Increasing traffic jams and agreements in the coalition agreement make it increasingly important for companies to deploy their fleets intelligently. Data play a crucial role in this, yet it remains to be seen to what extent smart cars can contribute to this. The four most important fleet management trends for 2018.
1. Predicting traffic jams with data
With the growing Dutch economy, the number of traffic jams is also growing. According to figures from the Knowledge Institute for Mobility Policy (KIM), traffic congestion cost society between 2.8 and 3.7 billion euros in 2016, and travel time losses increased by 10 per cent in 2017. Moreover, it does not look like congestion will decrease for the time being - in fact, according to the KIM, travel time loss will rise to 28 per cent by 2022.
In order to save costs, it is therefore becoming increasingly important for companies to be conscious about route planning. Now, this is often still done on a reactive basis by having a navigation system guide drivers around traffic jams. But companies will have to do this more proactively in 2018 if they do not want to waste too many hours on traffic jams. For example, by using historical data to predict traffic congestion and avoid routes at certain times.
2.CO2 reduction no longer optional
Reducing CO2 emissions is becoming less and less of a voluntary choice for companies. Whereas until recently this was done mainly for idealistic reasons, more and more companies seem to be becoming aware of the financial benefits. For instance, research by Transparency Market Research shows that companies are more often choosing to include smaller vehicles in their fleets, especially because they consume less fuel.
But transport companies, which do not have the option to switch to smaller vehicles, will also be forced to reduce their CO2 emissions. Indeed, the kilometre charge for trucks included in the coalition agreement will make it more attractive to plan more efficient routes and avoid unnecessary kilometres.
3. Smarter cars don't deliver much insight
A large-scale introduction of the self-driving car is still a long way off, according to the Victoria Transport Policy Institute, until at least 2020. That does not alter the fact that cars are getting smarter in the meantime.
So-called connected cars are collecting more and more data. The problem, however, is that it is not easy for fleet managers to do anything with that data. Indeed, according to a report by KPMG, even the Dutch automotive industry lacks the ability to put the generated data to use.
4. Substantial growth of telematics market
That it is not easy to extract data from smart cars does not mean there is no growing need for it. Research firm ABI Research therefore predicts an increasing demand for telematics systems, which provide companies with insights into the performance of their vehicles.
The number of users of telematics systems will therefore grow significantly in the coming years. According to ABI Research, 59 million companies worldwide will use a fleet management system in 2021 and will collectively generate revenues of USD 21 billion.
