Fleet Management

Consider a vehicle monitoring system managing a fleet of cars, trucks, forklifts, or other vehicles. Each vehicle in the fleet is outfitted with a hardware device that collects a variety of data on the driver’s behavior. This data includes driving speed, maximum acceleration and shocks experienced by the vehicle, driving patterns such as the amount of time spent driving vs. the amount of time spent idling.

All of this data is logged into the device’s memory for later upload to the computer, typically through some form of a wireless interface. The device also works as an access controller for the vehicle – drivers use access codes or RFID cards to “log on” to the vehicle.

Vechicle Controller Settings

A driver’s access to the vehicle can also be a subject to time limitations, such as “only within predefined shift”, “only within standard working time”, etc. Moreover, all vehicle log-ins and log-outs are recorded. In combination with vehicle driving pattern records, this creates an extensive audit trail. The system can also perform a number of additional functions such as monitoring oil and gas level, battery charge, etc. In critical situations, the vehicle can be remotely immobilized by a command sent through the wireless interface.

The wireless connection to each vehicle is typically unstable. Even on a site that has blanket wireless coverage there are always some wireless “blind spots” where the connection is unstable or unavailable. Often, vehicles are not even confined to a particular site and only return to the base occasionally. This dramatically narrows the window of opportunity for communicating with any particular monitoring device.

An average fleet includes many types of vehicles, requiring different configurations. Additionally, vehicles are typically outfitted with a monitoring device at different times. As a result, some carry older monitoring devices, some carry newer ones, and firmware versions are not all the same.

In a regular working environment, it is next to impossible to collect all vehicles and update their devices and firmware in one fell swoop. Very often, some monitoring devices will receive an upgrade. For this upgrade to work, the PC software collecting the data from these vehicles will have to be upgraded too. This, in turn, will make it incompatible with older versions of monitoring devices still working on some vehicles. Experience shows that this cycle of update problems can be endless.

Vechicle Event Log

AggreGate is built from the ground up to avoid all of these limitations. Data is synchronized between the devices and the server whenever a connection is available. You can always change the settings for a given vehicle, and as soon as that vehicle comes into range, the new settings are automatically downloaded onto it.

You could also browse the list of vehicle events (log-ins, log-outs, alerts etc) whenever you want, and not just when the vehicle is in range. You will just see the most recent data available, and as soon as the vehicle comes into range (or synchronizes again via GPRS or other long-range medium) you’d see new data.

AggreGate is smart enough to adapt to many different firmware versions. You could even manage several vehicles as one group, despite each vehicle containing a different version of the monitoring device and firmware, installed at different times. You could make a single, sweeping change for a setting (like a speed threshold, for example) that would take effect on all such vehicles at once.

Deploying AggreGate doesn’t mean you have to stop using your current system. AggreGate supports open protocols for exchanging data and executing operations. Thus, while you could use the built-in AggreGate Client as the end-user software, AggreGate is just as useful when used as middleware, with your existing enterprise-grade fleet management system serving as the front end.

AggreGate for Fleet Management

Controlling and monitoring vechicle settings: list of permitted drivers/operators, maintenance schedule (date of last/next maintenance and any grace period), speed thresholds (speed limit, speeding alarms etc.), temperature/oil thresholds, shock thresholds (for forklifts), fuel/battery thresholds, and more
Monitoring current vehicle conditions: location (via GPS), speed, fuel/battery level, current mileage, oil level, and more
Performing vechicle operations: remote engine shutdown, send message to driver/operator, etc.
Monitoring real-time and historical events/alerts, such as: speed limit exceeded, fuel/battery/oil level low, maintenance overdue, checkup failed/timed out, shock limit exceeded, and more
Tracking an unlimited number of vehicles on a large area from several geographically distributed control centers
Tracking general fleet information (vehicle numbers, license numbers, etc.)
Tracking employee and driver information, licensing, certification, etc
Storing specific vehicle information (e.g. oil type)
Permitting an operator to manage a specific set of vehicles, regardless of their location
Tracking preventive maintenance (PM) and repairs performed on your fleet
Alerting operators when maintenance is due
Viewing, searching, sorting and filtering vehicle event/alert history
Creating and viewing reports (vehicle usage, checklists, accidents, alerts etc.)
Managing automatic maintenance notifications
Setting up a real-time data exchange with a stock management system

Customizing AggreGate for Your Own Fleet

Build your own event filters, to focus on the data and parameters you care about the most
Customized reports fit in with your current management system
Brand the interface with your own logo, to maintain corporate identity
Replace text strings all throughout the application – instead of “Data Terminal”, you could have a “Vehicle” or even a “Forklift” (for a fleet consisting entirely of forklifts).
Create only those alerts you need, and reach your personnel via email, SMS or even Twitter

Integrating AggreGate With an Existing Fleet Management System

Manage fuel consumption history and statistics
Analyze costs of preventive maintenance, repairs, parts, and labor
Calculate sales tax
Monitor accidents
Track and monitor fluid usage (i.e. motor oil, transmission fluid, etc)
Record general expenses such as registration renewals, insurance payments, lease payments, etc.
Track and monitor equipment usage
Analyze your fleet costs in bar, line, and pie charts
Track tire inventory, assignment, and usage
Manage, track and monitor work orders
Calculate detailed labor charges by rates and times.