Telematics 101: Cutting Through the Jargon to What You Need to Know

If you’re confused about all the tech-speak surrounding the topic of telematics, you are not alone. Equipment World asked Dan Stamford CEM, one of the country’s leading experts on the subject to clarify what a contractor or fleet manager needs to know to get started using telematics.

• What is telematics?

Dan S: Think of it as a conduit that takes information from your vehicle or equipment and sends it to a website where you can view it.

The word “telematics” is a combination of telecommunications and informatics. It is any integrated use of telecommunications with machine information technology. Some people confuse telematics with GPS, but they are not the same.

Telematics systems use GPS signals to locate and track your assets, but provide much more information on top of that. A telematics system takes the GPS coordinates from your truck, or machine plus information from that asset’s computer systems, and sends this data via a cell phone signal or satellite to a website where it can be read by the OEM and/or end user.

• What are the differences between telematics systems for vehicles (pickup trucks), heavy-duty trucks and off-road equipment?

Dan S: There are two options to look at: third-party/aftermarket systems and factory-installed OEM systems. The third party systems for vehicles and pickup trucks are simple. You can buy a telematics dongle for as little as $100. Plug it into the vehicle’s OBDII (on-board diagnostics) port, typically below the dash on the driver’s side, sign up for a subscription to the provider’s website and you’ll be up and running in a matter of minutes.

Read more of the original article in Equipment World.

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