5 ways to improve trailer utilization via telematics

As the world has experienced disruptions in supply chains, equipment shortages, and inflation over the last few years, it has become clear that trailers are an underappreciated asset.

While truck technologies have been quickly adopted to improve productivity, uptime and visibility, the same cannot be said for trailer technologies. However, this is changing, according to George Cobham Jr., Vice-President of Sales and Marketing at Glasvan Great Dane.

The company has begun including basic telematics on all their stock van trailers and has found that customers are becoming more interested in trailer-mounted telematics once they understand its benefits.

Cobham believes that many people have been making decisions without access to important data, but now they are recognizing the potential of trailer telematics to help them make better decisions. By spec’ing trailers with telematics, fleets can greatly improve trailer utilization.

Observe location

The use of trailer telematics has greatly enhanced the transportation industry, providing clients with crucial visibility into the location and status of their property. While this may have once been considered simply a standard feature for telematics providers, advancements in technology have greatly improved the precision and accuracy of this tracking system.

According to Rodrick Levesque, vice-president of engineering with Manac Trailers, GPS can now provide clients with a much more precise location, even able to distinguish between multiple trailers in a crowded yard. Titanium Transportation utilizes this advanced precision, using GPS and geofencing to closely monitor high-value loads while in transit. In fact, the system is even able to send automatic alerts to clients, notifying them when their load is approaching their yard. This level of precision not only gives clients peace of mind, but also improves efficiency and communication throughout the supply chain.

Receives a commission for detention time

Fleets that observe trailers have the chance to reinforce customer support with real-time location and arrival data, however may preserve shippers and receivers accountable after they detain trailers for prolonged occasions.

“If we dropped a trailer three days in the past and the client was presupposed to unload it, we will return proactively and say, ‘Please unload this trailer, it has been there three days — or it’s going to price cash to remain there,’” Daniel mentioned.

Titanium CEO Ted Daniel mentioned these conversations are much less contentious when telematics knowledge is there to assist them.

“Pc-generated studies make the dialogue much less subjective,” he mentioned of buyer conversations associated to demurrage costs.

It additionally offers proof of on-time supply to discerning clients, Cobham added. “It offers [fleets] some safety after they hear their driver was late,” he mentioned. “Now you may have a time stamp. Individuals actually like geofencing the situation they’re going to or transport from.”

Promote uptime

Understanding the place trailers are positioned is one method to preserve them on the highway and producing income. However applied sciences even have a task to play in maximizing the time they’re accessible to generate that income.

Tire inflation programs, for instance, are a standard trailer spec’ and telematics may help optimize using such know-how.

Any inflation occasion that lasts greater than 10 minutes is probably going the signal of a severe puncture fairly than temperature fluctuations, Cobham famous. The affected tire may be recognized and repaired or changed within the store fairly than along with the highway.

When a trailer is tethered, Nice Dane’s FleetPulse Professional additionally completes a digital mild inspection. Dispatch or upkeep groups may be notified if a lightweight is out, and operations groups can guarantee drivers are conducting thorough pre-trip inspections, lowering or eliminating failed inspections and fines at roadside.

“This can complement the circle examine and provides dispatch peace of thoughts that the driving force is doing their circle examine,” Cobham mentioned.

Tire inflation pressures, mild standing and ABS faults are the three fundamental components of a trailer well being examine that may be carried out remotely via telematics.

Know your cargo standing

The power to know the standing of any trailer load no matter its location is one other main contributor to improved trailer utilization.

How that is measured varies by system. Nice Dane’s FleetPulse Professional depends on a peak management valve sensor that detects weight to find out if a trailer is loaded or empty. Blackberry Radar, alternatively, makes use of a time of flight sensor that measures the space between itself and objects in entrance of it to ship an in depth report on how a lot cargo area is being utilized. That is helpful for LTL carriers that could be wanting so as to add one other pallet or two to a load.

Each approaches have their advantages.

“To ensure that the cargo sensors to work, the doorways must be closed,” Marilyn Daniel mentioned of the Blackberry Radar items, acknowledging some shipper/receiver training is required to make sure trailer doorways stay closed when not being loaded or unloaded.

Understanding when a trailer’s been unloaded permits a fleet to get the asset again into circulation for one more load quicker than ready for verbal notification that will by no means come.

“Understanding in case your trailer is loaded or unloaded is a superb piece of straightforward data that has an enormous bearing on fleet optimization,” Cobham mentioned.

Enhance effectivity

The problem of a driver by accident coupling to the fallacious trailer and heading down the highway might be a factor of the previous with onboard applied sciences

. A number of firms, similar to Cobham and Titanium, have developed options that may forestall this age-old drawback. For instance, Cobham’s FleetPulse field may be simply mounted to the entrance of the trailer, and dispatchers may be alerted immediately anytime a tractor couples to the fallacious trailer.

Moreover, integrating with fleet workplace software program is important to optimize the advantages of those applied sciences, in line with Titanium’s Marilyn Daniel.

Geofencing is one other helpful approach that may be applied, the place alerts are arrange to detect when a trailer has left a selected yard with out permission. This manner, it’s simpler to pinpoint if a mismatch has occurred.

As well as, telematics developments are regularly bettering, and among the upcoming applied sciences, similar to the power to regulate tire pressures on the fly, are particularly promising. With options like these, the chance of a driver by accident leaving with the fallacious trailer might be drastically decreased, leading to improved effectivity and value financial savings for fleets.