MANAGING UTILITY FLEET OPERATIONS IN THE WINTER SEASON

INTRO

The winter season can last up to 3-6 months with heavy snowfall in regions, such as North America, Northern Europe and Northern Asia. Municipalities and utility companies in the snow-prone areas have to make a great effort in advance to ensure that operations run smoothly and services are efficient. To help with this, Teltonika Telematics offers a solution.

CHALLENGE

As the winter season approaches, many cities around the world are faced with transport challenges. Roads are the “veins” of a country’s economy; however, snow and ice can make the roads impassable. Hampering the movement on the roads has a direct negative impact on the economy. This can delay response to outages and slow down the logistics, additionally making it more difficult to repair and maintain transport infrastructure.

Unclean roads and slippery pavements can lead to injuries and other unwanted scenarios for both drivers and pedestrians. Hence, there is a need to track which roads have been cleared and the routes taken by winter service vehicles. At the same time, the challenge is to accurately monitor and record the amount of salt and sand spread during operations. This documentation is essential for transparency and accountability in demonstrating the extent of operations.

Finally, the challenge extends to organising optimal maintenance schedules for both vehicles and equipment. Effective predictive maintenance practices are essential to prevent breakdowns during service operations. Addressing all this requires the implementation of a comprehensive tracking device that seamlessly captures, retrieves, and transmits critical operational data.

SOLUTION

To fully meet the complex challenges faced by municipalities and utility companies in winter, we recommend the use of a multi-functional GPS tracker from the PROFESSIONAL category – FMC650. This handy model is like a Swiss knife, capable of supporting various 3rd party devices and providing the solution to many seasonal challenges.

How it works – FMC650 tracker stands out with its specially dedicated GNSS module, to gather GNSS data and get precise positioning. This allows service providers to get instant access to the exact location of their machinery and equipment. At the same time, the tracker records the exact routes taken during each operation, ensuring the same routes won’t be taken twice or some roads won’t be mistakenly neglected. Thus, drivers are provided with the most accurate driving routes for the assigned areas, resulting in labour and fuel cost savings.

In practice, the snow cleaning shifts might take longer than usual ones of other seasons. The advanced VDO counter functionality helps companies comply with local regulations related to overtime and specific labour laws. This functionality provides easier tracking of the worker’s driving time, working state, ID card/ number, continuous drive time, etc. For instance, 'Remaining Driving Time On Current Shift' - specifies the minutes of allowable driving time left on the worker's current shift, helping companies track employee performance and adherence to labour regulations and work schedules. It ensures effective workforce management and fair overtime labour payment. 

A key aspect of municipal services is accurate recording of spreading materials, like salt brine, sand, de-icer, and gravel. Teltonika FMC650 vehicle tracker could be connected to the third-party sensors and accessories via RS232 port to track the transmission of salt-spreading information. The tracker transmits the materials-related information, for instance, the spread amount and spreading width directly to the server for further analysis and service reports. This way, fleet managers can possess accurate data and trustworthy information about materials utilisation. With it, it's possible to avoid extra materials usage and increase efficiency.

Even more, the FMS Tell Tale Status functionality provides valuable insights into vehicle and equipment health. It enables contractors to arrange optimal maintenance schedules, minimising the risk of breakdowns during operations and reducing overall downtime. It also helps fleet managers stay aware of potential service disruptions and allocate fleet resources accordingly.

In summary, the Teltonika FMC650 model is the cornerstone of efficient, transparent, and compliant winter maintenance management. By integrating this professional GPS tracker, utility companies can navigate the complexities of their tasks with precision and reliability, meeting operational challenges and regulatory requirements.

TOPOLOGY

BENEFITS

• Precise positioning and route optimisation – quick access to vehicle location with real-time GPS tracking to optimise routes and streamline company operations.
• Detailed spreading documentation and reporting – accurate records of salt and sand spreading data to generate service reports with custom software.
• Efficient workforce management – automatic calculation and documentation of driver working hours to improve overall workforce management and ensure fair overtime payment.
• Proactive maintenance – valuable insights into vehicle and equipment health to plan predictive maintenance and minimise failure risk during seasonal operations.
• Labour law compliance – effective workforce management and fair overtime labour payment to comply with local regulations.

WHY TELTONIKA?

At Teltonika Telematics, we pride ourselves on our proven track record of reliability and expertise in the IoT market. Our PROFESSIONAL category GPS trackers, including FMC650, are designed for durability and performance, essential for the rigorous demands of winter utility fleet operations. These smart devices keep fleets running smoothly with real-time tracking and advanced features for route optimisation and maintenance scheduling.

Our expertise in the telematics industry is unique, with a focus on continuous innovation and customer satisfaction. Teltonika Telematics offers not just tracking products, but complete solutions that improve fleet safety, efficiency, and operational visibility. Partnering with Teltonika means choosing a brand synonymous with quality and reliability in fleet management.