As any company manager or entrepreneur worth his salt will tell you – advances in monitoring production and transport are worth the investment. Considering how widespread trailer transportation has become, and how a growing number of companies have out-of-reach assets, the idea of making monitoring quicker and cheaper has become very interesting, or even essential to many.
Earlier the whole process required staying in touch over mail or phone, having drivers file in reports when they come back from a route, sending people to check out remote company assets, etc. All very time and capital consuming.
Luckily – the advancement of technology has given us shortcuts and new techniques to get this done so now we can monitor the same things as before but with much less downtime for the company and the customers.
The Importance of Monitoring
Monitoring is needed in every business, however big or small. Even if we are talking about a one-man company there is still the possibility of theft when the owner is not present, not to mention something going off. Bigger companies can have the same issues but on a much larger scale, where fuel savings can reach up to the tens of thousands per month it pays to carefully monitor where and how the trailers are moving.
Apart from directly not losing money as a benefit of monitoring, it can have the effect of bringing in more money as a consequence of increased efficiency. Not having to send off employees to check up on remote assets that may be functioning fine, or knowing exactly when to send someone if, for example, a pump on a remote location is malfunctioning, saves both working hours and increases productivity.
Trailer transport routes can, also, be made more efficient if planned out accordingly and redirected as needed.
Modern Technology and How to Use It
Some technological advancements can be used to this end. As we find out on https://www.skybitz.com/ using sensors that can check tire pressure, doors, cargo, the temperature in refrigerated vehicles, etc, and having it all available over a wireless connection to a monitoring station means both the management and field operator or driver can react accordingly if any problem occurs to maintain product quality and delivery deadline. GPS tracking of transport vehicles is also indispensable for such a task. Knowing the exact location of a trailer truck is a key issue if the route needs to be changed mid-transport (if a new order arrives, for example), something that earlier had to be done by having the driver ring the company when he or she comes to a station.
Having cameras and sensors installed that are overlooking critical aspects of remote assets also means that experts can analyze a problem and think of a solution without having to travel to a remote, dangerous or dull location. This saves the company travel expenses but can also mean the right people with the right tools will be sent to do the job right away.
Reducing Downtime
In logistics and transportation downtime can be a huge, sometimes the biggest, negative factor for productivity and therefore profit. Specifically in the case of trailer transportation not having the vehicle go empty for a long time is what everyone strives for because an empty truck is just losing money. This can be avoided to a great extent if the aforementioned technologies are put to use, as a driver can be notified when and where to stop for maintenance, loading and unloading, and cheaper parking – all while still driving.
Remote assets can also cause downtime easily if not monitored and managed well. Having a stop in a connected system disrupts any further advancement until the problem causing it is alleviated. Farmers, for example, are more and more oriented towards remote monitoring technology to give them feedback on weather and soil conditions so that they can prepare accordingly before going out into the field. We see this frequently in extensive agricultural practice.
Even though some may think of dystopian scenarios when told that new technology is being used to advance monitoring – here we see that it is not the case. Monitoring trailers and remote assets is a key feature in most larger businesses so any way of making it quicker and easier is very much welcome.
As a whole, the new monitoring systems are relatively easy and cheap to install, as cellular data, smartphones, and smart sensors, the key features here, are rapidly becoming more and more accessible and easier to use. So no, it still isn’t time to talk about a utopian working environment, where all possible factors are monitored and secured, but it is an easier life indeed.