Fleet Management Glossary

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A

Acceleration: Acceleration is the rate at which the vehicle speed increases. It is the opposite of deceleration.
Accelerometer: A device that measures acceleration.
Active GPS tracking device: Also: Active GPS tracker. GPS tracking device that sends data to a central server at regular intervals. This allows real-time track and trace of a vehicle, including geo-fencing.
API: An application-programming interface (API) is a set of programming instructions and standards for accessing a web-based software application or web tool. It allows software applications to connect, communicate, and exchange information or functionality with each other.
Asset tracking: Asset tracking is the process of monitoring and keeping track of the exact location, status, position and other relevant information of your company’s assets.

B

BeiDou: Formerly known as COMPASS. Chinese version of a Global Navigation Satellite System.
Bluetooth: A wireless connection used for everyday equipment like computers and phones. It only connects over a short distance and basically replaces cable connections. This makes it especially useful for equipment used outdoors, such as mobile phones and portable navigation devices.
Business integration: The integration of a fleet management solution with existing business applications. An example of a typical systems integration is connecting a fleet management solution with a workforce management system. This enables optimization of daily operations through dynamic scheduling of deliveries, resources, and loads.

C

Carbon emission: The release of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the atmosphere. In relation to vehicles, carbon emissions are considered to be the exhaust gases produced by internal combustion engines running on gasoline or diesel.
Carbon reporting (CO₂ report): Reporting that allows detailed monitoring of a fleet’s carbon footprint CO₂ information about every vehicle and trip.
Coasting: Keeping a vehicle moving without accelerating while the vehicle remains in gear. When coasting, no fuel is injected into the engine and therefore no fuel is consumed. It is recommended not to coast while the vehicle is out of gear or with the clutch depressed as this is dangerous because it reduces driver control.
Connected car: A motor vehicle that is equipped with in-car telematics. This allows connections to other devices in the car or services, networks, and devices outside the car.
Coordinates: A set of numbers, or references, that identify your position anywhere on the Earth. Your coordinates are usually stated in terms of latitude and longitude. By knowing that the coordinates of Amsterdam are 52° 22’ latitude and 4° 53’ longitude, you can pinpoint Amsterdam’s exact location on a map.
CAN bus: Controller Area Network bus. Vehicle bus standard that allows a vehicle’s electronic control units, such as engine, antilock braking/ABS, airbags, cruise control, electronic fuel injection, automatic gear box, and battery systems, to communicate with each other without a central computer.
Car connectivity: Connectivity is the linking of information and communication technology (ICT) between people, machines and the Internet of Things (IoT). Car connectivity enables the vehicle to share and receive internet access and data with other devices.

D

Dashboard: A dashboard is a visual display of Key Performance Indicators (KPI), shown in one view, making it easy to stay constantly updated on the information that is important to a business. For example, a fleet management dashboard delivers rich, real-time information about the vehicles in a fleet.
Dashcam: A vehicle dashcam is a camera that you can install in a car, van, truck or other vehicle. The purpose of a dashcam is to record things that are happening both on the road and in the fleet vehicle.
Deceleration: Deceleration is the rate at which the vehicle speed decreases. It is the opposite of acceleration.
Driver terminal: Device and interface which drivers have in their cars that offer functionality such as navigation, work on orders, communication with the dispatch, analyzing driving behavior, levels of eco-friendly driving, driving style improvements, logbook, and more.
Driver Vehicle Inspection Report: A Driver Vehicle Inspection Report (DVIR) is an official record verifying that a driver has completed a full inspection of a commercial vehicle. A DVIR must be completed at the beginning of the day (pre-trip) and end of the day (post-trip) for each day the vehicle is in use.
Driving behavior: Driving behavior is an indication of how a driver drives the vehicle and is determined from various inputs such as speed, braking, coasting, gear shifting, idling, and steering. Driving behavior can positively impact fuel costs, maintenance, and insurance premiums and help reduce the total cost of vehicle ownership.
Driving event: A driving event occurs when a driver exceeds a certain level of deceleration or acceleration. It is measured by an accelerometer and recorded during braking, cornering and steering, and sudden deceleration, such as a crash.
Driving style: How safely and efficiently drivers behave on the road.
Dynamic dispatching: Procedures to assign jobs to drivers. In fleet management it allows order dispatching from start to finish. Status location and ETA information allows selection of the most suitable driver for a particular job. Instructions and job updates can be sent to remote Driver Terminals.
Drivers' hours regulations: Drivers' hours regulations protect driver's safety and other road users by ensuring all drivers are in a suitable condition to operate vehicles.

E

ETA: The estimated time of arrival, or ETA for short, is the predicted and expected date and time of a vehicle, shipment, or delivery at a certain location.
Electric vehicle (EV) fleet management: Many fleet managers are evaluating whether electric vehicles (EVs) are a viable option for their fleets. Or they are already electrified and wondering how to properly implement EV fleet management to get the most out of it.
Eco driving: Eco driving is a way of operating a vehicle to control and reduce unnecessary fuel consumption, improve drive and road safety, and minimize risk.
Electronic Logging Device (ELD): ELD (Electronic Logging Device) is a digital device that connects to the engine of a vehicle allowing drivers to automatically track all driving activities throughout the day. Electronic logging devices are also known as electronic logbooks or e-logs, and they are mostly used by professional drivers of commercial vehicles.

F

Fleet maintenance: Fleet maintenance refers to all the processes that keep your fleet’s vehicles in good working order, ensuring that they are as safe and effective as possible.
Fleet management: An industry term used for a broad range of solutions for vehicle-related applications that help companies manage their fleets of vehicles, such as cars, vans, trucks, and buses.
Fleet management system: A combination of vehicle-based technology and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) that helps businesses improve vehicle performance, save fuel, improve driver safety, aid risk management, and increase overall fleet efficiency.
Fleet manager: The person within a company responsible for everything related to company vehicles and drivers.
Fleet optimization: All activities related to making a fleet of vehicles more effective and efficient through the use of a fleet management solution. For example, actionable insights that are derived from detailed reports about fuel usage by individuals and the fleet.
Fleet tracking: Fleet tracking uses GPS and cellular networks to provide actionable, near real-time data about the locations and statuses of fleet vehicles and equipment. It provides the data required for immediate decision-making and long-term reports.
Fuel consumption: Fuel usage of a vehicle measured in l/100 km or MPG (miles per gallon). These metrics act as a standard way of defining and comparing a vehicle’s fuel consumption and efficiency.
Fuel efficiency: The relationship between fuel usage and distance traveled.
Fuel monitoring: Monitoring of the fuel consumption and statistics of vehicles within a fleet in order to reduce fuel costs and improve driving behavior.
Fuel management system: A fuel management system is a process of managing and improving fuel usage and costs.
Field service management: Field service management is the management of a company’s resources using tools to manage things like scheduling, work orders, analytics, reporting and customer expectations.
Fleet operating costs: Minimizing fleet operating costs is one of the top priorities of a fleet manager. If costs run too high, it directly impacts the trucking company's profit and can lead to a big monetary loss.
Fleet risk management: Minimizing fleet risk ensures not only the safety and efficiency of your fleet and operation, but also helps avoid costly fines.

G

GALILEO: The European counterpart to GPS.
Geo-fencing: A feature of vehicle tracking systems which uses GPS to define geographical boundaries. It can alert a dispatcher when a vehicle driver deviates from his route or enters or leaves pre-defined geographical areas. There is a distinction between server-side and vehicle-side geo-fencing. Vehicle-side triggers an instant alert when the vehicle enters a geographical area. Server-side triggers an alert, sent by the fleet management server, when the vehicle position is received and processed by the server.
GIS (geographic information system): GIS (geographic information system) technology is designed to view and manipulate topographical information. Most commonly, GIS is used in the manipulation of maps.
GLONASS: Russian version of a Global Navigation Satellite System.
GNSS: A space-based Global Navigation Satellite System that provides geolocation and time information to a GNSS receiver anywhere on or near the Earth where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GNSS satellites. Various GNSS systems are available, such as GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, and BeiDou. Navigation and tracking devices will not be compatible with all GNSS systems. GPS is the most commonly-used system for vehicle tracking and navigation.
GPRS: General Packet Radio Service. A system for transmitting high-speed wireless information. It is used for the internet, mobile phones, computers, and other data. GPRS is the world’s main system for transmitting mobile phone data.
GPS: Global Positioning System. United States version of a Global Navigation Satellite System. GPS is a satellite-based radio navigation system that consists of up to 32 space satellites, developed by the US Department of Defense. Anyone traveling with a GPS receiver can determine their own position and velocity, thanks to orbiting GPS satellites that are free to use, 24/7, anywhere in the world.
GPS tracking device: Also: GPS tracker. A vehicle tracking device which uses GPS technology.
GPS vehicle tracking: Tracking of vehicles using a device with GPS technology which captures the vehicle location and other information. There are active and passive GPS tracking devices.
Gross vehicle weight: Gross vehicle weight is the total weight of large trucks, hauling trailers, and other large vehicles. This is a vital variable for fleet managers to consider for ensuring the safety of roadways.
Geofencing: A geofence can be defined as a virtual fence around a delimited geographical location. Geofencing is the use of this digital fence to trigger an action when entering or leaving this perimeter.

H

HGV/LGV: Abbreviation for a heavy or large goods vehicle and the official EU term for a truck that has a gross weight over 3500 kg.
HOS (Hours of Service): HOS (hours of service) refers to regulations implemented by governing traffic bodies. The rules pertain to truck drivers, as well as mail carriers and city and school bus drivers.

I

Idle time: Idle time is the time a vehicle stands still with the engine running or the time the vehicle is moving very slowly. Idle time is typically recorded after five minutes.
Idling: Running the engine of a vehicle when the vehicle is not in motion. Common idling situations are standing still at a red light or waiting while parked with the engine running. Reducing idling has a positive effect on fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions.
Informative tracing: Detailed information about the movement history of a vehicle, in the form of a trail on a map. It includes insights into vehicle movements, highlighting anomalies and exposing patterns.
ISO 27001: An international information security standard issued by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) which provides a set of standardized requirements and specifications for an information security management system. Being ISO 27001 certified underpins that an organization is in complete control of their processes and that client data is secure.

L

Latitude: Geographic coordinate that specifies the north–south position of a point on the Earth's surface.
LCV: Abbreviation for light commercial vehicle and the official EU term for a vehicle that has a gross weight of up to 3500 kg.
Logbook: The administration of vehicle trips for tax purposes by classifying trips as business or private.
Longitude: Geographic coordinate that specifies the east–west position of a point on the Earth's surface.

M

Mileage registration: The manual or automatic registration of miles or kilometers driven in a vehicle.

O

OBD-II / OBD2: On-Board Diagnostics is automotive terminology for a vehicle’s self-diagnostic and reporting capability. OBD systems were designed to monitor engine performance as well as provide early warnings of malfunctions. It assists in the service and repair of vehicles because it allows quick and simple retrieval of vital automobile diagnostics information from the OBD system using simple scanning tools. The OBD system was introduced by car manufacturers in the 1980s, and the most modern version is OBD-II. In most cars or light commercial vehicles the OBD-II port can be found below the steering wheel.

P

Passive GPS tracking device: Also: Passive GPS tracker. GPS tracking device that stores data without sending it to a central server. Data is downloaded and evaluated when the vehicle returns to its home base.
PAYD: Pay As You Drive. Insurance costs or discounts based on mileage. Also known as UBI.
PHYD: Pay How You Drive. Insurance costs or discounts based on personal driving behavior (e.g. braking, accelerating, speeding). Also known as UBI.
POI: Points of Interest or POIs are useful places on the map, for example fuel stations, garages, or hotels.
Power-Take-Off (PTO): PTO monitoring is the process of tracking and recording PTO usage.

R

Route optimization: The process of planning and optimizing routes for a vehicle or a fleet of vehicles by taking into account location, driving time, and distance.
RPM: Revolutions per minute. Commonly used to measure the rotational speed of a mechanical component, such as engine speed.

S

SaaS-Platform: Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is a software distribution model where a provider hosts applications and makes them accessible to clients over the internet. You pay for the usage instead of buying and being owner of the software. The SaaS provider is responsible for installation, maintenance, and support of the platform and it removes the expense of hardware, maintenance, and licensing from an organization.
Savings Calculator: An interactive web-based tool that helps companies gain insight into how much money and time they can potentially save using a fleet management solution.
Solution Advisor: An interactive web-based tool that helps companies get a recommendation for a fleet management solution that best fits their business.
Speeding time: This is the total time that a driver has driven over the speed limit.
Standstill: When a vehicle stops moving or changing its GPS position for a specific time interval. Standstill ends when the vehicle starts moving or changing its GPS position again.
Service intervals: Service intervals are the frequency in which you should service a vehicle. Vehicle maintenance is essential for the longevity and overall health.

T

Telematics: Telematics combines two words: telecommunications and informatics. It is a range of technologies that leverage connectivity (internet or short-range communications technology) with location, diagnostic, or other information to provide convenience (for example tire inflation notification or setting the vehicle's internal temperature), safety (for example location based warnings or road conditions), and communications services.
Track & trace: The process of determining the current and historic locations (and other information) of a vehicle or fleet using GPS technology.
Trip: A trip is a movement of a vehicle from a start position to an end position.
Total cost of ownership (TCO): The total cost of ownership (TCO) is a comprehensive financial analysis on the complete lifecycle of a capital purchase.
Tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS): Tire pressure monitoring systems help you avoid vehicle downtime by keeping the correct tire pressure and keeping the vehicle safe on the road.

U

UBI (usage-based insurance): Also known as PAYD (pay as you drive) or PHYD (pay how you drive). It is a type of insurance where the insurance costs depend on vehicle type, distance traveled, location, and driving behavior (for example harsh braking or quick acceleration). It encourages drivers to improve their driving behavior, which reduces road accidents and the number of insurance claims.

V

Vehicle tracing: Vehicle tracing is the ability to see a vehicle's historic positions, movements, and other events.
Vehicle tracking: Monitoring the position, movement, and other events of a vehicle in real time.
Vehicle tracking app: A mobile application that compliments a vehicle tracking device and allows real-time tracking.
Vehicle tracking device: A device equipped with GPS technology that is plugged into a vehicle and allows real-time track and trace of the vehicle's movements.
Vehicle tracking system: A device equipped with a GNSS technology, such as GPS, that is plugged into a vehicle and allows real-time track and trace of the vehicle's movements.
Vehicle type: Classification of a vehicle, for example car, van, truck, or bus.
Vehicle downtime: When a vehicle is not available for use for any reason, that period of time is referred to as vehicle downtime. Vehicle downtime can be triggered for a number of reasons, though often the cause is some form of malfunction or damage to the vehicle that requires repairs or part replacements.
Vehicle utilization: Vehicle utilization is a measurement of vehicle performance against resulting profitability.
Van tracking: Van tracking is the ability to see a van's positions, movements, and other vehicle events. Van location data can be traced on a map by a Fleet Manager through fleet management software.

W

Workforce management: A set of processes and features that an organization uses to improve the productivity of individual employees. In relation to fleet management, it helps improve communication between drivers on the road and in the office.
Working time registration: Automatic registration of a driver's working times using a Driver Terminal. It helps reduce administration time and optimize the performance of the team.

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Fleet Management Glossary

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