The vulnerability of fleet automobiles to cybersecurity is one of the emerging issues that raise my concern. Digitization in the automobile, such as with telematics, GPS, and even IoT sensors, turns vehicles into the size of an enormous attack surface that many fleet managers are not ready to respond to. I have encountered fleet devices in the middle of our ITAD services that still contained unexploded operational data, tracking histories, vehicle information and client data all that is unencrypted. In case hackers can steal this information, it is very likely to create dangerous situations. It is time to show leadership by auditing all connected devices, instituting governance of all data and team with verifiable and certified ITAD providers for secure data destruction as equipment is retired. Also, fleet leaders are expected to work out plans of incident responses used only with cyber attacks. The quick action will keep the breach under control, securing information of customers and reputation of a company. The connections between fleet safety and cybersecurity are not fictional, and when it comes to safety of the digital elements, the parties placing an increased emphasis on it will guard their operations in the long-term.
An emerging safety challenge is the accessibility factor in car parks, roadside parking and parking bays when delivering our vending machines. The main problem is that as vehicles get wider by the year, parking spaces are not. We've had plenty of reports of close collisions due to the size of other vehicles parked in proximity. We have started to prepare for this on our own site by creating diagonal bays to reduce turning angles and creating a one-way system preventing unnecessary reversing of vehicles. We're also in consultation with several of our customers to improve their parking bays.
Fleet operations increasingly intersect with issues of public health, especially in businesses that handle consumable products like ice. Tainted machines or delivery trucks could become avenues for pathogens and, hence, present risk and liability concerns. Keeping things clean and minimizing pathogen contact will be a significant challenge in the next five years. Managers should keep equipment clean and use IoT alerts to address hygiene issues quickly. Investment in employee education and responsibility systems ensures consistent compliance with health codes. Prioritizing hygiene management, Easy Ice and other business entities can protect employees, guard consumers, maintain public confidence in their products, and create a new standard for fleet safety.
The issue is going to be misplaced faith in telematics. These platforms become so intuitive, so automated, that drivers and dispatchers will eventually take everything for granted....until they don't. I know fleets who have postponed brake maintenance because the dash readout was "green." The pad wear was at 90 percent. You make all of your maintenance decisions based on these sensors and if one glitches (or worse, if it starts misreporting because of a software upgrade) you are one bad trip away from liability. This is a very gradual, silent risk build. So in that case, management needs to encourage redundancy checks. I mean doing physical cross-checks with the digital telematics every 60 days, at least. That way both parties are on their toes. It is similar to triangulating an AI incident report with a manual input spreadsheet. I consulted with a 42-vehicle fleet that netted in excess of $18,000 in repair savings over six months just from human checks verifying incorrect sensor readings. Technology is an enabler, not a validation. But in this regard, the risk is not the data per se but the hubris.
What I believe will have a big impact on fleet operations is regulatory complexity and compliance. Every year, there is a new update, rule or change in the system that affects how we manage vehicles, drivers and reporting. What makes it more difficult is that rules are not equally applied in all regions. A state may enact new fatigue monitoring legislation or emissions rules, but others play it safe and that complicates matters when it comes to businesses operating across expanded regions. Unless you stay ahead of these changes, you will fall behind very quickly. It will result in penalties, increased insurance charges or even lost time due to downtime as your vehicles are not on the road properly due to paperwork not being done in the correct manner. So what leaders should be doing now is bringing in systems that update in real time and give clear alerts when something needs attention. That means spending more on smarter compliance technology and not waiting until things go astray. More than that, you must make sure that your staff knows what is expected. Regulations are evolving rapidly and nobody ever wants to be in the wrong because they overlooked a new rule hidden in one of the manuals. So make trainings as clear as possible, make it part of your operations and create a cadence where everybody is not trying to pull together at the last minute.
The issues related to autonomous vehicles as a safety issue are a hot debate at the moment and one of the issues that we will encounter in the coming decade in terms of fleet operations. As the self-driving technology continues to develop, fleet owners might require re-designing their safety policies and training of the workers to accommodate such automobiles. It will be necessary to keep track of the changes in technology and invest in educational programs. Policy and guidelines are some of the tools that can be employed by fleet leaders to reduce risks because they can establish clear rules and regulations in the use of autonomous vehicles. With the above in mind, changing to the right fleet operations will be easy and convert your fleet operations to safer and efficient.