When commercial drivers are on the job, many use mobile tech services not just for their phones, but also as part of a fleet management solution that helps coordinate everything from fuel and maintenance to scheduling, appointments, payments and more.
With the help and speed of its expanding 5G network, Verizon has become a major player in the market for connected vehicle solutions, where it continues to roll out services to meet the needs of new and different users.
“One of the key tenets of Verizon Connect is ‘innovation with purpose,’” Peter Mitchell, senior vice president and general manager of Verizon Connect, said in a statement.
For Verizon Connect, which was founded in 2018, this involves developing products that help customers lower costs, promote driver safety and lower emissions — all while transforming their businesses and customer experiences.
Growing Demand for Connected Fleet Management
High-tech, connected fleet management is a market that has many other big players, too.
As PYMNTS has reported, Freightliner has begun fitting big rigs with an open connected platform that enables users to add their own software, PACCAR has launched a global connected truck platform as part of its digital transformation, and Ford has made digital tools a key component of its offerings at its 650 dedicated commercial service centers.
Also see: Don’t Like Factory-Installed Apps and Software? Truck Maker Freightliner Says Bring Your Own
And: Ford Expects to Have 33M Vehicles Receiving Over-the-Air Software Updates by 2028
Such solutions are in increasing demand as commercial fleet operators and their customers cope with persistent supply chain challenges and a shortage of professional drivers. With the help of software platforms and the vast amounts of data generated by the vehicles connected to them, companies are working to maintain vehicles in order to reduce downtime, route efficiently to make the most of their delivery capacity, monitor driver performance to reduce accidents and create a comfortable working environment that will help them retain drivers.
The demand will only increase as 5G networks enable the next level of connectivity, Verizon Connect said in a blog post. The company explains that as connected vehicles generate more data points more frequently, speedy 5G networks will be able to keep up with taking the data from the vehicles and delivering it to those who can use it. As PYMNTS has reported, the sensors on modern vehicles generate 25 times more data per hour than Netflix says it takes to watch a standard-definition video.
Read more: That’s Not Just a Truck, It’s a ‘Rolling Data Center’
“Given the expected increase in quality and volume of data, a faster, higher capacity network is needed,” the blog post noted. “That’s where 5G wireless networks step in, and that’s where fleet managers can begin to create additional value.”
Reducing Costs, Lowering Emissions and Improving Safety
On Wednesday (Nov. 10), Verizon Connect released data showing the benefits connected systems can offer to commercial fleet managers. Using anonymized data from 1,800 active customers of its Reveal apps, the company found average monthly reductions of 34% in speeding, 26% in harsh driving events and 9% in idling.
Reveal apps give smartphones access to the company’s fleet platform, enabling managers to more easily locate vehicles on a live map, run reports and assess driver performance. The company notes that these changes in driver behavior facilitated by the apps can reduce costs, lower greenhouse gas emissions and improve safety.
Overall, the products and services provide fleet owners with the information they need to better evaluate their fleet’s current performance and determine where they can make improvements.
In one of many case studies posted on the Verizon Connect website, a customer says of the vehicles he manages, “I know if they’re idling, if they’re stopped or if they’re at the customer’s location. That is so important to me.”
