signal. The more bandwidth, the more data that can be processed, leading to less congestion in the network, and thus faster speeds. As an analogy, think of the bandwidth as the number of lanes on a highway. The more lanes, the faster the traffic will flow, where the traffic represents the data being sent to the cell tower. On top of that, different frequencies serve different purposes. Higher frequency bands travel faster, but only for a limited range, and are unable to penetrate barriers (buildings, hills, trees, etc.) very well. Lower frequency bands can travel farther and through barriers well but operate at slower speeds. So higher frequency bands are better suited for higher populated urban areas whereas lower frequency bands work well in more rural environments.

Looking at this, cellular carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, etc.) would want to be able to provide access to multiple different types of bands so that their user can optimally access the internet in as many places as possible. With a limited amount of radio spectrum and technological capacity, though, this makes the process a little more complex.

Cellular Frequency Bands: A Closer Look

Frequency bands in the United States are licensed to different carriers through the Federal Communication Commission (FCC). While some bands are solely licensed to a specific carrier, most bands are split up into different “blocks” that each carrier can use. This way, multiple carriers can have access to bands that operate at certain frequencies and provide better performance. Each block consists of a group of one or more channels. A channel is a range of frequencies. Now I know we said bands were a range of frequencies, so what is the difference? Well, at a high level, cellular frequency bands represent a range of frequencies used to send data. But digging deeper, channels are the range of frequencies that live underneath the umbrella of bands.

The true definition of a band is that it is one or more similar channels that are grouped together and labeled as one band for convenience and licensing. These channels have a certain width, which determines the bandwidth, and the frequencies they cover can overlap with other channels in the band. From here, to allow multiple carriers, a band is broken up into different blocks, all containing those same channels, so that more carriers can use the band without interference.

To visualize how this works, let us look at the figure of a town community below. In this community we see a central road and two neighborhoods containing three loops of different houses that are of varying sizes.

Radio Spectrum = Central Road

The central road represents the radio spectrum that consists of all the different frequencies of waves. This spectrum gets sliced into different “neighborhoods” or frequency bands.

Neighborhood = Frequency Band

The neighborhood represents a frequency band. It takes up a specific amount of distance along the road, which is a specific range of frequencies.

Loops = Blocks

Each loop can be thought of as a different block. The blocks have the same houses within them and act as subdivisions of the neighborhood. Note that frequency bands are not required to have blocks, and that some frequency bands do not have blocks.

Houses = Channels

The houses represent channels. Each channel contains frequencies within the band’s specified range.

House Size = Bandwidth

The size of the house, or channel, can be thought of as the bandwidth. Notice how house 2 in the first neighborhood is bigger than house 1. This would mean this channel’s bandwidth is higher. Think about how with house 2, more people (or data) can fit in it, and by doing that, faster speeds result.
To increase bandwidth further, a method called carrier aggregation was developed. This allowed up to eight channels to be merged to support an even wider range of frequencies and reach peak bandwidths.

With this visual, we can see what frequency bands are and how they are organized in the radio spectrum. But a few questions/uncertainties might still be lingering. For instance, why do signals travel in a range of frequency? Also, where does 5G (and the other technologies for that matter) factor in?

Data Modulation

As we have now learned, frequency bands contain different channels that support a range of frequencies and that range represents the channel’s bandwidth. But why exactly does each channel need a range of frequencies to send a message? This is because when sending data, the signal wave undergoes a process called data modulation. Data is represented in binary code, which is a list of 0’s and 1’s. So, to translate that to a frequency wave that can be sent to a cell tower, the device uses a base “carrier” wave and adjusts it. By changing the frequency when a binary 1 is present, the wave now can carry the binary message that the cell tower can actually read and convert back to a digital signal. The main goal of data modulation is to squeeze as much data into the limited bandwidth present in the channels. Below is a figure that shows a form of digital modulation called Frequency Shift Keying (FSK).

In phones today an optimized process of modulation, combined with multiplexing, is used, called Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM). This process involves creating sub-channels within the channel, with each having its own sub-carrier waves to send the signal. These sub-carrier waves are positioned orthogonally from each other to avoid interference. This method creates a very high spectral efficiency and minimizes signal loss.

Where does 5G come in?

5G technology comes into play at the channel level and works to increase the bandwidth of those channels. 4G technologies normally operate with 20MHz wide channels, and 5G manages to handle 100MHz to 400MHz wide channels. Even more, 5G utilizes more advanced communication protocols that lowers latency—the time it takes for a request to be sent to a server and come back—down from ~53 milliseconds with 4G technology to below 30 milliseconds with 5G. Also factoring into 5G’s lower latency is its incorporation of channels with much higher frequencies than 4G ever had. While 4G technology supported channels in the range of 700-2500MHz, 5G technology is adopting frequency bands in the 25+ GHz range (as well as still having the lower bands present in 4G). Overall, with faster data and more bandwidth, 5G can serve more users quicker, which is something more and more needed as people continue to use more and more IOT devices. With 4G technology, roughly 4,000 devices can be supported per square kilometer, but with 5G technology 1 million devices per square kilometer can be connected.

Tying it all Together

Using this information, we can see the obstacles that Mark Wells indicates in the episode. Smartphones have access to lots of different frequency bands to try and connect to cell towers. They can even “roam” and use other carrier’s blocks to try and connect. Mobile IOT devices, such as the solutions provided by Positioning Universal, only have access to one or maybe a few frequency bands and only one technology (4G LTE). Since different frequencies work better in different geographies/environments, this poses a big connectivity challenge. However, Positioning Universal thrives on working through this limitation and still providing exceptional connectivity and real-time speeds. Every product undergoes thousands of miles of road testing in many different environments and geographies. Also, Positioning Universal offers unparalleled cloud-based device management. By diligently handling all over-the-air programming of deployed devices—including software updates and settings changes—each device reliably connects and delivers all of its critical information no matter what condition.

What is Telematics?

Jennifer Curley — Wed, 20 Apr 2022 20:41:08 +0000

Telematics is the merging of the terms telecommunications and informatics. The “tele” comes from telecommunications and the “matics” is from informatics. Therefore, telematics is by definition the combination of those two terms.

Telecommunications is the transmission of information from different types of technologies through fast mediums such as wire, radio, satellite, or other electromagnetic systems. Basically, telecommunications are any form of communication done in a fast way using some sort of electricity. This allows us to communicate with people far away but at the same speed as if they were close. Examples include listening to your favorite radio station from Los Angeles when you are in San Diego, texting your family member happy birthday from a different state, and even older forms such as sending a telegram.

Informatics is the study of the structure, behavior, and interactions of natural and engineered computational systems. This is essentially information processing—or looking at how a device computes data and what it does with that data. For example, part of informatics could be looking at how a calculator returns 4 when a user types in 2 x 2. Or it can dive deeper into how a computer reads in binary data and runs different programs from it.

Telematics, then, deals with both the processing of information and resulting communication of that processed information. This term sprung about in the 1970s and has vastly grown as telecommunications networks have spiked with the emergence of the internet. Telematics help in many different fields, including fleet management.

Telematics in Vehicles

In the fleet management field, telematics and vehicle telematics are often synonymous. Vehicle telematics deals with devices processing vehicle information and communicating that to an outside source. External devices such as Positioning Universal’s FT7500 utilize vehicle telematics to provide fleet managers accurate GPS tracking and other valuable metrics. Likewise, using video telematics, devices such as the AI Fleet Camera Solution provide another angle of analysis by communicating video footage of important events to fleet managers.

How Telematics Work

The process of vehicle telematics at a higher level goes through 5 steps. In the figure below, we show the telematics process of GPS trackingcl.

Data Processing
Device processes data to be communicated to the end user
For GPS tracking, this will be done via satellite signals sent to the vehicle. This is done automatically without any request from the device.
Other actions use cloud computing or edge processing, which is where the device needs certain information and computes either using the cloud or by itself. Learn more here about edge vs cloud computing
Vehicle communication
Device sends the data (GPS position in our example) to a secure server through a Telecommunications company via wireless connection (or satellite communications)
Telecommunication Company
The Telco manages this communication between vehicle and secure server
Server to Browser
Secure server receives information and uses the internet to upload the information to any computer requesting the information
This is usually accessed through a user interface that a fleet uses
User Receives Information
You receive the information from any device that connects to the internet
Information is real-time and accessible from any location

Benefits of Telematics

Telematics offer a surplus of benefits, and almost all of them center around helping the fleet manager do their job best. The main benefits include fleet safety, visibility, cost reduction, and maintenance optimization.

Safety

Fleet safety is one of the most important benefits that telematics solutions can offer. Keeping drivers safe from thousands of miles away is a very difficult task, but telematics allows fleet managers to keep track of their drivers as if they were in the passenger seat. Features from devices like Positioning Universal’s FT7500 allow fleet managers to see when drivers are exhibiting good or bad driving behavior and adjust them accordingly through customized training programs. Likewise the AI Fleet Camera Solution allows managers to identify collision risks and other driving violations, and receive in cab as well as on road vision of those events.

Visibility

As illustrated through the GPS example above, fleet managers can have increased, real-time visibility of where all of their fleet drivers are. Having this visibility allows for better response times to trip issues (accident, vehicle failure, etc.) and adds to overall fleet safety of drivers.

Cost Reduction

Telematics can greatly reduce fuel costs by relaying the vehicle’s fuel consumption and idling time. By being able to monitor this, as well as the driver’s route performance, fleets can now save immensely on fuel costs as fleet drivers can adjust their routes to be more fuel efficient and managers can work with drivers to minimize vehicle idling time.

Maintenance Optimization

Since telematics devices such as the FT7500 connect to the vehicle through the CAN Bus, the device can utilize telematics to easily communicate diagnostic data such as engine load, fuel consumption, and more so that managers can set up a better schedule for maintenance checks. Have consistent, real-time reports of this information allows for smoother scheduling and less on road delays from uncaught vehicle issues.

Conclusion

In all, telematics deal with both processing information and then communicating that information to whoever needs it. By harnessing this process, vehicles can better communicate what is happening on the road. This helps fleet management operations immensely as vehicles thousands of miles away can be very well monitored on a real-time basis, which can not only help the fleet save on costs and maintenance, but more importantly can keep drivers and managers better connected and safer.

What is Edge Processing and its Role in Video Telematics?

Jennifer Curley — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 20:34:29 +0000

When I first read the term “Edge Processing” I will admit that I did not even try to comprehend what it meant. It comes off as a highly technical term that is for the engineers to know and me to benefit from. However, understanding the basics of edge processing helps a lot with understanding our future roadmap in connectivity as well.

In its simplest form, edge processing is a method for IOT (internet of things) devices to process data that it collects. These devices can be anything that collects data. Vehicles contain a plethora of these devices—just think of all the data being collected every second the car is turned on, especially now with innovative assisted driving technologies. Let us focus on one example to explore edge processing and other ways to process data.

Lane Assist Technology & Edge Processing

Lane assist technology is a great and innovative feature that monitors the cars position on the road and detects if a driver is unintentionally leaving their lane. This is especially helpful for fleet drivers who log lots of hours on the road and can be vulnerable to drifting from fatigue or distraction while driving. But how does the car do this?

At its core, a camera is placed in the windshield of a car and picks up the lane markings—the white or yellow lines contrasted by the dark surface of the road. Should the car start getting too close to these lines without having their turn signal on, an alarm of some sort (beep, visual, vibrating wheel, etc.) will trigger and if the driver fails to correct the car’s position, the vehicle will re-center the car on its own.

To do this, data is constantly being collected and processed in real time. There are two main ways that vehicles make this happen: cloud processing and edge processing.

Cloud Processing-

The way cloud processing works is that the device collects the data (in this case the camera collecting the footage it sees on the road) and sends it to a cloud processing server that then executes the processing and sends back any action items if necessary (alerting the driver they are drifting).

Edge Processing-

Using edge processing, the device would handle the processing right there at the device level and only send a result signal to the cloud. So instead of sending the footage to the cloud, a message saying “good position” or “alerted” would be sent to the server. This is mostly for logging purposes so people can look back on what happened. In all, the data is processed on the “edge” instead of at a central cloud server.

To imagine this concept, refer to the figure above. All the pipes/tunnels are connections from the different devices and the nucleus is the cloud server. Handling data on the edge is like going to the very edge of each pipe and putting a processor there, which means in the device. The data no longer needs to travel through the pipe and back for an action to be taken.

Cloud vs. Edge Processing

Both cloud and edge processing have different advantages and disadvantages.

Latency: Edge processing allows for data to be processed much faster. Normal cloud computing will take 200 milliseconds for the data to travel to the server, amounting to a roughly one fifth of a second latency period (event to response time). In our lane assist example, that can be life or death. In that time the car can be well into the other lane and potentially crashing into another vehicle. Edge processing takes less than 10 milliseconds to respond to an event, allowing for real time responses in critical situations like our example.

Device Cost: Devices that use edge processing will cost more than cloud computing devices since they need to capabilities to process data within itself. Because of this, cloud computing can be advantages for noncritical functions that are not affected by delayed response times. Examples of this can be in car entertainment.

Network Bandwidth: Edge processing is not only fast, but it also vastly reduces the amount of data sent to the cloud server, which ultimately saves on storage and costs. For our example, using cloud computing would mean sending raw images of 1000KB+ size constantly. Most of these images would be insignificant but would take up a very large amount of storage and cost a lot to store and handle. Edge computing sends a result message of only a few bytes, saving both storage and resulting costs from it.

Internet Connection Dependency: For cloud computing to function, it needs stable connection to the internet. However, roads are not always in areas of good service. But we still need to keep drivers safe regardless of service or not. Edge processing does not solely depend on the internet connection as it can process the data without the need for the cloud server. So, lane assist would still be able to work using edge processing.

Taking this into consideration, devices can be optimized to save money without costing performance. For solutions such as Positioning Universal’s AI Fleet Camera Solution, edge processing is utilized to produce real time results that can have life saving impacts on their drivers. By utilizing edge processing, every alert triggered can instantly go to the driver and help them avoid potentially dangerous situations. Likewise, this allows for minimal storage as the device can dictate what needs to be recorded and uploaded to the cloud based on whether the event is a “critical event” or not. We have all seen the skits of security guards skimming through hours of security footage to find what they are looking for, but with edge processing, the AI Fleet Camera Solution allows fleet managers the ability to skip the unwanted footage and have cloud access to important events in high resolution video.

Edge Processing and 5G

While edge processing right now means more expensive parts for the device, the future looks to mitigate that and lower latency even further. Right now, edge processing is used with 4G technologies as 5G is still being fully fleshed out, especially in the vehicle telematics world.

To visualize what this means, lets zoom into our initial pipe and nucleus diagram. 5G and 4G in cloud computing describe how fast the data can travel through each pipe (with 5G being a much faster method). However, the actual data does not necessarily move faster, but rather the pipe is like a freeway for the data, and the data now has more lanes on the freeway with 5G.

Since 5G is not fully accessible yet, edge processing allows similar speeds to 5G while still operating under the 4G atmosphere. But we still have the problem with the more expensive hardware. Likewise, when 5G does become fully accessible, it also has non-latency related flaws that edge computing solves (network bandwidth and no-coverage areas). So, the future of IOT data processing actually involves a merging of both technologies.

5G widens the pipe for data to move faster, and edge processing shortens the pipe so the data needs to travel less distance. The future of 5G is merging both aspects into one system. Instead of adopting hardware into the device itself, edge-processing servers will be installed locally to vastly decrease the distance the data needs to travel. In our example of vehicle telematics, local servers will be placed alongside roads just like normal cell towers. From there the data will be processed and the action items sent back to the device while also sending the result and any other relevant data to the main cloud server.

It is the best of both worlds. Only minimal and significant data will be uploaded to the cloud, everything will be done faster, and device cost will be lowered. Utilizing both edge and 5G cloud computing will unlock even more capabilities while also driving costs down. For drivers and fleets as a whole, that means less collisions and safer roads.

What is the CAN Bus?

Jennifer Curley — Mon, 15 Mar 2021 20:29:23 +0000

Cars have drastically evolved since their creation. Instead of being internal combustion engines with four wheels and a seat, cars like the Tesla boast large computers on their dashboards and doors with no handles. Even more, cars can drive themselves.

Drivers continue to reap the benefits of technological advancement and never even notice all the inner workings that make it possible. Cars contain vast amounts of features, triggers, buttons, sensors, and more to bring one cohesive driving experience. We never even stop to think how when we change our gear to “reverse” the dashboard screen shows the backup camera footage. Or how when we finish a turn the blinker automatically stops blinking. One might say, “well there is a connection from the gear to the screen, telling it to read in the backup camera when the gear is on the reverse position”. While that could work, think about all the connections that would be needed for every feature the car brings. Connecting each feature would create a labyrinth of connections that would be impossible to wire. So how do we have million feature cars? The answer is the CAN Bus.

CAN Bus Overview

The Controller Area Network (CAN) Bus is like the nervous system of the car. The devices in the vehicle, or Electronic Control units (ECUs), are like the parts of the body that both transmit and receive information through the CAN Bus. Some ECUs include airbags, audio systems, and power steering. In cars today, there are 80 or more ECUs. The CAN Bus allows each of them to communicate without needing to all be connected to one another. The CAN Bus offers a centralized path for ECUs to transmit messages to one another.

As seen in the diagrams above, with the CAN Bus, the wiring is much simpler and because of that, more low cost and efficient. Every ECU can communicate with each other through a centralized system.

CAN Bus Nuts & Bolts

In the CAN Bus network, there exits two lines that complete the network, CAN High and CAN Low. These are bookended by resistors (acting as terminals) to prevent data from being reflected from the lines and echoed back in (which would cause interference). Each ECU has three parts that play roles in the CAN Bus: CAN Controller, CAN Transceiver, and CAN Node (the microcomputer inside the ECU). In a functioning CAN Bus, the three interact based on whether they receive or send a message in the network.

ECU Sends a message:

CAN Node (microcomputer) sends transfer data to the CAN Controller
CAN Controller sends data to CAN Transceiver
CAN Transceiver processes data and converts it to electrical signals that then get sent out into CAN Bus data lines

ECU Receives a message:

CAN Transceiver receives message from CAN Bus data lines
CAN Transceiver converts data and sends it to CAN Controller
CAN Controller receives data from Transceiver, processes it and relays the data to the CAN Node
CAN Node checks to see if data received is important for their functions or not
If data is important, data is accepted and processed
If data is not important, data is ignored

Each CAN Bus message in the network is called a CAN frame. These frames can either be broadcast to all ECUs in the CAN Bus, or they can be directed to specific ECU. The standard CAN frame has the same 8 field format.

Standard CAN Frame Structure

SOF: Start of Frame. Signals the beginning of a frame with a dominant ‘0’ bit (versus the recessive ‘1’ state).
Message ID: Defines the priority of the message based on which CAN Node is delivering the frame. The lower the number, the higher the priority. Standard arbitration ID’s are 11 bits and Extended arbitration ID’s are 29 bits. The ID is based on the Node, and not the actual message being delivered. Lower priority CAN Nodes must wait for openings to transmit their messages.
RTR: Remote Transmission Request. Part of the arbitration portion of a message frame. Indicates whether the message frame is a data frame or a remote frame (“0” for data frame and “1” for remote request frame).
Control: Consists of six bits. It includes the data length code (4 bits) and two bits reserved for future expansion. Shows how items of data are being sent in the frame. Allows receiving nodes to verify that they have received all the information sent.
Data: Contains the data being transferred. Can be anywhere from 0-64 bits.
CRC: Cyclic Redundancy Check. This field is to make sure there are no transfer faults, also called Safety Field.
ACK: Acknowledge Field (or Confirmation Field). Sends a signal to transmitting node that the message was received. Likewise, if an error is detected, the transmitter is notified of the error and resends the data.
EOF: End of Frame. Marks the end of the CAN frame.

CAN Bus Implementation in a Vehicle

As mentioned earlier, modern vehicles have up to 80 or more ECUs. While the CAN Bus offers a much more efficient method of ECU communication than point to point, handling 80+ ECUs through one CAN Bus channel could lead to information backup. To mitigate this problem, there are several CAN Bus systems that feature in a vehicle, and they are grouped by priority and function. These groups include Powertrain, Body, Comfort, Chassis, and more. These subnetworks can be connected by a gateway that allows for communication between CAN Buses if necessary. This gateway is normally the Body computer but can also be the Instrument Cluster or a different computer.

Each subnetwork operates on a different speed (low, medium, and high) based on the priority of their data/functions. For example, the CAN Bus controlling Engine data would operate on a high-speed network since its data is very high priority and critical for the car to properly function. A low-speed CAN Bus would feature ECUs such as interior lighting, in-cab entertainment, etc. High speed CAN Bus networks are the most expensive, so creating lower speed buses with less critical devices helps cut costs while maintaining efficiency.

CAN Bus Compatibility with External Devices

The centralized CAN Bus system allows for easy implementation of external telematics devices such as Positioning Universal’s FT7500. The FT7500 syncs to the vehicle through simple, seamless installation and then can read data from all the ECUs present in the vehicle. From there, the FT7500 reads the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and sends it to the cloud. where it is parsed. Then a file is returned that allows the FT7500 to read custom parameters from that specific vehicle. This allows for exceptional customization of monitoring from vehicle to vehicle, optimizing fleet management.

Conclusion

The CAN Bus allows for a centralized, efficient method for car devices to communicate from one to the other. By creating this centralized system, external devices like the FT7500 and its paired AI Fleet Camera Solution can seamlessly connect and access critical data from all the ECUs in the vehicle, tremendously improving fleet management and fleet safety.

Fleet Management: Keeping Drivers Safe and Operations Efficient

Jennifer Curley — Mon, 15 Mar 2021 20:20:59 +0000

Fleet trucks traverse from the coastal interstates in Los Angeles, to the rural highways in Indiana, to the bustling freeways in New York all to fulfil our essential operations. Fleets bring us our Amazon “coffee-making alarm clock” and edible “relationship savors”, but also our food, our water, and very relevant today, our medicine. Through the power of fleets, we are able to globally connect the world and solve problems that seem impossible to solve.

Take the COVID-19 vaccine. Each different vaccine required a different incubation temperature, had a different shelf life, were all vitally important, and required unrealistic urgency. However, logistics companies and fleets around the country tackled this problem and now we have an expedited timeline of full vaccination set at end of May. Fleets are crucial to our existence as an interconnected society and are the well-oiled machine in fulfillment.

Fleet Managers

Fleet managers exist to take on the labyrinth of fleet operations and create a sustainable system for companies to excel. Fleet Managers oversee things such as vehicle maintenance, fuel consumption, driver management, vehicle acquisition and disposition, among other things.

Fleet Management Roles

Fleet Strategy

The first role and responsibility in fleet management is developing a strategy for the fleet. This takes the shape of setting specific goals and priorities for the fleet. Each fleet will have a different strategy as they serve different functions and have different makeups. One example of this includes fleets deciding whether to purchase or lease vehicles. Generally, though, fleet strategy centers around safety and efficiency for their drivers, as well as cost optimization for their operations.

Fleet Acquisition & Services

Acquisition- The next role of fleet management acts on the fleet strategy: acquiring the fleet vehicles. In this, managers must consider the benefits and losses of purchasing used or new vehicles, the make and model of the vehicle (and class of vehicle their drivers are eligible to drive), and the branding for these vehicles. Acquiring the vehicles is crucial because every vehicle acquired is now a representation of the company.

On top of that, fleet managers must properly forecast how many vehicles to acquire to effectively complete their operations. Besides just the appearance of the fleet, properly predicting the vehicle’s lifespan and load capabilities are essential to having successful fleet acquisition, and ultimately optimizing the cost of the inventory.

Services- Fleet services include registration and registration renewal of the vehicles, as well as monitoring and adjusting overall fleet structure. Proper fleet management is a continuous process of restructuring the fleet strategy to better execute the company’s end goals. This can mean rebalancing the fleet, relocating certain vehicles, and constantly being proactive to prepare for the future.

Vehicle & Driver Management

Maintenance- Maintenance of fleet vehicles helps extend the vehicle life, saving money in the long run. Good fleet management not only repairs and fixes problems in vehicles swiftly but takes preventative maintenance measures to avoid long repairs. This can range from proper driving practices to routine checkups and constant monitoring.

Energy- Energy management, like maintenance management, can save or lose companies huge sums of money. An integral responsibility of fleet management is to monitor fuel usage and continuously look for ways to become more fuel efficient. Some fleets travel immense amounts of miles every day, leading to massive expenses on fuel. When fleet managers can identify ways to save gas (optimized routes, sustainable energy sources, etc.) it can vastly help their bottom line. On top of that, today incentives are increasing in transforming the fleet to a more sustainable model, one that contributes a smaller carbon footprint overall. Fleet managers are responsible for planning an eco-friendlier future.

Driver & Safety

Safety- Safety is another integral responsibility and challenge of the fleet manager. Safety of every driver can be very difficult when drivers are hundreds of miles away from the fleet manager. However, it is still extremely important to keep drivers safe. Technology like Positioning Universal’s FT7500 and AI Fleet Camera Solution can heavily help with fleet safety and will be described more in the next section. Other practices such as driver policies, education, and testing also help prepare and ensure a safe fleet. Another effective practice includes rewarding safe drivers and incentivizing safe driving practices.

Driver- Driver management extends beyond just driver safety though. The truck driver life is a unique experience, and fleet managers find ways to keep their drivers motivated and excited about their work. Driver retention is very important in the fleet world today. Especially because there is a truck driver shortage nationwide.

Technology

Technology allows for fleet managers to execute and optimize things never before possible. Devices like Positioning Universal’s FT7500 and AI Fleet Camera Solution allow fleet managers to monitor driver location, behavior, and even allow for better fuel optimization. Fleet managers may be hundreds of miles away from their respective drivers, but with technology they can sit in the passenger seat with all of them (this will link to other blog post about advantage of dual facing dash cam).

Disposition

The final responsibility of the fleet manager is disposing (reselling in most cases) of vehicles. This requires managers to know when the right time to sell is and where the right place to sell is. Fleet managers maximize the resale value of their vehicles to decrease the loss of that vehicle and help acquire a new replacement vehicle. Properly executing this function allows for a seamless transition of vehicles with minimal down time.

Conclusion

Fleet management is a very crucial role for a very crucial function. Fleet efficiency and consistency is vital to the functioning of our country and economy, and fleet managers ensure both. While a daunting task, technology such as the FT7500 and AI Fleet Camera Solution simplifies fleet management and allows for fleet managers to make confident decisions and keep their drivers as safe and productive as possible.

The Advantages of a Dual-Facing Dashboard Truck Camera

Jennifer Curley — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 19:33:23 +0000

In the fleet management sector, dash cameras have proven to be more beneficial than not. Critics of the dash camera fear and argue that it will only cause more damage to the company because it will showcase all the faults of their fleet drivers and end up hurting them in a future lawsuit. However, truck drivers are very safe, trained drivers. In fact, the American Truck Association found that 80% of truck related crashes were actually caused by passenger cars. The University of Michigan reported 81%. With that said, the dash camera can help bring the truth to the scene and more often than not, protect the driver and the company from financial burdens.

What exactly is so beneficial about dash cameras though? Do they really provide significant insights that cannot already be found? Do they really help the fleet owner’s pockets? The quick answer is yes, absolutely. Dashboard truck cameras not only record footage of the road, but they also offer many intangibles that help fleet drivers and owners. Jeffery Oster, partner with Vaughan Baio & Partners, recounts two stories where dash cam footage helped save companies from financial ruin in ways nobody could have expected. In the first story, the truck camera captured footage after an accident and saved one company from having to pay false injury expenses as it showed the passenger walking around unaffected by the accident. In the second story, the camera’s scope showed the reflection of a closed device on the truck’s windshield, proving that the driver was not driving while distracted when the collision occurred. In both cases the outward facing camera helped in unorthodox ways, but also hinted at some of its limitations as well. Seeing the road has significant advantages, but incorporating a second, inward facing camera can help even more.

Dual Camera vs. Regular Dash Camera

As it alludes to in the name, the dual-facing dashboard camera has two cameras that capture both the road, and likewise the cabin. This adds the ability to see how the driver reacts to road events and to see what they were doing when the critical event occurred. Solutions like the AI Fleet Camera Solution from Positioning Universal execute this concept.

To see why this matters lets revisit the closed device situation. The outward facing solution was only able to capture this pivotal evidence because it happened to reflect off the windshield. However, what if there was no reflection? What if the device were on the ground and not on the seat (where it could reflect off the windshield)? What if on that particular camera they installed it a little higher on the dashboard? What if? Then, the evidence is lost, and the fleet pays. However, the dual camera captures this evidence regardless of where the device is. The inward facing camera records the entire cabin, so the device will be seen without need for a reflection. If the device was on the floor, then the inward facing camera would still show the driver not looking at the ground continuously and prove the point indirectly.

In this case as well, thanks to emerging technologies, the AI Fleet Camera Solution will be able to use its footage to detect distracted driving on its own, a feature impossible with only the outward facing camera. Dual facing cameras take away any doubt and allows fleets escape lawsuit hits due to ambiguity, which prove very, very costly. But more importantly, dual-facing dash cameras insurmountably help with collision prevention.

Dual Facing Cameras for Safe Driving and Collision Prevention

Dual-facing dashboard truck cameras offer a surplus of advantages. Specifically, the complete AI Fleet Camera Solution enhances the dash camera experience and takes a step further with collision prevention features powered by video telematics. These features include:

Ability to capture both the road and the cabin
Enhanced driver scoring capabilities with vision inside of the cabin
Collision risk calculation, monitoring, and in cab notification to drivers
Emerging distracted driving detection utilizing the inward facing camera
Seamless video upload to the cloud for remote access

All these features create invaluable advantages for fleet management. First, it incentivizes drivers to not engage in distractions on the road and practice safe driving habits such as not speeding and/or tailgating. Fleet managers can also diagnose problems easier before they become costly. Cabin views allow fleet managers to catch bad driving practices and address them with the drivers before an accident occurs. And in the meantime, the dash cams utilize AI to help drivers prevent accidents through real time in cab alerts of dangerous situations (i.e. collision risk). But, if something does happen, the cloud footage upload allows fleet managers to access the content and assess the event quickly and send support even if the truck is thousands of miles away. All these things can save lives in a dangerous profession. Dash cams can catch the mistakes drivers make, but more importantly, they significantly help in the bigger mission of fleet management: fleet driver safety.

The Electric Vehicle Revolution and the Future of Fleet Vehicles

Jennifer Curley — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 19:07:52 +0000

Electric vehicles have sparked a new era in the automotive manufacturing industry. Every car manufacturer seems to be joining the movement quickly before they are left behind. Companies like Ford and GM recently announced new Electric models of their engine revving, tailpipe roaring F150 and Hummer, a paradox symbolizing the new era unlike any other. Both are set to release sometime in 2022, and the first edition of the Hummer has already sold out. It is clear that companies like Tesla have proven the high demand for electric vehicles and have likewise shown they can be successful in more than just a sedan.

Even in the trucking and fleet world, electric vehicles are emerging quickly. Amazon has committed to EV vehicles as part of their “zero emission” goal, purchasing 100,000 EV trucks to be fully implemented by 2030. Also, the California Air Resources Board is investing $45 million in EV trucks into companies such as Volvo Trucks, and already has 5 electric trucks in Southern California with more coming in the future. But the grass is not all green. Right now these current trucks are for short trips, and even with significant innovations in the car batteries, the trucks can only travel 150 miles per day. Compounded with that is the nuanced question of how sustainable and truly eco-friendly EV really is. Both issues pose serious questions and obstacles in the fleet world, an industry that contributes immensely to the overall carbon footprint in the United States.

EV Trucks and the Open Road

The open road. Everyone can visualize it. One to two lanes on each side, and nothing anywhere else. And long. Very, very long.

Open roads connect cities to other cities and are one of the main reasons we can grow corn in Nebraska and enjoy it at our Bar-B-Que in sunny San Diego. That corn travels approximately 1,395 miles (according to Google Maps) to feel the sizzle of the propane tank and smell the salt of the west coast beaches. However, corn, like all produce, does not live forever. Because of this, fleet managers and businesses optimize their fleet systems to traverse those thousands of miles in minimal time. So, tasks like this make EV trucks unusable. At peak innovation today, the 150 mile estimate before recharge would put distribution of this corn at 9.3 days. Uncooked corn, even when properly refrigerated, last about 5-7 days after harvest.

Even for goods that do not perish, the economic hit of extending trip times/days renders EV useless for longer trips, and even medium length day trips. 14 hours is the maximum a truck driver can drive consecutively. Feasibly a driver could make the 5 hour 51 minute trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco and back within 1 workday. However, with the EV truck that trip would take 3 days just to reach San Francisco as the route is 380 miles. The lost productivity makes for drastic economic hits and deteriorated operations systems. So, while the EV revolution continues to roar on, the fleet world still has to progress a lot before being feasible. Also, we need to ensure EV is the proper investment to make.

Eco-Friendly & EV

The most advertised reason for the creation and rapidly growing traction of EVs is that they are sustainable and eco-friendly. Electric Vehicles produce zero tailpipe emissions. Meanwhile, regular gas-powered vehicles account for approximately 23% of all U.S. carbon dioxide emissions. The disparity is staggering. However, electricity itself faces a battle with sustainability. Electricity is overwhelmingly produced from fossil fuels (61%), amounting to 27% of all U.S. carbon dioxide emissions. The entire renewable energy movement began with ways to substitute electricity production. So, electric vehicles are not enitrely emission free. Coupled with the residual emissions and pollution from battery manufacturing, EVs might not be the saving grace to eco-friendly transportation that it advertises.

Overall, though, that same Forbes article illustrates how electric vehicles are still more eco-friendly than its gas-powered counterparts. But not nearly as much as hoped for, and certainly not worth revolution. That is unless we can revolutionize electricity production. As shown in this graph, the total emissions of the electric powered Nissan Leaf varied by country. This is based on where their electricity is pulled from. Norway’s main source of electricity is hydropower, which means the electricity put into the Nissan (its fuel cycle) produces zero emissions. However, the U.S. has one of the largest fuel cycles because of our dependence on fossil fuels.

While it looks bad on the surface, this is actually the gleaming light. If renewable energy can surpass fossil fuel in electricity production, then EVs will truly serve as the eco-friendly transportation solution that it is advertised as right now. EVs are necessary for the uphill battle of sustainable and eco-friendly transportation. But it is renewable energy that must be revolutionized for EVs to shine.

In the fleet world, many obstacles exist in becoming emission free and truly eco-friendly, but never bet against innovation. It is how we can enjoy corn on the beach.

The Midwest Cold Storm and its Effects on the Fleet World

Jennifer Curley — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 19:04:37 +0000

This past week the Midwest has been hit with a devastating cold storm. Many power plants have been shut down due to the icy conditions. The entire state of Texas now faces an electricity crisis as millions of people are without power and rolling blackouts continue. To make matters even worse, a power shortage does not just mean houses without electricity, but also the forced shut down of many of the vital services that our communities depend on. Many of the automotive companies such as Ford, GM, and Honda have shut down operations because of the conditions, and likewise companies like Walmart shut down nearly 500 locations across the Midwest region. In the technology era we live in today, power leaves its footprint in almost everything we do, and when diminished, ripples into devastating consequences everywhere.

The Cold Storm and Fleets

What does this mean for fleets? Icy roads, freezing conditions, and power shortages have all harshly affected the fleets in the Midwest. Even the biggest fleets that service the United States have been substantially hit. According to the New York Times, FedEx’s largest site hub in Memphis has been “substantially disrupted”. This hub normally sorts through 500,000 packages and documents every hour. Likewise, the USPS has shut down post offices, hubs, and other facilities across several states including Texas and Alabama.

Impact of Logistics Fleet Delays

For fleets like FedEx and the USPS, a closure in the Midwest damages more than just that region. These mega-fleet companies service the entire country and optimize their service through main “hubs” that sort and distribute the packages. With a lot of these hubs, and especially their bigger hubs, located in the Midwest, other regions outside of the cold storm are affected as well. Drivers can no longer access the packages from these hubs due to closure, and likewise are not able to distribute the packages they do have access to because of the severe weather conditions. UPS expects delays in non-affected regions due to this. But the Nike sweatpants you ordered from online is only a small price to pay from these delivery delays. Even the massive economic hits are not the worst effect of the cold storm delaying distribution.

Now more than ever, logistics and fleet distribution are pivotal in the United States. For almost a year now, we as a country—and world—have been isolated from many of the things that make life special. But as of mid-December 2020, hope seemed on the horizon. A variety of companies created vaccines to protect against COVID-19, and next came a call to action for massive distribution and vaccination as quickly as possible. Extreme efforts have been made to ramp up vaccine distribution, totaling more than 65.9 million distributed doses as of February 11, 2020. However, because of the cold storm, vaccine distribution is being delayed. States and cities delaying/shutting down vaccination sites include:

Chicago
Florida
Ohio
Colorado
Pennsylvania

More delays across more states are likely to ensue as well. Unfortunately, the vaccines have short shelf lives, meaning these delays could cause the spoiling of massive amounts of vaccines that could save lives.

What we can Learn

In terms of fleet safety, shocking situations like this illustrate the immense need for centralized ways to track and monitor all fleet vehicles. The cold storm did not hit when all fleet vehicles were in the garage and drivers safely in their homes. Being able to monitor and see exactly where the driver is and what their conditions are is vital to quickly problem solve when unexpected events arrive. Using technology such as the AI Fleet Camera Solution paired with its FT7500 gateway, every fleet manager can be assured of accurate GPS tracking and notification—with dual camera footage—of critical events that happen on the road.

What makes the cold storm in Texas so damaging is the shock of the event and resulting unpreparedness. Having the right technology in place can help alleviate the damage of unexpected events, and more importantly help keep drivers safe.