Your truck fleet management solution I_Site

By connecting all trucks within a fleet, and transferring the data from the forklift to a telematics platform, you get a fleet management solution. Within this solution, you get access to a fleet list of all the trucks within your operations, and thanks to the data coming from the hardware on the trucks, the activity of these trucks can be monitored and analysed.

Fleet management is a unique way to effectively manage material handling operations by monitoring all truck activities. Fleet management allows you to focus on different aspects of your operations such as safety, operator standards and utilisation levels. Then you can decide to take steps such as additional training, sharing of information with drivers or better truck availability planning to improve efficiency and reduce cost in your operations.

With a fleet management system accurately measuring performance levels in your warehouse, data can be collected to help you to understand what is actually happening on your warehouse floor.

One example of further innovations can be fleet benchmarking, which will enable operators to compare, for example, utilisation and shock performance levels with those of other fleet users.

I_Site is the fleet management system first developed by Toyota over 10 years ago, with currently more than 70,000 forklifts online. I_Site hardware consists of a telematics unit and additional onboard sensors on forklifts. This allows your fleet to be connected to your back office via an ERP system, and to the Toyota back office systems.

We have already built a population of more than 70,000 smart trucks in operation, with approximately 250,000 operators on its I_Site platform. The Toyota group is using over 16,500 trucks in more than 650 factories worldwide – so we share the same challenges and opportunities that our customers face. We believe in leading by example.

Information from connected or Smart Trucks via I_Site technology can be used to monitor and improve all aspects of logistics operations, such as safety, energy and service. The data is available via the I_Site web portal or mobile app where a wide range of information can be accessed. You can access information about truck utilisation levels, battery charge status, and several other factors that give a complete overview of your operations.

The possibility to access the data online anytime is perfect when you are on the move or working remotely.

Since the telematics hardware is built into warehouse trucks from Toyota as standard, these machines are available as smart trucks at no extra cost. This means you will have an overview of all forklifts in your operations, as well as their operating hours.

If you wish to get the most out of your smart trucks and access all the information the telematics system is able to provide you, then upgrading is an option. With a small monthly subscription you can access the full functionality of I_Site fleet management, without any additional installation of hardware.

When upgrading, an activation charge per truck and subscription rate per truck per month is included.

If you wish to add certain options, you can request a truck with the following functions, which require additional hardware against a small fee:

- Pre-operational check: only allows the truck to start after a complete safety check of the truck has been performed by the driver

- Smart access: lets an authorised driver start the truck using their existing badge

- MyFleet package: a summary report with your machines’ performance, based on telematics and Toyota internal systems.

With a smart truck from Toyota you will be able to improve you productivity, your health and safety, the safety for your driver and it will give your forklift longer machine life. A smart truck will give you control and be able to lower your cost.

1. Raising productivity

Improved machine utilisation: Toyota's existing I_Site data, derived from all connected smart trucks already in operation, shows that most companies can eliminate substantial waste in resource by improving utilisation levels. This will probably result in fewer truck requirement levels for many of our customers, as they start to use data to improve truck planning, but we recognise this to be the responsible route to take as resource suppliers and business partners.

Improved driver performance: from the data you can monitor each truck and each driver to asses when extra training is needed or when the license is expiring. (just giving a bit more info why and how this can improve driver performance)

Smart benchmarking to assess and compare truck performance across different sites.

2. Improving safety

Risk prevention: You can control the speed of your truck, and make sure trucks are temporarily disabled after a collision, to prevent accidents from happening and keep your drivers from being injured.

Shock monitoring: Thanks to the shock sensors you can have an overview of the impacts registered, when and where they happened, and at which speed. You can make sure trucks go into creep speed after an impact, only able to perform at full capacity again after being reset by authorised personnel.

Driver safety: you can have an easy overview of which drivers are authorised to drive which trucks, check the licences and who needs refresher training, making sure your drivers perform certain safety procedures

Be in control: always be aware of what's happening, wherever you are, with the possibility to take action if necessary

3. Increasing machine and battery lifetime

Longer machine lifetime: by optimising operational efficiency of the trucks.

Energy efficiency: thanks to the possibility to monitor and optimise battery use, for longer battery lifetime.

4. Bringing down cost

Limit operational cost with the possibility to track utilisation and optimise fleet size where necessary.

Avoid damage cost thanks to the safety features.

Lower maintenance cost by monitoring the way equipment is being handled.

Lower insurance cost by preventing accidents.

Via I_Site you are able to directly request a service via the app. You can get in direct contact with a service team, and even add a picture and/or a message. Service cost data is also available, connecting to Toyota's service data systems.

Telematics can also be used to prepare and support technicians in a better way. Our focus is on how innovation and connectivity can improve service for our customers as well as our technicians.

Among the benefits is the possibility to connect it with Toyota's new mobile service platform for technicians, T-Stream. This service tool can integrate the data from connected trucks to the service technician, improving service efficiency. Allowing streamlined servicing of connected trucks, with remote updates and activity-based maintenance, resulting in lower downtime and overall cost.

Field technicians who are armed with real-time insights can ensure factory equipment operates correctly and efficiently, which results in lower repair costs. Soon, smart trucks will provide technicians with the possibility to service equipment before a customer even knows they need it. By identifying technical issues before they even happen customers will experience higher machine utilisation and elimination of downtime.

In the future, we will be able to change our business model completely in function of the customer needs, to advise and support you in the best way thanks to data provided by telematics. Connected trucks will also allow Toyota to move towards predictive service, repairing your trucks before anything can happen, aiming for zero breakdowns.

Read more:
How integrated telematics on a smart truck will contribute to a better service for maximum uptiime>