The 2019 edition of Arval Mobility Observatory’s 2019 Barometer – the new name for the Corporate Vehicle Observatory Barometer – surveyed almost 4,000 fleets of all sizes to ask about fleet and mobility trends.
When it comes to choosing telematics, vehicle location was chosen by 56% of respondents, followed by improving driver behaviour (44%), improving driver safety (35%), reducing fleet costs (21%), optimising journeys (12%) and enabling drivers to make informed decisions (11%).
Shaun Sadlier (pictured), head of Arval Mobility Observatory in the UK, says: “In recent years, telematics technology has become cheaper, more effective and more flexible, and has been widely adopted by LCV fleets as a result. Our findings show that 28% of businesses specify a telematics unit when they order a vehicle and many more will no doubt add them during the life of the van.”
The research, he says, provides an insight into how fleets are using this data.
“Basic vehicle location is, perhaps unsurprisingly, the top result... Beyond that, there is clearly a focus on driver behaviour and using information generated by telematics to help make employees safer on the road.”
He notes that only one in five say fleet cost reduction is a main reason for telematics: “This perhaps suggests that many companies don’t have a complete understanding of how to use the technology in this manner.
“Similarly, the fact that only 12% are using telematics for route planning is also food for thought. This may be because companies utilise other technologies, or that drivers now have access to good quality, real-time traffic information on the sat nav apps available on any smartphone – but, again, there is probably potential for positive change,” says Sadlier.