Winter weather can wreak havoc on both any type of vehicle; in North America (US and Canada) over 24% of vehicle collisions occur on winter roads.
As a fleet manager, your job gets harder during the winter months as you have extra sets of conditions to account for or worry about.
Fleet managers used to have limited options when it came to weather data. Whether it was the local weather report on TV or newspaper, planning was limited.
Public and private fleet managers now have more options and better data with GPS tracking from GPS to GO. Telematics data gives public works professionals and other fleet managers especially important real-time updates, and this in turn has legal implications.
A Canadian Supreme Court decision changed the importance of managing snow removal and put far greater responsibility on governmental organizations.
The court case found “… that the decisions made about how the snow was cleared in this case were operational and up to the city and its equipment operators’ discretion, thereby opening them up to litigation. Previously, the methods that operations crews chose to employ to remove snow were not subject to negligence claims. This decision opens the door for appeals and citizens to directly sue their city for damages if injured as a result of a snow event.”
So what does telematics data really provide?
For one, compliance tracking is much easier. Managers can see exactly when vehicles were in a location and what was done. This enables public works departments to accurately report on outcomes and provide data accordingly.
More importantly, telematics can help best manager resources including fuel, salt, sand, and more.
For commercial operators, GPS tracking enables fleet managers to better plan routes based on current conditions. This enables real time decision making that can save costs as well as cut down on accidents and maintenance.
GPS tracking capabilities enable fleet managers to make better decisions during the winter season. If you would like to learn more about how GPS to GO can help empower your fleet managers, contact our team to learn more.
