Formerly, the fleet managers would have to make do with paper logs, telephone conversations and intuition. The distance travelled was written in on the napkins by the drivers. The dispatchers assumed the position of people relying on the nature of the sounds along the road and vibrations. It worked, but just barely. Then best truck gps app came by and paper trail became electronic in a day.

The original systems were wonderful but tedious. When a blinking dot is being moved on a map, we had a science fiction film. The fleet managers would know with immediate effect the actual position of the trucks and not the position of the drivers themselves. Another difference was that change in itself. Accountability came into picture and there was no more hiding place to inefficiency.

After that came telematics. The system, without any prior notice, was also not only tracking the movement, but also listening. Each of them started talking, including engine statistics, speed, idle time and fuel consumption. Those were the numbers that thoughts had. They explained what drivers could do with their trucks like drag racers and what drivers could get out of a tank.

Next, it was software’s turn. The reports started being spontaneous. Alerts started to ring when something seemed to be unnatural. Maintenance has become a science and sticky notes are no longer necessary in scheduling maintenance. The dispatchers started talking like an air traffic controller in a calm, clear, and commanding voice.

We are now in the age of AI. The system does not just make predictions, it also records. It knows that the car model 42 overheats when ascending long hilly landscapes. Even it detects fuel waste before your accountant. It will give you clues when still the problems are not on your radar. It is magic but it is just math.

And it’s extremely funny. What began as a way of tracking down of trucks evolved to become a business compass altogether. It shows how time flies, where money is hidden and where performance is played to the best.

Paper records were hearted alright but they were punctured. The modern tracing tools were made so as it was an approximation into exact science. They were not only transformed, but became better. It used to require clipboard and some fortunes to do it; it only requires data, sight and few smart clicks. After having experienced such a clearness you can never return to carbon-copy allotment.