Telematics Data from Sawatch Labs Powers Award-Winning Partner

Every year, countless fleets compete for prestigious awards that signify a dedication to safety and sustainability. As fleet electrification becomes more commonplace, competition for the awards increases, and recipients find themselves in more elite company. In award year 2023, one of Sawatch Labs’ clients found themselves as a winner of NAFA’s Green Fleet Award and runner-up for the Fleet Safety Award presented by Automotive Fleet.

Green Fleet Award: For the past 16 years, the National Association of Fleet Administrators (NAFA) has honored the top-performing fleets with this award. It recognizes fleets with a positive impact on the environment. According to NAFA, the Green Fleet Awards recognizes various government and commercial fleet organizations in North America that execute groundbreaking and ingenious green initiatives. Applicants are required to respond to a comprehensive set of criteria that embodies the challenges and requirements of fleet professionals.

Fleet Safety Award: This annual award presented by Automotive Fleet is given to a fleet or risk manager whose leadership and innovation have enhanced the safety of fleet drivers, their organizations, and the public. The winner is selected by a panel of industry leaders.

The University of Virginia (UVA), our award-winning partner, used fleet telematics to improve the safety and sustainability of its Facilities Management (FM) fleet. At the time of the award, UVA’s FM fleet consisted of 281 vehicles and provided service to over 20 million square feet of building space to the Academic and Health system. UVA’s primary objective in conducting their research was to improve driver safety, but the insights revealed opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while saving money on fuel costs.

Using Fleet Telematics Data to Improve Driver Safety

The granularity of fleet telematics data gathered with Sawatch Labs’ support allowed UVA to monitor vehicle performance and driver behaviors with a high level of accuracy. The data was gathered over a period of 14 months and provided real-time feedback on every driver. Included among the data points collected were:

• Harsh braking

• Hard acceleration

• Harsh cornering

• Speeding and seatbelt violations

• Fuel consumption

• Idling time

By recording metrics indicative of safe driving, the fleet manager and UVA Professor Brian Park sought to build an agency-specific, data-driven driver training program that was both safe and sustainable. The Mindful Driver Training effort began in 2020, with a collaboration between Facilities Management, professors at the UVA School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS), and a team of fourth-year students. The SEAS students needed a real-world case study to complete their capstone project, and Facilities Management was eager to work with the students to test its telematics systems to improve driver and vehicle performance.

At Facilities Management, the project was led by Fleet Manager Mike Duffy. The fleet telematics data clearly outlined safety trends and common violations, which provided valuable information to bolster UVA’s driver safety training. After analyzing the data and implementing necessary training, UVA noticed marked increases in seatbelt compliance and a reduction in speeding. Duffy and Park are now working on their 4th consecutive capstone project related to safe and sustainable driving practices.

The latest capstone project aims to gather data specific to individual drivers. The team plans to collect and analyze the sub-second telematics data from sensors installed in all fleet vehicles. They anticipate collecting data points concerning sub-second vehicular trajectory data, fuel usage, and incident data. Gathering data at the driver level allows for personalized feedback and education opportunities to improve the safety and sustainability of the FM fleet. 

Sustainability Improvements with Fleet Telematics Data

The University of Virginia is committed to sustainability, and some of the university’s primary goals are to be carbon neutral by 2030 and fossil fuel-free by 2050. At the time of the research, 35 of the 281 vehicles in UVA’s FM fleet were either EVs or hybrid. With 27% of the United States’ 2020 greenhouse gas emissions coming from the transportation sector, a bountiful opportunity exists for UVA to optimize their fleets, both in terms of suitability for electrification and route optimization for vehicles with internal combustion engines (ICE).

Thanks to the data gathered using Sawatch Labs’ EV telematics software, UVA obtained insights that will promote mindful driving. Aside from potentially saving the university thousands of dollars in fuel costs, improvements to route efficiency and driving behaviors provide the added benefit of reducing GHG emissions. As the university moves closer to its sustainability goals, the fleet telematics data can be used to determine suitable ICE vehicles for EV replacement. 

See the Whole Picture with High-Fidelity Data

As fleets continue to prioritize safety and sustainability, high-fidelity fleet telematics data will only become more important in achieving these goals. From mitigating range anxiety and optimizing your charging infrastructure to monitoring driver behaviors and GHG emissions, the sheer volume of data points required to efficiently electrify a fleet can quickly become overwhelming.

At Sawatch Labs, we help promote safe and sustainable fleets through our innovative software solutions. The granularity of our high-fidelity data allows fleet managers to see beyond averages and understand exactly how every vehicle in the fleet fits into the overall plan. By working with us as your telematics partner, you can stay ahead of the curve and achieve your sustainability goals with confidence. We’d love to help determine how telematics data can help your fleet.