Editor's Blog Section

From ‘Opinion’ column, issue 40 – April/May 2009

In today’s economic climate, telematics and tracking systems ought to be an easy sell. If you’re a vehicle operator, the fact is that you really can save money by introducing telematics – and the savings will probably come within less than a year.

This isn’t just a pious hope: fleet operators seem to be practically lining up to tell you about the benefits. Elsewhere on this issue we describe several such companies. One covered on this page says it is saving £300,000 a year with a telematics-based system – much of it just through improved fuel consumption.

Add in other benefits such as reduced insurance premiums, reduced maintenance bills and shorter journey times, and the savings just keep mounting up.

Yet because tracking systems have become almost a commodity item, some would-be users may have become sceptical. Industry gurus are predicting that there will be consolidation in the telematics market, and some commentators are warning buyers to beware of pitfalls that you might encounter if you lease equipment indirectly through a supplier. No wonder some operators are nervous.

Well, the warnings are timely, but they don’t mean you should be put off buying altogether, or should be wary about leasing, providing you do it judiciously. Most markets are characterised by a range of suppliers, from basic resellers to highly sophisticated specialists, and telematics is one of them.

If all you want is a basic product, then so long as you consider carefully what you’re committing yourself to, you should be fine. Just make sure you’re looking ahead, and considering whether your chosen system will be delivering everything you want of it in two or three years’ time.

On the other hand if you want integrated job despatch, POD gathering, fleet management and sophisticated reporting, you can have all that too, and it needn’t cost the earth.

We’ve heard a lot lately about how a reluctance to spend is exacerbating the recession. With that in mind, what could appeal more than a system that will genuinely save you money? If you can scrape together the finance for a mobile solution, you’ll also be benefiting the industry and the economy.