At the Brisbane Truck Show there was plenty of excitement about electric trucks and other zero emission technology. One thing that was briefly mentioned in several presentations was telematics and vehicle connectivity. It doesn’t attract the same attention as the announcement of a new truck, though it’s technology and data that will deliver cost reductions for transport fleets over the next decade.
The top three things that stop fleets from implementing telematics are:
- Purpose – what will I do with it and how will it benefit my business?
- Cost – The upfront and ongoing costs
- Privacy concerns from employees
Starting small is a common recommendation with new technologies but the time and energy required to overcome the top three roadblocks listed above isn’t worth it for a couple of vehicles. But what if you could get telematics in your fleet without a purpose, and without the cost?
The Hino-Connect system is available on the 500 and 700 Series trucks and will soon be available as an option to purchase on the 300 Series. So if you purchase one of these Hino trucks, you’ll get complimentary access to Hino-Connect for 12 months which includes access to the Business Intelligence system for vehicle utilisation, maintenance support. The system also offers API data integration for full fleet visibility if you decide to purchase a solution from another telematics provider.
This means you can test the benefits of using a telematics system without writing a business case because it comes with the truck.
After playing with it for 12 months, you’ll understand the purpose and how it can benefit your business; you’ll know how it can save money and pay for itself; and you’ll have some internal support from drivers and other stakeholders to ease the concerns about privacy.
Richard Emery, VP Brand and Franchise Development, made the announcement about the 300 Series at the Brisbane Truck Show.
“Our class leading telematics platform you Hino-Connect has been a standard fitment on 500 and 700 series models since 2022 and 2019 respectively. I’m pleased to confirm that in 2023, later this year, we extend Hino Connect as an option onto the 300 series range,” said Emery.
The 300 Series fits into light duty truck segment which can be driven on a car licence and is popular in last mile and local government fleets. Getting the telematics system with the truck provides Fleet Managers with a great opportunity to try without a long term commitment.
