The Internet of Things (IoT) is the concept of physical devices connected to the internet. The physical devices are digital machines and have the capacity to exchange information over the internet without any human intervention. This allows people to synchronize, backup and store data online which can be easily accessed over the internet.
Internet of things (IoT) is starting to revolutionize several aspects of our lives in daily life, and also its vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication that promises to keep roads safer and less congested. IoT collects the data in real-time and stores it online to cloud storage. This data can be easily accessed anytime with the internet and has 99.99 percent up-time. This advancement of IoT has opened huge opportunities for the logistics industry.
Transportation problems and their solutions with IoT
Problem #1: Increase In Fuel Consumption
Traditional transportation business lacks route management which causes the fleet to run extra miles to reach the final destination and consumes more fuel, adding to that no fuel consumption record was maintained. But with IoT, the device can measure the total fuel consumption in real-time. This real-time fuel data along with efficient route management has eliminated the fuel cost which was caused by picking up improper routes. IoT device also measures the fuel wastage caused due to the idling of vehicles, hard acceleration, sharp turn, etc. These data points help in reducing the overall fuel cost.
Problem #2: Inefficiency In Operation
The traditional logistics business lacks operational efficiency. But with IoT powered systems, logistics companies get the real-time update of their vehicle and can track vehicles and view or manage driver's activity at any instant. It gives a more transparent view and insights into how the resources are being utilized which further help in improving the overall business operation. It is considered as the tool to ensure a smooth flow of operations and to reduce under utilization of resources to maximize profits.
Problem #3: No Real-Time Visibility Of Assets
The traditional logistics business does not provide real-time visibility like current running speed, over speeding alert, route deviation alerts, vehicles going idle etc. But IoT device has the capability to provide all advance alerts in real-time and keeps fleet owners informed at every point of time which helps in increasing the safety, comfort, and efficiency of fleets.
Problem #4: Reporting and Analytics
With IoT, find out what your vehicles were doing at any date, time, and location. Reports keep all the vital data points like ignition on & off, trip start & stop, idling vehicle time, geofence entries and exits, etc. Reports are easily viewed online or exported to several other different formats. With the report's data, identify the hidden patterns and trends by doing the data analysis and set a goal around key metrics.
IoT benefits to the Logistics sector
With more accurate information about the vehicle, the driver, and the traffic, better strategies can improve the fleet and fuel cost management. The data collected through IoT sensors make it possible for the companies to optimize their load and choose the most efficient transport mode for any particular shipment.
IoT can help logistics companies automate vehicle maintenance and repair. Compliance and safety are critical aspects of supply chain management and automating these processes can help companies avoid trouble. Some other benefits include:
- Optimizes asset utilization.
- Reducing the cases of theft with Geo-fencing.
- Provides Smart Transport Management System
- Enable accurate monitoring of resources and workflow.
- Accurate real-time visibility and alerts.
- Analyze real-world data for insights that help decision making.
- Automates manual data handling to improve accuracy.
- Identify new opportunities by detailed analysis of previous data.
Discover the true potential of your fleet with the power of IoT .
