Global trade means that goods are often transported over long distances. What does this mean for temperature-sensitive goods? How can you ensure goods are kept at the right temperature? In this blog we highlight the challenges, technological solutions and innovations in cold chain logistics.

Fleet management is the process of overseeing and optimizing the performance, maintenance, and operation of a group of vehicles used by a business or organization. Fleet management can include cars, trucks, vans, buses, motorcycles, or any other type of vehicle that serves a specific purpose.

Fleet management is important for your business because it can help you:

Improve efficiency: By tracking and analyzing data such as fuel consumption, mileage, speed, route, and driver behavior, you can identify and eliminate inefficiencies and optimize your fleet performance. You can also plan and schedule your routes and deliveries more effectively, reducing travel time and costs.

When considering an investment in a telematics system, you are usually aware of the benefits you can get from this decision. Any provider of this solution will fully spell them out for you. However, the question arises - can this project fail at some stage?

• Digital and compact hardware used in cold chain, dry cargo, and video telematics solutions
• Astrata will be exhibiting at Stand B58, Hall 25, Area 48

 Eindhoven, Netherlands, 14th September 2022 - Astrata, a leading provider of enterprise management software and advanced location-based IT services (telematics), will launch its new cold chain solution ColdLinc and showcase its trailer solutions VideoLinc and TrailerLinc at this year’s IAA Transportation, which takes place in Hannover, Germany, from 20th to 25th September 2022. All solutions are digital and compact, with simple installation for minimised downtime, and are targeted at transportation companies and fleet managers with different vehicles and carrying various kinds of cargo. Astrata will be exhibiting at Stand B58, Hall 25, Area 48.

ColdLinc
Astrata’s new cold chain solution ColdLinc features a compact digital thermograph that records the temperature of cargo, container, and trailer, enabling real-time temperature control with a measurement resolution of 0,01°C. This is particularly important for pharmaceuticals, food retailers, fresh produce deliveries, or supermarket logistics. ColdLinc complies with EU regulations for the storage and transport of pharmaceutical and food products and with requirements of General Food Laws and Good Distribution Practice for the transport of food and pharmaceuticals, respectively. Recorded temperature data can be accessed digitally anytime in order to prove compliance.

TrailerLinc
TrailerLinc is an untethered trailer telematics solution for the dry cargo segment. A standalone compact telematics platform for trailer fleet management, it enables better tracking and tracing, maintenance and collection of critical data related to operational safety and security. The improved supply chain visibility enabled by tracking, monitoring and recording data makes it possible to determine responsibility in case of damage or theft. The solution can help monitor subcontractors’ operational model, runtime and historical data, e.g. for insurance, maintenance, security and traceability purposes.

VideoLinc
Last but not least, Astrata’s fully integrated “eye on the road” video surveillance solution features road-facing cameras, giving dispatchers and drivers a 360° view of their surroundings and increasing the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. This helps to improve road safety, reduce accident claim costs and cargo damage, and guard against false allegations. The solution’s Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) alerts drivers of any potential tailgate, forward and pedestrian collision, and Driver State Monitoring (DSM) accurately monitors driver behaviour, trends, driving patterns and violations to ensure that vehicles and equipment are operated safely and lawfully. An optional driver-facing camera can monitor potential dangers, such as exhaustion or distractedness.

My Astrata Journey and how they gave me the opportunity to work in Madrid, Spain!

Fuel is one of the biggest costs in the logistics industry, therefore it also offers a lot of possibilities to increase margins. Good fuel management is one of the key fleet management skills, as it can save the company 5% to 10% of fuel. If your truck uses 29,9 litres of fuel per 100 km* and drives 120.000 km per year, good fuel management saves you up to €32.400 per year per truck. This means that you save up to €3.240.000 per year if you have a 100 truck fleet. In this blog, we will discuss which variables have an effect on fuel efficiency for trucks, so that you are able to increase your fleet’s margin.

Fleet efficiency is the art of optimising every aspect of your fleet, be it vehicles, trailers, containers, drivers and even office staff. Everybody in the industry is talking about improving fleet efficiency and by doing that increasing its profitability. For you, it might sound like a long term strategy without any clear steps that can help you to achieve the best possible result. That is why, in this new blog, we provide you with the 5 most valuable tips to improve your fleet’s efficiency.

To protect drivers, and the public from truck drivers that might be driving too long, the HGV driving hours' legislation was brought into place. This process of monitoring driving hours started with paper disks and evolved to the current downloadable digital tachographs and driving cards. Not only has the technology evolved but also the regulations have become even more strict over the past few years.

Many try, but few succeed - nothing is more true when we think about start-ups in the transport and logistics industry. In a market where a lot of companies have adopted identical processes, it is hard to differentiate. The difference between success and failure is usually a matter of efficiency. In our new blog, we will help you to understand what fleet efficiency is and which metrics you should consider when analysing your fleet’s efficiency.

The first step was a bar-code scanner but companies are now digitalising their whole process. This enables them to manage their fleet better with less resources. It also offers increased added value to their customers. If you do not want to fall behind the competition, you cannot afford to not digitalise your business. In this new blog, we discuss the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ of digitalisation in the transport industry.

Transport and logistics companies often work with more than one telematics system and with subcontractors that use many more systems. This results in fleet managers not having insight into all their data in one place and have to switch between systems repeatedly. This is frustrating and inefficient. With open telematics, you can integrate all systems into one platform. This enables fleet managers to view all data in one place and reducing workload and increasing productivity.

Due to the lack of drivers in the industry today, it is more important than ever to retain your good drivers. You can achieve this by setting up a driver retention plan, in which attractive working conditions are an important aspect. If you set this up the right way, chances are high that it will also attract drivers from other companies. In this blog, we will discuss why driver retention is so important and what impacts it. Alongside that, we will provide you with 5 quick wins to improve your driver retention.

When you think of fuel management systems for trucks, you probably think that the only benefit is to optimise fuel consumption, and by doing so, save on fuel costs. That might have been the case in the past, but is definitely not the case anymore. More advanced  systems benefit your company in numerous ways, from improving cost efficiency to preventing fuel theft. In this new blog, we discuss the different ways fuel management systems for trucks can benefit your company. 

The transport and logistics industry has changed a lot over the past few decades. From using expensive telephones in the ’90s to advanced fleet management telematics in 2020. These so-called fleet management telematics systems are indispensable if you want to optimise your fleet’s efficiency and profitability. In this blog, we will discuss what these fleet management telematics systems are and what they consist of.

As the logistics industry has matured, new fleet management systems appear almost weekly. This is great for the industry, but are you taking advantage of the latest innovations? Systems can be as different as a Fiat 500 and a Tesla, the basics are the same, but the technology is miles apart. To make things easier for you we have summarised the most important fleet management tools that are commonly found in basic and advanced telematics. 

Technology has had a huge impact on the transport and logistics industry over the past decade. Technological innovations have enabled companies to find new ways to optimise their processes, such as identifying cost reductions and workflow improvements. On top of that, it has given them the chance to add more value to their end customer’s experience. In order to get you up to speed, we have provided you with 5 essential fleet management tips to help you improve your fleet’s efficiency and profitability. 

Specialist in gas transport
Founded in 1956, Jongeneel Transport has operated successfully for more than 60 years and is now led by the third generation of the family. Jongeneel Transport has a fleet of approximately 130 trucks. "We transport dangerous goods, building materials and floriculture products. The dangerous goods department (ADR) is by far the largest. Hazardous transport includes the transport of propane, butane, LPG, LNG, carbon dioxide and cryogenic gases", says Managing Director Ruud Jongeneel. In recent years, Jongeneel Transport has made a strong commitment to digitalisation, staff development and sustainable business practices. This strategy is now bearing fruit and the company now stands out as a professional and modern operator in the market.