The mining industry can be very difficult to navigate. Not only does this industry have a high risk quotient, but it is also in charge of large vehicles that are difficult to maintain. This is why route planning solutions can be a huge help in the fleet management process.
Before we get into the reasons to use route planning in the mining industry, it is important to understand why we need that system in the first place. Let us have a look at the issues that plague mining fleet businesses in the next section.
Challenges Faced by the Mining Industry
So why do you think it is difficult to manage a mining fleet business? Here are a few challenges commonly experienced by these fleet managers:
- Undefined Roads: Mines have no defined route. This makes the planning process even more challenging. Managers have to make sure that their drivers have an idea about where they have to go and how to make
- Mine Accidents: Due to the nature of a mine there are several hazards commonly endangering the drivers and employees working in those areas. Constant fires and mine collapses are a few such issues. Fleet drivers have to navigate these risks and managers have to look for ways to help their drivers.
- Low Visibility: A mine is often operated the entire day. This includes the nighttime as well. To add on to that, mine dust makes visibility for vehicles very low which is not just a recipe for disaster, but can also cause loss of transported goods.
- Unregulated Weighbridges: Mines have several checkposts that vehicles have to visit on every trip. These weighbridges keep track of the amount of material the vehicle is carrying so that theft between these weighbridges becomes impossible. But weighbridges if working inefficiently can become cluttered and chaotic.
- Low Communication: Fleet managers have no way of contacting their drivers once they are out of sight. This means they not only cannot command them but can also not warn them of any dangerous situation. This puts the drivers at risk.
How Does Route Planning Solutions Help the Mining Industry?
So how do you think the fleet management systems route planning solution can help a mining business? Here are some ways this becomes possible:
- Timed Operations: With technology involved, managers can ensure they know where and when a task execution happens. Route planning solutions include TA that allows managers to navigate weighbridges better. They assign segregated time in such a way that there is no congestion.
- Better Supervision: With real-time tracking, it becomes easier to keep track of the driver’s activities. Fleet businesses can ensure that their vehicles are not in any danger-prone area or headed towards an accident site.
- Easier Communication: The system reduces the need for direct one-to-one communication. Managers can use the system to warn drivers of any area they need to avoid. Geofences are helpful here. They can mark the areas prone to collisions or mine collapses as forbidden and the system will alert them every time a driver enters.
- Save Trips: As we mentioned above, mines usually lack defined routes. This is why route planning solutions allow managers to make custom routes. Doing this every day is another issue that this system solves. Businesses can save these custom trips and use them multiple times till some change needs to be made due to some external reasons.
Conclusion
With so many benefits, a route planning system is a must-purchase for all mining fleet businesses. But choosing what fleet management software to invest in is a huge part of a manager’s responsibility. After all, every business in the market promises accuracy and efficiency.
Check out TrackoBit. Its results and numbers precede its claims and the vast clientele is proof. With amazing and effective solutions, this fleet management software is unbeatable. Try out a demo to experience its effectiveness yourself.
