Yes. Trucks that operate without a driver.
An article from FleetOwner shows online technology could be headed to a future where trucks will be able to drive themselves. For truck drivers and fleet owners alike this revelation may come as a shock — the thought of a fleet of trucks, unmanned, bearing the company logo whizzing across the country is probably not something most companies are planning for.
Driverless vehicles seem way off into the distant future. Still, it is smart for fleet owners to take advantage of the technologies that are currently available and keep an open mind of what may come about in the future.
The article FleetOwner published actually focuses on technology that would aid drivers rather than replace them. The driving experience of the future might be more akin to flying a plane. There may be a true “autopilot” option available to drivers headed on long routes. (Think of the way Will Smith read a newspaper while “driving” to work in “I, Robot.”)
The whole point of making radical changes is to make the most of each dollar and strengthen productivity. There are tools that exist today to help manage fleets, keep drivers safe, to keep drivers on (or ahead of) schedule, and ultimately save money. Many businesses are moving to some form of GPS to try to manage their fleet, but Actsoft does much more than just GPS.
CometFleet allows management to track the location of vehicles, set up alerts such as speeding and hard breaking, and to know when a vehicle travels outside of a desired area. These notifications and metrics are put together in a report that can be viewed when needed or can be sent as a reoccurring report.
As cool as they might be, there are issues with fleets that even a self-driving truck can’t account for like idling, which can account for up to 8 percent of fuel costs. A truck that spends $70,000 a year on fuel is spending $5,600 of that on idling. Just ten seconds of idling uses more fuel than restarting the engine. CometFleet reports idling to ensure every ounce of fuel is put toward getting the job done.
In addition to CometFleet’s features, Advanced Wireless Forms allow businesses to toss out inefficient paper logs and forms. There are many reasons why going paperless can help any industry, but for fleet owners, you want your drivers on the road rather than spending time on paperwork.
Actsoft’s solutions have helped businesses become more efficient and some businesses saw a return on investment within the first year. Gardner-Watson Decking in Oldsmar, Florida, saved more than $60,000 when a stolen vehicle was recovered thanks to CometFleet alerts.
A technician reading a book while the vehicle drives him to the next job may be a reality in the future. Just know that technology is designed to make business easier. At Actsoft we’d like to help you guide your company towards a bright future.
Have any questions on how Actsoft can help you?