TALKING

AI enabled fleet telematics and driver performance

Africa ’ s trucking industry is essential for moving goods , but it is facing a significant shortage of skilled , reliable truck drivers . By 2028 , the global shortage is expected to reach 7 million drivers , which threatens the efficiency and sustainability of this industry sector .

In South Africa , trucks move 80 % of freight , which is ten times more than rail . This makes experienced , dependable drivers business-critical , and management solutions that improve driver satisfaction and fleet operations highly prized . Without a steady pool of experienced truck drivers , the South African economy is at risk of seizing up .

Justin Coetzee , CEO GoMetro

The gap between the growing demand for trucking logistics and the availability

of experienced drivers is a major concern . The average age of qualified and experienced truck drivers is also set on a worrying trend , the industry is simply not replenishing talent quickly enough to sustain current and future demands .

It is easy for companies to increase their fleet size to meet business needs or take on opportunities , but nothing moves without a driver . This is where telematics data

and supporting driver training technology can play an important role in profiling good driver performance and training drivers on what is good performance .

Good driver training starts with reliable and consistent data . Route and trip data benchmark what good driver performance means , which includes non-obvious aspects such as throttle position , hill climb entry speeds , brake management and road hazards , and so good driving needs to be taught route-by-route .

Think of it this way – your business signs a fixed term contract with a service provider . In the first few months of the contract , you have to unexpectedly scale down and you are not making use of all the features or services available to you . Because your business is locked into this contract , you continue to pay for services you are not using .

Businesses might be willing to pay a slightly higher premium knowing that they have the flexibility of a month-to-month contract , or that they can scale a service up or down when they need to . There is value in flexibility and people are willing to pay for it .

Customer service

A recently released survey into South Africa ’ s online retail space found that customer service was the single most important factor in a retailer ’ s success , with 74 % of respondents emphasizing its importance . The same or similar statistics would probably apply across most services and sectors .

Companies that are best known for their service all seem to have a few of the same traits in common : their people are knowledgeable and professional , their communication is clear and responsive , they personalise their approach , and they make processes as seamless as possible .

Customers want to feel like they are valued and their needs are understood . Good customer service is about meeting those needs , but excellent customer service , the kind people do not mind paying a bit more for , is about anticipating needs .

The way a driver drives is a combination of situational decision-making , route knowledge , muscle-memory and vehicle understanding . Having the right data on trip performance and driver adherence is key to efficient operations .

Route data can be shared with drivers that show them how they have performed to benchmarks , as well as ways in which they can improve the next time they conduct their trip . This can be done as a PDF print-out , a providerboard or detailed information on a driver roster and performance application . A number of telematics companies are also offering edge-AI driver cameras that can give the driver real-time feedback on his performance .

AI and in-cab technology now has the potential to turn your bottom quartile performing drivers into the mean , and your average driver performance into your fleet to achieve top quartile performance .

Customers also want to know that when they have a request or a problem , the response will be swift and supportive . So it might mean providing a CRM system where customers can quickly and efficiently log service queries themselves or it might be a professional , responsive and empathetic customer service team who easily resolve problems when they arise .

Delivering in these three areas will ensure that customers know they are getting a good product or service that is responsive to their needs , and backed by service excellence . When these boxes are ticked , customers are not only more likely to pay more for a service , but they are also more likely to stay loyal to your brand which is how businesses ultimately build success . p

32 INTELLIGENTCIO AFRICA www . intelligentcio . com