Q. What is your view on fleet management and tracking in relation to transportation and logistics in the South African and African context? Why is it considered a crucial aspect in relation to vehicle/fleet maintenance?

Rising transport and fuel costs, toll fees, vehicle maintenance costs, hijackings and the challenges around managing driver behaviour are placing enormous pressure on fleet owners and companies to find effective and sustainable ways of managing fleets, drivers and their driving habits, as well as time management, risk and variable maintenance, and operating costs. Vehicle tracking with full telematics features is an essential requirement to achieve optimum fleet performance. Truck hijackings and the subsequent loss of valuable cargos cost the economy and insurance industry billions of rand each year. Commercial trucks and trailers are being hard hit with their loads being quickly redistributed into suspect retail channels, while the empty trucks are then usually headed for the likes of Swaziland, Mozambique and Malawi. The most popular loads are consumer electronics, IT equipment, alcohol, cigarettes and groceries. The trailers are removed from the horse and the load can be offloaded into nearby warehouses and ‘dodgy’ resale outlets in an alarmingly short time. As we start heading towards the end of the year, we expect this trend to further increase as greater volumes of vehicles and stock are on the road in preparation for the festive season and syndicates take advantage of the uptick in the movement of goods. While the scenarios in Africa and South Africa are very similar, they can be even more challenging across our borders given that the cost of vehicle maintenance is even higher and the road infrastructures poorer.

Q. What fleet management and/or tracking technology can you offer the transport industry, and what advice and after-sales support do you offer clients?

A. Cartrack’s comprehensive range of web-based fleet management solutions provide for efficient and accurate reporting and control of costs, allowing fleet owners to manage driver behaviour as well as draw accurate, real-time data for analysis and improvement planning. Cartrack’s fleet management systems provide the answers to the ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions that allow for proactive planning and intervention, rather than simply monitoring distances travelled. Cartrack also offers the option of stolen vehicle recovery. With our audited 95% stolen vehicle recovery rate, we provide clients with a unique recovery warranty, giving cash back to clients in the unlikely event of non-recovery. Because our IP is 100% home grown, we can provide clients with virtually any configuration to address their specific and unique fleet management challenges. Vehicle telematics, driver management, speed management, fleet tracking, fuel management, driver profiling, route planning and geo fencing are all readily available. And with a host of optional extras, there’s no limit to the cost saving and productivity benefits for clients. After-sales services include a fleet management call centre for first line training and user support plus continual monitoring of unit functionality to ensure tracking devices are operating at all times. A bureau service is also available to provide a 24/7 monitoring and reporting service.

Q. When it comes to fleet management and tracking, how important is it and what are the benefits in offering clients an integrated/holistic solution?

A. Clients generally want a one-stop solution to their many and varied fleet management and vehicle recovery services. In many instances, large transport companies will have existing systems supporting their logistics such as mapping and route planning. In such cases, the ability to integrate the tracking system data into the clients systems is important and to provide a single holistic solution. Cartrack’s range of fleet extras includes:

Communicator: provides instantaneous communication between management and driver.

Mi Fleet: a web-based software application for consolidating all your fleet management data, including operating costs from date of purchase up to termination, complying with government and SARS requirements.

CAN bus: a multiplexed wiring system used to transfer on-board vehicle information such as RPM, speed, fuel level, odometer, water/oil temperature and pressure, gears, hazards, seatbelt wear, doors including cargo door, brakes, lights and more.

Driver ID: necessary to place responsibility on a driver for fines, accidents, etc.

Fuel monitoring: a hardwired connection to the vehicle’s fuel sender unit provides fuel reading levels in real time and can be used to detect fuel theft.

We also advise clients of the vital importance of having real-time tracking and response so that any illegal activity, whether as a result of driver behaviour or criminal activity, can be picked up immediately and acted upon. Telematics is proving to be an essential weapon in the fight against hijackings, theft and non-approved driver behaviour – from digressions off approved routes or speeding to extended periods of standing still for no valid reason.

Cartrack SA is a market-leading stolen vehicle recovery, fleet management and telematics service provider.Today, Cartrack boasts an independently audited 95% stolen vehicle recovery rate, which is achieved through its focus on miniaturisation of in-vehicle units, special installation techniques and its national in-house team of recovery agents. In 2006, Cartrack widened the scope of its target markets to include full telematics services. A powerful web-based system provides extensive features and benefits for fleet managers to optimise the productivity of their fleets and drivers. Insurance telematics for driver risk assessment by insurance companies is another growing application of its telematics services.