Managing propane industry assets has become more important than ever. Extreme weather and supply chain issues have become par for the course, so it is critical to protect these vital assets while managing an efficient and productive operation. Of course, in this industry, it’s more than just the tanks that need to be protected. There are delivery vehicles, trailers and other heavy equipment — and perhaps, most importantly, your employees.
Fortunately, modern asset management technology and telematics solutions have evolved to more than just dots on a map. While many customers come to us asking about protection against theft of equipment, technology is available that can not only give you peace of mind that your assets are protected, but also vastly improve efficiencies, keep your employees safe and increase customer satisfaction.
There are three key telematics solutions that ensure you spend more time enhancing your business productivity and less time worrying about unnecessary costs or lost assets.
Mitigating Theft
When equipment is lost or stolen, you face a loss of productivity, the need to rent or purchase replacements and time spent having to file police reports and insurance claims. And in this industry, there is powered equipment like forklifts, trucks and skid steers, along with nonpowered items like tanks, trailers and loaders, that are all expensive and vulnerable to potential theft. At a high level, GPS tracking technology provides real-time location and movement alerts that can help prevent theft. But the technology goes beyond that and can be customized to meet your needs.
Perhaps you want an alert if something moves even a foot from where it’s supposed to be. Or maybe you only want an alert when it moves beyond a certain geofenced area. Depending on the asset — the propane tank, the delivery truck, the installation tools or something else — all you need is a GPS sensor attached to the item and cloud-based software. When it comes to vehicles, you can also deter thefts and off-hours use by interrupting power to the starter. Driver ID technology lets you know which employee used a vehicle and can provide selective access to allow individual employees to start a vehicle. And with tamper protection that triggers when the back of a sensor is exposed to light, you can be alerted when a tracking device is removed from an asset.
Recovering vehicles and assets due to theft means fewer insurance claims. Insurance companies are more commonly providing discounts to premiums when asset solutions are in place. Importantly, the savings from not having to replace this vehicle more than paid for the implementation of the telematics solution. Accurate GPS location tracking is an easy way to eliminate guesswork regarding a lost or stolen asset’s location, saving you time and money and ensuring that your customers will be taken care of when they need it most.
Enhancing Safety
Your delivery vehicles and the people who operate them are critical to your operations. Ensuring the safety of these employees while they make deliveries or customer visits in company-owned vehicles is paramount. With a telematics solution, you can track excessive speeding via odometer readings, hard braking, phone usage, seat belt compliance and other high-risk driving maneuvers to trigger a discussion on safe driving tips and help improve driver safety for themselves and others. Cameras can provide proof of safe driving in the event of an accident as well.
These solutions can also detect when a vehicle is in an accident and alert you and emergency responders, and AI-powered cameras can detect phone usage or driver fatigue and even predict collisions and alert drivers in real-time. Video footage from these cameras, along with GPS data, can also potentially help protect your company from insurance claims or lawsuits in the event of a disputed accident.
Optimizing Vehicle Maintenance & Delivery Routes
For vehicles, unexpected breakdowns can be costly and time consuming. GPS-powered asset tracking helps eliminate unexpected repair costs and downtime by scheduling proactive maintenance reminders based on engine hours and miles. It’s also no secret that fuel is expensive! The technology can be used to optimize routes for fuel and mileage savings in addition to minimizing idling time, which wastes fuel and causes excess engine wear. Operators can use the data to dispatch the closest driver in case of an emergency or change in plans, reroute drivers to help stay on schedule and meet appointment windows and respond faster to customers.
For your tanks, there are advanced tank monitoring systems that are equipped with IoT (Internet of Things) sensors that provide real-time data on propane levels, pressure and potential leaks. With this data, you can prioritize refills based on need and not on a predetermined schedule and ensure that tanks and your delivery drivers are where they are needed the most.
At the end of the day, it is all about taking care of your customers. The throughline of these technology benefits is how they can increase overall efficiency and customer satisfaction. You can ensure that your customers have a great experience while maximizing productivity and running both an efficient and profitable business.
An integrated telematic solution is a smart addition to any company operating within the propane and energy sector, as it can easily pay for itself in a short period of time through fuel and time saving or in the event of one stolen piece of equipment.
