How cellular connectivity powers modern fleet management
by Webbing Team
Over the past five years, fleet technology adoption has steadily increased, with more than 80% of respondents consistently using at least one type of solution. These technologies, especially GPS fleet tracking, are enhancing operational efficiency and safety, delivering substantial cost savings and supporting sustainability efforts. But all these innovations were actually made possible by one technology.
Cellular connectivity was the main enabling factor in the evolution of modern fleet management. While other technologies like GPS, IoT, and cloud computing played important roles, cellular networks were the core element that allowed these systems to communicate in real time.
Before the introduction of cellular technology, fleet management relied heavily on manual processes and radio communication. Drivers used CB radios or VHF/UHF systems to stay in touch with dispatchers and sometimes had to check in from payphones. Maintenance depended on scheduled checks. All data, including fuel usage, mileage, maintenance records, and driver hours, was recorded by hand. This approach provided very limited visibility into fleet operations.
With early cellular and satellite, fleets gained basic location tracking and digital communication, but it was still limited and expensive. Only 3G technology marked a significant shift in fleet management, as vehicles could now be tracked in real time using GPS data transmitted via cellular networks. Telematics systems emerged, allowing vehicle diagnostics and driver behavior data to be sent continuously to cloud-based fleet management platforms. Electronic logging devices (ELDs) helped enterprises comply with hours-of-service regulations. These innovations enabled fleet owners to optimize routes, reduce fuel costs, perform predictive maintenance, and improve overall operational efficiency.
High-speed 4G and 5G networks further enhanced the capabilities of fleet management systems. Vehicles became fully connected mobile hubs, equipped with IoT sensors to monitor everything from cargo temperature and tire pressure to engine health and fuel efficiency. Data could be transmitted instantly to fleet managers, enabling real-time decision-making and remote diagnostics. The use of AI and video telematics allowed for advanced features such as driver coaching, incident analysis, and automated compliance reporting.
Today, cellular connectivity supports smarter and safer fleet operations than ever before. Let’s see how it is used in real-world use cases:
Real-Time Tracking, Geofencing and Route Optimization
Thanks to cellular connectivity, fleet managers can see where their vehicles are at any given moment. Real-time GPS tracking devices installed in trucks and delivery vans transmit location data over cellular networks, allowing dispatchers to monitor movements and respond quickly to delays, breakdowns and traffic issues.
Geofencing allows to set virtual boundaries around specific locations like customer sites, warehouses, or restricted zones. If a vehicle enters or exits one of these areas, the system automatically sends an alert, which is especially useful for managing time-sensitive deliveries or preventing unauthorized vehicle use. For instance, many food distribution companies use geofencing to track when a truck reaches a customer site and to automatically log arrival and departure times. This real-time response is only possible because of the continuous cellular communication between the vehicle and the cloud. Besides, cellular supports bidirectional communication, allowing updates to geofence rules to be pushed remotely to in-vehicle devices.
Route optimization is also made significantly more powerful with cellular real-time data. Fleet software uses cellular networks to pull in traffic conditions, road closures, and delivery schedules, then calculates the most efficient route. This helps reduce fuel consumption and avoid delays, and allows drivers to complete more deliveries in less time. Large logistics companies like UPS rely on systems that use GPS and cellular data to optimize routes for thousands of vehicles every day, saving millions in fuel costs and substantially cutting emissions.
Telematics, Data Monitoring, Remote Diagnostics and Maintenance
Each vehicle in a fleet can be equipped with a telematics control unit (TCU) or onboard diagnostic (OBD) device that collects data from the engine, transmission, fuel system, and other critical components. This includes details like fuel efficiency, engine temperature, oil pressure, battery status, tire pressure, and brake wear. Thanks to cellular networks, all of this data can be sent instantly to the cloud, where fleet managers or maintenance teams can monitor it through dashboards or mobile apps.
Remote diagnostics is one of the most valuable applications of this setup. Cellular-enabled systems can detect anomalies and send real-time alerts about anomalies such as unusual vibrations, overheating, or a drop in oil pressure, long before a warning light comes on. This gives fleet operators the chance to schedule maintenance during off-hours or at the next planned stop, instead of risking a roadside breakdown.
For example, with advanced warning of cylinder head failure a multinational food and beverage company managed to turn $50,000 engine replacements into manageable $3,000 repairs. In just four months, the fleet saved $ 1 million.
Beyond mechanical maintenance, telematics data is also valuable for insurance and compliance. Insurers can use it to assess risk and reward safe driving behaviors, while fleet managers can ensure vehicles meet regulatory standards (like emissions or brake testing) without needing manual inspections.
Safety and Security
With cellular-connected systems, fleet managers can stay in constant contact with drivers through in-cab tablets or telematics devices. This allows dispatchers to send new instructions, respond to breakdowns, or provide help in emergencies. If a driver presses a panic button, cellular connectivity ensures the alert is received instantly, no matter where they are.
Cellular networks also enable safety tools like AI-powered dash cams. These cameras can detect signs of distracted driving or driver fatigue. Short video clips are sent in real time to the safety team, who can take immediate action. Without cellular connectivity, this footage would only be available after the vehicle returns to base.
For security, tracking is essential. If a vehicle is stolen, managers can track it live, share the location with law enforcement, and in some cases, remotely disable the engine. For example, when a truck from Blue Septic Tank Service was stolen, the company used its GPS tracker to locate it and recover it within 24 hours.
Geofencing, previously mentioned, adds another layer of protection. Fleet managers can set boundaries around areas like depots or delivery zones and get alerts if a vehicle crosses those lines unexpectedly.
Connectivity Requirements
While fleet management use cases can differ based on specific operations and the types of connected devices involved, there are several connectivity requirements that are common across nearly all scenarios.
Wide Network Coverage
Without a stable connection, critical functions like real-time location tracking, driver communication, and alerts can be delayed or lost entirely. Fleet vehicles often operate across cities, regions, or even countries, and are on the move, so to ensure that they remain constantly connected it’s crucial that they can use multiple mobile networks in each region they travel to. Technically, that means that your connectivity solution should be using SIM cards that can roam across multiple networks or switch carriers, like eSIMs. Besides, that implies contracting with multiple mobile operators, which is complex and can be costly both in terms of time and expenses.
Seamless Connectivity
In fleet management, having access to multiple mobile networks is helpful, but not always enough. For vehicles like delivery trucks that are constantly on the move, seamless connectivity is essential. They often travel through areas with varying signal strength, and the ability to switch between mobile carriers without dropping the connection is a key feature for ensuring continuous connection. This challenge isn’t limited to long-haul routes. Even within large logistics hubs or distribution centers, certain areas may have weak coverage from one carrier but strong coverage from another.
To improve reliability, some fleet operators have adopted private cellular networks at their facilities. Now, vehicles and devices must stay connected as they move between private and public networks. For example, a truck may rely on a private 5G network while parked at a depot, but must switch to a public network when it hits the road, and back again when it returns. In some cases, public networks also serve as a fallback when private networks fail.
Low Latency
Latency is a key factor in fleet management because many operations depend on real-time communication. For example, when fleet managers need to reroute a driver due to traffic or road closures, low latency ensures the new instructions reach the vehicle in time. In emergencies, like accidents or breakdowns, alerts need to be immediate so the fleet team can respond quickly.
Video systems that monitor driver behavior also depend on low latency. When something like distracted driving or hard braking happens, low latency guarantees that managers follow up promptly. It also is important for certain types of cargo in the cold chain supply – like pharmaceuticals or frozen food.
Many enterprises prefer cellular connectivity because it can provide better latency compared to other connectivity methods, but it should be noted that latency depends on the architecture of your provider’s core network and may vary significantly.
Bandwidth
Some applications, like uploading dash cam footage or receiving software updates, need more data. It’s important to remember that a good connectivity solution allows higher bandwidth when needed without compromising critical updates like location tracking. Bandwidth can also affect over-the-air (OTA) software and firmware updates necessary for some devices.
Webbing’s Solution
Webbing offers a connectivity solution that ensures global access to reliable and high-quality internet, with low latency and the best of class coverage. It provides secure and continuous internet connection for all types of devices used by fleet operators, wherever and whenever they need it.
Webbing’s partner network of over 600 mobile operators worldwide guarantees global coverage. It allows roaming on several carriers’ network in every region, solving the problem of weak spots that any mobile network may have and ensuring full coverage and continuous connectivity even at remote locations.
Webbing is a global connectivity provider with a distributed full core network with local breakouts, multiple network solution, and data server redundancy that provides connectivity stability and low latency. As such, Webbing’s network allows for realization of most complex scenarios with different types of devices, high-data consumption and industry-specific requirements.
Our eSIM solution guarantees failover connectivity with the capability of using multiple mobile carrier profiles, easily changing carriers at any time with zero integration, and an option to fall back from a failing profile to a different profile without any need to communicate with a remote server or deal with multiple SIM cards. It helps global enterprises that need access to several private and public networks, like fleet owners with many logistics hubs worldwide, to ensure continuous data connectivity for their devices. Easily set business rules help determine automatic profile allocation based on location and enable fallback mechanisms in case of private network failure or coverage issues.
A flexible approach to data packages allows us to tailor our connectivity offering for every customer based on the type of connected devices and their data consumption needs as well as the locations where the devices are used, aiming at overall optimization of the total cost of operations for the client.
Our solutions help fleet operators overcome their connectivity challenges and optimize costs for global deployments, providing the benefits of roaming with multiple carrier options in every country, and seamless transition between carriers, public and private networks, while maintaining low rates and low latency on a global scale with a single SIM.
Reach out to learn more about Webbing’s customized connectivity solutions for fleet management.
