How AI Can Help Solve Today’s Top Fleet Management Challenges
We recently read an interesting article titled 9 Fleet Management Challenges and How to Overcome Them. It was really enlightening as it discussed some of the very issues our ZigFleet team has been working on resolving. There was a shortcoming in the article however in the proposed solution as it gave a broad recommendation of a modern Enterprise Asset Management system as a solution.
We would like to dive a little deeper, choose some of the key challenges and propose more concrete solutions that AI-empowered Fleet Management Systems like ZigFleet can offer.
How AI Can Help With Fleet Driver Related Issues
The article pointed out that due to driver shortages, fleet management companies were forced to hire brand new drivers and training of those drivers was one of their top issues. This is where an AI-powered fleet management system like ZigFleet really shines. The system features machine vision tools to both monitor exterior situations and internal driver behavior. It can be trained to help identify abnormalities on the roads and help alert drivers to better deal with those situations. It is also able to help nudge drivers towards better driving behavior by identifying those actions which can jeopardize the drivers and vehicle safety.
How AI Can Help with Fuel Costs
A big component of any fleet management system is helping with navigation, the advantage of an AI aided system is that it can more readily react to unforeseen events within the environment. This flexibility helps to ensure that drivers always have the most efficient route presented to them, not just from point A to point B, but also their entire shift route can be designed for optimal efficiency. ZigFleet also monitors the vehicle speed and other fuel saving factors to ensure that every bit of energy is used efficiently both for the sake of the environment and to save on the ever rising energy costs.
How AI Can Help Manage EV Fleets
One of the key attributes of AI systems is the ability to track and manage complexity. In the case of EV fleets, complexity grows based on the number of EV vehicles available, the delivery schedule, the status of EV batteries within each vehicle, the recharging locations, as well as the projected life cycle of those batteries. A system like ZigFleet is able to monitor all of these factors in real time and help design optimal delivery routes for each vehicle based on the most efficient recharging schedule that will make the batteries last for the longest time. Furthermore, the system is able to track any critical events and alert the dispatch center to take action if driver related issues need to be resolved.
How AI Can Help Improve Road Safety
We’ve already highlighted how ZigFleet can help train drivers to abstain from bad roadside behavior. We’ve also discussed route optimization, but we haven’t highlighted the fact that the system can ensure that vehicles are routed away from congested areas or dangerous areas to help alleviate traffic and pressure from the local road systems. ZigFleet can also help monitor road conditions via machine vision and help relay that information to central dashboard so that the entire fleet can take appropriate actions.
How AI Can Help Lower Carbon Emissions of Fleets
The many different components of an AI-powered fleet management system like ZigFleet can all contribute to help lower the carbon emissions of a fleet operator. It starts with helping train the drivers to operate their vehicles at optimal speeds. It builds on that by finding the most optimal routes for individual vehicles as well as holistically as an entire fleet. If the fleets are already operating electric vehicles then ZigFleet can help create the optimal recharging schedule so that batteries can be utilized for their entire potential lifecycle. In summary lower carbon emissions are the output of all the components that make up our AI-powered fleet management system.
Case Study / Customer Story
