Each of the 340 assets in the City of Sydney’s vehicle fleet – from 23-tonne garbage collection trucks to lightweight electric cars – has been equipped with a high-end GPS tracker as part of a new telematics solution supplied by IntelliTrac.
In conjunction with IntelliTrac’s proprietary software, the devices will provide the City with sophisticated asset-tracking intelligence in real time.
The ‘Elite’-branded trackers are the newest and most advanced hardware manufactured by IntelliTrac and provide up to four GNSS networks, dead reckoning, 30 I/O, RS232, OBDII, RFID and more. The devices are 4G-enabled with optional fall-back to Iridium Satellite Communications.
“This technology will enable Fleet Services staff to more proactively manage the vehicle fleet by having immediate and quality data available to them to assist in decision making and problem solving,” says a City of Sydney spokesperson.
Among the council’s priorities is lessening the environmental impact of its fleet. “The City will reduce fuel consumption by using telematics data to remove excess driving, optimising travel routes and reducing vehicle idling.”
The City also hopes asset tracking will help it improve safety outcomes. “Telematics enables the City to monitor driver behaviour to ensure eco-safe driving is maximised, and assists with driver development, leading to a safer driving culture and addressing compliance requirements in the process.”
The City went to tender for a full telematics solution in 2019. “Installation took place in 2020 as part of the initial project phase along with consultation, testing, user acceptance and policy development,” says a spokesperson for the City.
IntelliTrac founder and CEO Dean Calapai says his company finished installation just prior to the first COVID-19 lockdowns, in March last year. “Since then, because the City’s staff have been working from home, we haven’t been able to sit down with them to discuss their full requirements and to conduct training,” he says.
“But I’ve logged into their platform today and I’m truly amazed at what they’ve been able to do with virtually no training. It’s a real testament to our software and how easy it is to use.”
In addition to the GPS trackers, a number of the council’s heavy assets, such as garbage collection trucks and street sweepers, have been fitted with data terminals that provide an even greater range of reporting about the condition and usage of vehicles.
And there’s more tech to come. “The City hasn’t yet rolled out our video system, which allows workers to take photos and video during their daily runs and attach those multimedia files to work orders and the like,” says Calapai.
“We’re also now including artificial intelligence – namely driver-facing cameras to detect fatigue, mobile phone use and distraction and forward-facing cameras to detect frontal collision alerts and auto-recognition of speed limit signs.”
IntelliTrac is developing additional AI capabilities in-house that cater specifically to local governments, Calapai adds.
