Future of fleet traffic management not about ‘ever better shortcuts’, says FleetCheck

A new, co-operative approach to traffic management could speed up fleet journeys in the future if widely adopted, says FleetCheck.

Changing from a ‘selfish’ satnav model that concentrates on individual journeys to one that looks at the movement of all traffic will bring benefits in terms of time, emissions and overall efficiency, says Neil Avent, chief technology officer at the fleet software specialist.

Pointing to new research in Nature, he said: ‘Most in-car route optimisation systems today are designed to react to congestion after it has already started to build. They are essentially reactive and the company car, van or truck driver is relying on tech that views each vehicle as an isolated problem rather than part of an overall network.

‘What is interesting about this paper is that it explores whether routing platforms can become more active participants in managing traffic across an entire network. We have seen a similar evolution in computer networking, where predictive traffic management has helped reduce bottlenecks and improve overall performance. 

‘As vehicle connectivity improves and technologies such as 5G become more widespread, it is possible to imagine a future where vehicles automatically share information that allows traffic systems to spot developing congestion much earlier. Clearly, this would have substantial benefits for fleets in terms of faster journeys, lower fuel use and reduced emissions.’

The real opportunity isn’t simply finding a better route for an individual driver, Neil explained, it is creating a less selfish, more cooperative transport network where routing decisions help improve conditions for everyone using the road. 

He said, ‘If approaches like those explored in this research prove successful, they could ultimately lead to measurably more predictable journey times, lower emissions from stop start traffic and less time lost in congestion.

‘While widespread deployment remains some way off, studies such as this provide a glimpse into how connected vehicle ecosystems may evolve over the coming years. The future of route optimisation may not be about finding ever better shortcuts, but about helping entire transport networks operate more efficiently. It is an area the fleet sector should monitor, becoming earlier adopters if the technology fulfils its promise.’