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Sometimes things come together perfectly. For years, onboard computers have provided a wealth of information about engine and driver performance, helping fleet operators improve fuel economy, driver productivity, safety, vehicle performance and customer service, while reducing paperwork.
In recent years, several technologies have converged to make onboard computers more powerful. The advent of affordable, reliable, two-way data communications, married to GPS capabilities, has given managers real-time access to a host of information about the position and condition of drivers and vehicles on the road.
More recently, the addition of RFID tag technology is offering further opportunities to automate data transmission between vehicles and the office, enabling the development of new applications that can help companies improve efficiency and safety.
"The price of two-way communications has changed dramatically, within the last two years," observes Joel Beal, senior vice president, Tripmaster Corp., Grand Prairie, TX. "While five years ago, many fleets may have wanted real-time information, it was tough to cost-justify." Now the technology is within reach of even small companies.
Providers of onboard computing systems are beefing up their software applications to take advantage of the opportunities afforded by real-time data exchange capabilities. Many of these offerings can help companies improve performance in areas that have traditionally been prime targets of OBC applications: fuel economy, driver productivity, and vehicle performance.