Satellite Communications and Fleet Management – An Integrated Approach to the Road Transport Industry

Abstract

Communications with vehicles has come a long way since 1979, when drivers made ‘check calls’ from roadside telephone boxes. With the advent of mobile phones, fleet managers were able to contact their drivers, whenever they wanted – well almost. But talking requires two people to be available at the same time. Usually the driver does not concentrate, because he is driving, and has to call back – more charges, and when did you last record a phone conversation? Now, satellite communication allows transmission of vehicle position and data. Messages sent to vehicles are stored in the vehicle (and by the sender). Messages sent to the office are stored at the office. Neither messages or positions can be intercepted. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate why the ‘key to better fleet management’ is in integrating data from messages with other systems. Pre-formed messages requiring only the ‘blanks’ to be filled bring standardisation to the system. Message fields can be formatted so that specific data may be collected and posted to other software packages. Users of such systems report savings in manpower by reducing duplication of work e.g.: a message confirming the delivery of a consignment, sent by the driver, is posted to the accounts system and an invoice raised automatically. The future includes transmission of bar codes, signatures on PODs (proof of delivery notes) and viewing of consignment positions, by customers, on the Internet. The conclusion must be that – in the battle for survival, where making profit can sometimes depend on saving costs – it will be those companies that embrace technology to link all their systems so as to exchange data, who will win out.