Improve Convenience and Profits with Compact Equipment Telematics
Telematics in compact equipment increase in popularity every year because of the clear benefits of convenience and time saved. No matter how many machines make up your fleet, manual compact equipment monitoring eats away at time that could be spent taking care of your business. Telematics address this need: both owner operators and fleet managers can take advantage of these wireless monitoring systems for skid steers, compact track loaders, mini excavators and tracked carriers, cutting back on physical monitoring and speeding up the maintenance process.
The systems provide the chance to track the location of a piece of equipment, manage service intervals and monitor where and how equipment is being used without having to track it down in person. Here are a few of those key benefits.
Track Equipment Location
Many telematics systems include GPS tracking. Location tracking and geofencing abilities give fleet managers satellite imagery of the jobsite to track how and where equipment is used. This includes being able to see what jobsite the equipment is on, 24/7 equipment tracking and the ability to set geofencing boundaries for each piece of equipment. Should the equipment leave this predetermined area, the equipment owner receives an alert.
GPS and geofencing abilities can also work in theft mitigation. If a piece of equipment goes missing, equipment owners can log into the system to see its location, giving them a starting point either for recovery themselves or via law enforcement. However, it’s important to be aware that older equipment might not be enabled with the same capabilities. Speak with an original equipment manufacturer to learn more about telematics options for each piece of compact equipment on the jobsite.
Managing Service Intervals
Most — if not all — equipment requires service at the regular intervals listed in their operation and maintenance manuals. Fleet management software makes keeping an eye on those intervals easy by tracking how many hours a machine is working and logging those hours. Telematics systems pre-loaded with model-specific information can trigger email or phone alerts when intervals are met. Equipment owners can also revise service intervals to their preferences.
Telematics software often keeps at least a month’s history of error code alerts and can send notifications when an error code is detected. This allows a service manager to make immediate note of required maintenance without relying on the operator to tell them about it.
Monitor Equipment Utilization
Fleet managers gain the ability to track how and where equipment is being used, which isn’t just a benefit for theft mitigation. Many systems track work hours in conjunction with location, giving fleet managers the ability to see where equipment is utilized the most. This allows managers to redirect equipment if it isn’t beneficial to a jobsite, saving time and money when it comes to productivity.
Fleets using telematics systems in this way can see higher utilization rates as they’re able to move equipment from site to site, where they’re needed most. Fleet managers can also double check worksite productivity by accessing the telematics system.
Telematics changes the game when it comes to how fleet managers and owner operators track equipment location, service and maintenance needs while also providing a significant theft deterrent. Look for a manufacturer that provides a free trial of their telematics when you purchase some types of new equipment to take advantage of these options and improve your bottom line.
Peter Ovrebo is a product management director for Yanmar Compact Equipment North America.
