Telematics technology can help every fleet take a big bite out of waste with data-enabled trucking fleet management that makes customers and drivers more satisfied and boosts profit margins every day. A typical over-the-road fleet spends from 20 percent to as much as 40 percent of its time idling, according to Trucking Info, with a lead-foot driver using up to 20 percent more fuel than the average trucker. Additionally, each driver spends on average 110 hours a year completing paper logbooks, and the industry spends 51 million hours annually reviewing and storing records. With in-cab smartphones and tablets linking drivers and dispatchers, trucking fleet management can do away with overspending and improve overall safety.

Here’s a look at 12 benefits that telematics technology can deliver for trucking fleet management.

1. Increase Efficiency: Real-time communication coupled with routing apps can divert drivers away from road delays and toward high-priority loads. Adding even a few minutes of driving time to each driver’s daily hours of service can boost overall fleet utilization.

2. Improve Safety: Drivers who know they’re being monitored tend to perform according to company and regulatory standards, which can reduce accidents and damage to vehicles and freight.

3. Increase Job Satisfaction: With electronic logs, drivers have more control over their daily routines, which is one of the top contributors to job satisfaction. The drivers know how much time they have left to work and can better collaborate with dispatchers to meet customer demands. With smartphones and tablets with them at all times, they can engage in training at a time and place that’s convenient for them.

4. Reduce Operating Costs: Saving even a few minutes of idling time across a fleet leads to huge fuel savings. Better fleet and driver utilization can lift equipment availability to meet customer demand with existing assets. Connecting with drivers via tablets, fleet managers can instantaneously update drivers on detours, reroute them around heavy traffic and direct them to preferred fuel vendors.

5. Track Hours of Service: Drivers and managers benefit from automatic hours of service tracking that’s available from any location. The team can develop a deeper understanding of how efficiently the fleet is organized, and the drivers can manage their time easily and accurately. The less time spent on paperwork, the better for everyone.