| | AUGUST 20169CIOReviewThe main drivers of the commercial vehicle telematics market are increasing fuel prices and small profit margins in the transportation industryservers, which is then converted to meaningful information & data. Data can be fuel related, distance travelled, error codes, driving pattern etc. Fleet management, the preventive route to vehicle safety, is already being enhanced by companies. It allows a full diagnosis of the vehicle, data logging, real time location tracking and determines the requirement for technical and mechanical maintenance. The benefits are many as it will result in utilizing vehicle capacity more efficiently, thereby reducing idle journeys, saving fuel and avoiding traffic jams. Owners/Drivers are able to see improved uptime/turn-around time, while CV manufacturers benefit by reduced warranty costs through preventive actions and enhanced customer satisfaction.For commercial fleet operators, the use of telematics will simplify processes, providing a record in the form of images or electronics transmissions. For instance, telematics in vehicles can track vehicular thefts and reduce accident probability and thus lower vehicle insurance premium. Though there are such technologies available but very few have solutions that can report theft automatically. Some leading FIs in India (e.g. ICICI) have already started evaluating the telematics factor in deciding insurance premium.Drivers' community is an important and critical part of the CV industry. Telematics can help achieve greater harmony between drivers and owners by drivers' engagement, providing reliable data for performance based incentives, addressing safety concerns & enabling infotainment features for drivers. The adoption of affordable smart mobile devices is also helping in increasing Telematics' reach. Lot of service providers are integrating this offering on mobile platforms for providing information and data on the move.However when it comes to adoption of vehicle telematics, there are challenges as well. The cost of adoption and installation remains one big hurdle to its growth. Another problem arises from the low range utilization and technical unawareness among consumers. The use of telematics can convert a regular vehicle into an intelligent one! The automobile industry needs to address these challenges and stress on the importance of telematics being a critical monitor for not only performance and detecting flaws in vehicles but also to ensure driver safety. However, the scenario is transforming, even though gradually. Cutting edge features such as fuel management, GPS navigation, vehicle tracking, automatic driving assistance systems support, triggering alerts not only increase utility but up the value offered to the customer. In the long run, these connected trucks would be an integral part of the proposed smart cities of the future as well as a giant leap towards modernization of transportation in India.
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