Top 3 Challenges of Summer: Congestion, Construction, Care

We’re halfway through the month of June and that means we’ve reached the pinnacle of summer travel. With school wrapped up and work days shortened, millions of Americans will hit the road between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend.

Summer travel season isn’t a breeze for everyone, though. For fleets, this time of year brings a new set of challenges, which we like to call the “3 C’s of Summer.”
 
Congestion 
Increased traffic volumes are the No. 1 cause of fleet inefficiency: Research from the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) revealed U.S. traffic congestion totaled more than 996 million hours in lost productivity from 2014 to 2015.  

Moving goods across the country—and doing it quickly—is key to a healthy economy. During a high summer shipment period, it is even more crucial for fleets to know which roads are the most congested and how to avoid known bottlenecks. Using a GPS fleet management system, dispatchers can identify the peak travel times and re-route drivers accordingly. 

For example, those who typically drive during the daytime may need to adjust their schedule to avoid heavy traffic. New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is encouraging drivers to do just that by offering a 50% discount on tolls between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. MTA hopes to alleviate common bottlenecks around bridges and tunnels due to summer construction projects and road repairs.  

Construction 
Congestion and construction go hand in hand: More vehicles on the road, plus less road available, equals a major traffic jam. A highway segment can be brought to a complete standstill—or closed off entirely—in construction zones, preventing drivers from reaching their destinations and negatively impacting customer service.

But, just as GPS fleet tracking software re-directs drivers from pockets of congestion, this technology also identifies construction areas before vehicles are caught in traffic and losing time. Unlike manual planning, dispatchers know well in advance of potential road blocks, responding proactively vs. reactively. 

Care
The combination of extreme temperatures and long work days increase the risk of overheating for vehicles and drivers. 

Fleet managers need to pay close attention for areas of wear and tear in the summer, but mechanical failures can easily be avoided with regular maintenance. As an added benefit of mapping shorter, more efficient routes, GPS fleet tracking software also provides real-time vehicle vitals and automatically schedules service. 

For drivers, fleet managers must put extra measures in place to keep them well rested and comfortable. Heat exhaustion is a primary cause of drowsiness, which poses a significant risk to the safety of everyone on the road. An Hours of Service (HOS) solution, coupled with GPS fleet tracking software, lets drivers submit electronic logs from their in-vehicle displays, leaving zero no ambiguity about whether the driver is taking his/her required rest breaks.

GPS fleet tracking solutions provide fleets with the guardrails to support driver safety, optimize vehicle performance and minimize accidents all year long. To learn more about these benefits, please visit: http://www.teletracnavman.com/our-solutions/fleet-management-software.