Upgrading to 4G telematics? What to look for when evaluating the needs of your fleet

The 3G sunset is on its way. Soon enough your fleet’s 3G supported devices aren’t going to work anymore. Now’s the time to upgrade, but first you need to evaluate the needs of your fleet, and the requirements you have from your 4G telematics provider.

There are multiple providers on the market and depending on the industry you’re in and the requirements you have, some will be more suitable than others. Here are some things to think about to ensure you choose the right 4G telematics provider.

 

Install times and costs

How difficult installs are differs across telematics providers and products. Some products are easy to install yourself, some require specialized install teams that may charge extra fees.

Given that large amounts of fleets across the country are currently upgrading to 4G units due to the 3G sunset, this is particularly important to think about right now. Install teams may be busy and you may need to work around their schedules to get your units installed and your vehicles back on the road.

Integrations

Different providers offer different levels of integrations. Some will have a set list of TMS integrations, while some will be more flexible and be able to develop for and cater to your needs specifically.

Evaluating what integrations you need with your 4G telematics and who is able to supply them is a crucial step in choosing your provider. If you need specialized integrations it’s also worth thinking about how much experience a provider has in that area, as some will have more than others, especially if you require specific hardware.

It’s also important to consider whether you want to use one provider for everything or different providers for different needs. Using one provider gives you benefits like single sign on and other workflow improvements, however depending on your needs some providers may have more expertise in specific areas that could be beneficial to you. 

 

Reporting and extra benefits

With the faster connection and added abilities that come with 4G telematics, you’re going to collect a lot more data from your fleet. This quantity of data can be both overwhelming and a missed opportunity if you don’t know what to do with it properly. When used correctly, it can help you to make better business decisions across your organization, increasing productivity, efficiency, and helping with any other goals that you may have.

Different providers will offer different levels of service to help you use and interpret your data ranging from little assistance to dedicated customer success teams at your disposal. Given how beneficial this data can be for giving your business a competitive advantage, how much assistance you need with this is an important decision to make. 

How much industry experience do they have?

Depending on your industry, you will want a telematics provider with knowledge and experience in your market. For example, if you are running cold chain, you want a provider that not only has the appropriate technology and products that you need, but also has experienced staff that understand the challenges and issues that you face on a day-to-day basis. This type of industry knowledge is helpful in providing support for technical and mechanical issues, as well as having better knowledge about how to use your new wealth of data to your advantage.

 

 

Innovation focus

If the 3G sunset teaches us one thing it’s not to let technology get you stuck in the past. Not only can it be expensive, but also a missed opportunity to level up your organization. When looking for a new 4G telematics provider its worth talking to them about their product roadmap and looking to see if they have an eye for the future. What is the next step in telematics going to be, and do they plan to be a part of this or are they playing catch up?

 To learn more about Coretex and how we plan on being part of the future of telematics, contact us today.