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In a September 2023 survey by School Bus Fleet, school transportation officials reported the number one safety measure needed for school buses is “enhanced driver training and monitoring” (50% of respondents). What is driving this need? In the US, 484,000 yellow school buses and almost 100,000 contractor-owned buses logged 3.2 billion miles ferrying students on routes in 2022-23. Fundamentally, school district transportation departments are chartered with the safe and efficient transportation of these students on these routes as well as to and from school-related activities. Per this safety i ..read more

Industrial IoT (IIoT) refers to devices, sensors, and industrial applications networked together via Internet connectivity to collect, exchange, and analyze data. For Industrial OEMs, gateways and sensors mounted on equipment in the field collect real-world data that is integrated into a number of systems via APIs to better inform decision-making. Devices used to collect data are hardened for industrial environments, with shock resistance, extreme operating temperature support, and IP ratings for dust and water ingress protection. IIoT adopters utilize these capabilities to achieve operational ..read more

If you have a fleet of vehicles of any size, chances are it’s the backbone of your company, whether your team uses it for travel, service, or order fulfillment. This is true of businesses throughout the globe, with four million trucks and two million cars in active fleets in the US alone. So good fleet management is vital to business, no matter where you or your vehicles go. To maintain a competitive edge, you need a telematics platform that’s purpose-built for the complexities of managing a large fleet in the real world. What is a telematics platform? A telematics platform is a technological ..read more

If you manage a fleet of pickup trucks or light-duty vehicles, you've likely heard the term "OBD-II codes." Don't worry, it's not as complicated as it sounds. OBD-II codes are like messages from your vehicles, telling you what's going on under the hood. As a fleet manager, knowing what these codes mean can help you take better care of your vehicles and keep them running smoothly. In this guide, we'll explain what OBD-II codes are, how they work, and why they matter for your fleet operations. We’ll also look at how you can effectively manage OBD-II for your fleet — no matter the size. What are ..read more

From January to June 2022, motor fuel prices have increased by 49%, and diesel prices have increased by 55%. Though businesses — in particular those with a fleet of vehicles — can’t control these rising and volatile costs, they can take preventive measures to reduce fuel expenditures. Fleet fuel management software can come to the rescue. Fuel management technology helps fleet operators maintain their vehicles and optimize routes to save fuel. Plus, it provides insights into fuel consumption patterns that managers can use to improve their fleet business operations. Businesses can easily keep a ..read more

You may have heard of J1939 and ECUs and CAN bus protocols, but what exactly do all these acronyms mean, and how do they relate to one another? In short, these devices make up the hardware infrastructure that determines how electronic components communicate throughout your vehicle. The use of defined protocols standardizes how devices “talk to” other devices within heavy-duty vehicles, which allows for manufacturer interoperability and streamlined fleet maintenance. In this article, you’ll learn how J1939 works, how it relates to the CAN bus protocol, the characteristics of the J1939 connector ..read more

Inundated with more asset-tracking systems than ever, data overload has become a real problem for fleet enterprises. This is especially true for small to medium-sized ones, short on manual labor and needing the technology to compete with national enterprises. And sure, connected vehicles generate gigabytes of valuable data hourly. But unless your whole fleet shares the same hardware and software (a rare occurrence), you must juggle separate platforms and user interfaces. This is the only way for many to get a big-picture view of their assets. In this article, we’ll explain what data overload i ..read more

The job of maintaining a fleet of vehicles is no walk in the park. It's a challenging task, filled with many facets and a never-ending list of costs. The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) reports that a whopping 11% of operational expenses—roughly $24,100 per semi-truck every 100,000 miles—go towards maintenance and tires alone. That's a significant chunk of your budget devoted solely to upkeep, and it doesn't even begin to cover the myriad of other direct costs, such as insurance and fuel. But there's more to it than the expenses you can readily account for. Hidden beneath the ..read more

What comes to mind when you think of under-inflated tires? A tire blowout? A tedious tire-changing process? Delayed goods? While these are undoubtedly frustrating, there are even more dangerous consequences. In fact, on average, there are 11,000 tire-related accidents in the US every year, with 664 fatalities in 2020 alone. This alarming statistic highlights the importance of tire safety and maintenance. Not only are under-inflated tires risky, but they’re costly too. For every 1psi pressure drop in your tires, your fuel efficiency drops by 0.3%. And let’s not forget about the cost of a tire b ..read more