The Internet of Things (IoT) has become one of the most comprehensive solutions for locating and managing vehicle fleets. In fact, experts project that IoT technologies will have a $1.9 trillion impact on the transportation and logistics industry. With so much opportunity, it makes sense that so many companies are looking for IoT fleet management solutions that can help them not just manage their fleets, but grow them. For many companies, this transformation is already underway with 70% of retail and manufacturing companies already starting an IoT project to modernize their logistics operations.
SafeTransport is using Particle to bring the field of fleet management to the school commute. With Particle’s asset tracker, SafeTransport allows school administrators to remotely track and monitor school buses in real time. Administrators can monitor drivers’ speeds, identify which buses are behind schedule, communicate proactively with parents, and more.
SafeTransporter’s fleet management interface
With Particle, SafeTransport was able to cut its per-unit costs in half, and improve the stability and functionality of their service. After the success of their first three school districts, SafeTransport is set to expand their operations to more school districts in the region.
IoT + Fleet Management = Success
With the right IoT solution in place, enterprises can connect their operations, allowing them to track their assets remotely, be alerted the moment something starts to go wrong and gain real-time visibility of their fleet management systems. Here are some well-known benefits of using IoT-based fleet management:
- Companies can maximize vehicle uptime by monitoring vitals and taking preemptive actions when warning signs occur.
- Fleet management can reduce maintenance and fuel costs because companies can respond to vehicle issues remotely rather than deploying a technician.
- Companies can ensure compliance by monitoring temperature sensitive packages with IoT sensors and trackers.
- Firms can monitor driving habits and suggest optimal routes to help drivers avoid traffic and more.
Developing a fleet management system
There are many fleet management services out there that organizations can use. But, if you’re looking to develop your own internal asset tracking system, Particle offers a number of hardware solutions to get you started on your fleet tracking journey.
Developing your own intelligent fleet management system has a few key benefits. First, you can easily customize and tailor a solution to meet your organization’s specific needs. You will not be tied to a rigid system that cannot adapt to your fleet’s evolving and shifting requirements. Second, you can scale new revenue channels by having open access to any business or performance data you need, and integrate these data streams into your existing analytics platforms.
Benefits of Using Particle for fleet tracking
With Particle’s industrial-grade modules, the E SoM, you’ll have all the hardware you need to create an enterprise IoT application. All E SoM modules can be engineered with temperature sensors, accelerometers, and more to increase the scope of your remote monitoring. Particle also provides everything you need to add cellular to your product: SIM cards, global network, and cloud service. Your devices and cellular data consumption can be monitored by Particle’s Device Console as well.
Particle also allows consumers to control fleets of devices and products with over-the-air firmware updates. With OTA firmware updates, you can quickly send new features to your remote devices and control which ones get updates, all with a click of a button. The means bugs and product behavior can be continuously improved even after the device is deployed out in the field.
How to start your IoT fleet management journey
Starting your own IoT project may seem challenging or near impossible. As a matter of fact, nearly three-fourths of self-initiated IoT projects are considered a failure, while a third of all projects were not seen as a success. The two most significant contributors to the failure rate are lack of internal IoT expertise and platform (hardware/software) reliability. With Particle, you have full access to IoT experts, a large community of IoT enthusiasts, support services, and professional engineering services (Particle Studios) to help you get your IoT projects off the ground. Additionally, you will be building on top of an enterprise-grade, production-tested IoT platform used across the industry.
Start tracking your valuable assets by checking out the E SoMs in the Particle Store or contact our team of experts at Particle.io/sales to discuss solution development.
