Fleet management and telematics glossary
Telematics, tachograph and fleet management terms explained for operations managers and fleet managers.
Asset tracking
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Asset tracking applies location to non-powered items: trailers, containers, pallets, machinery or towable equipment. It relies on low-power tags or sensors linked to the vehicle that moves them, and answers the question of where each item is, not just each vehicle.
Related: Geofencing
CAN bus
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CAN bus is the internal network through which the electronic control units of a vehicle communicate with each other. Reading it provides factory data—actual fuel consumption, engine RPM, temperature, fuel level, fault codes—with far greater accuracy than estimating those values from GPS.
Related: OBD-II, Fleet telematics
Digital tachograph
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The digital tachograph is the mandatory device that records driving time, rest periods and speed in vehicles over 3.5 tonnes and in passenger transport. Its data must be downloaded and retained periodically, and it is the basis for inspections by the transport authority.
Legal basis: Regulation (EU) 165/2014
Related: Remote tachograph download, Driving times and rest periods
Driver scoring
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Driver scoring is the rating that summarizes the behavior of each driver based on acceleration, harsh braking, speeding and cornering with high lateral force. It is used to prioritize training, reduce the accident rate and, with some insurers, negotiate the premium.
Related: Eco-driving
Driving times and rest periods
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These are the legal limits on a professional driver’s working day: daily driving, mandatory breaks, and daily and weekly rest. Non-compliance leads to penalties for both the driver and the company, and automated monitoring through telematics can warn before the infringement occurs.
Legal basis: Regulation (EC) 561/2006
Related: Digital tachograph
Eco-driving
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Eco-driving is the set of driving practices that reduce fuel consumption: anticipation, higher gears, a steady speed and the elimination of unnecessary idling. When it is measured with telematics, the savings can be quantified per driver and per route instead of being estimated.
Related: Driver scoring, Idling
Fleet telematics
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Fleet telematics is the technology that combines GPS location and vehicle data and transmits them in real time to a management platform. It lets you see position, fuel consumption, driving style and mechanical condition without relying on manual reports from drivers.
Geofencing
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Geofencing is the definition of virtual geographic zones on a map so that the platform triggers an automatic alert when a vehicle enters or leaves them. It is used to monitor delivery areas, job sites or authorized parking, or to detect vehicle use outside working hours.
Related: Fleet telematics
Idling
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Idling is the time the engine keeps running while the vehicle is stationary. It burns fuel without covering any distance and accelerates wear. It is one of the metrics with the fastest payback in a fleet, because it usually drops just by making it visible to the driver.
Related: Eco-driving
OBD-II
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OBD-II is the standardized diagnostic connector found in vehicles since the late 1990s. A telematics device plugged into it reads engine data and fault codes without a wired installation, so a fleet can be equipped in minutes and the hardware recovered when a vehicle is replaced.
Related: CAN bus
Predictive maintenance
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Predictive maintenance anticipates breakdowns by analyzing real vehicle data—diagnostic codes, temperatures, fuel consumption, mileage and usage patterns—instead of waiting for a failure to happen or servicing the vehicle on a fixed calendar schedule. It reduces unplanned downtime and extends the life of components.
Remote tachograph download
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Remote download is the automatic extraction of tachograph data over a wireless connection, without the vehicle returning to the depot or the fleet manager plugging in a physical key. It prevents late downloads and the associated penalties, and it is what makes meeting legal deadlines feasible in large fleets.
Related: Digital tachograph