The manufacturers predict that telematic systems will become a major part of fleet operation, allowing managers to increase utilisation of equipment, better plan preventative maintenance and more rapidly respond to issues on site, cutting operating and ownership costs and boosting profits.
Case Fleet Connect telematics enables plant managers to remotely monitor their fleet and can be retrofitted by local dealers into any brand of machine.
The New Holland version is branded Smart Fleet.
The systems use a telematics control unit mounted on each machine to collect information from the machine and from GPS satellites. Data is then sent to the manufacturer’s telematics web portal, allowing customers to see where machines are located – through Google Maps – and the work that is being carried out.
As with other telematics systems, Fleet Connect and Smart Fleet offer the possibility to erect a geofence around a machine to combat theft. If the machine is moved beyond a predetermined zone, the fleet manager immediately gets a text and/or email.
Constant monitoring of machines also allows managers to better prepare for regular preventative maintenance, as operating hours are recorded and any faults can be flagged up to service technicians.
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