Commercial van and truck operators could benefit from faster, more predictable journeys if traffic management systems look beyond individual vehicles and consider how the wider road network moves.
For fleet operators, congestion can have a much greater impact than simply adding a few minutes to a journey. Delays can disrupt delivery schedules, extend driver hours, increase fuel consumption and reduce the number of jobs a van or truck can complete during a working day.
That is the view of FleetCheck chief technology officer Neil Avent, who believes increasingly connected commercial vehicles and advances in communications technology could eventually allow routing systems to take a more active role in managing traffic.
Many satnav systems used by van and truck drivers currently react to congestion after delays have already begun to develop, suggesting alternative routes for individual vehicles. A more collaborative approach could use information shared between commercial vehicles and traffic management systems to identify emerging congestion sooner and manage traffic flow more effectively.
Avent said: “Most in-car route optimisation systems today are designed to react to congestion after it has already started to build. They’re 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’s interesting about this paper is that it explores whether routing platforms can become more active participants in managing traffic across an entire network.
We’ve 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’s 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.”
For van and truck fleets, the potential gains could be particularly significant. Smoother journeys could help operators maintain delivery schedules, improve vehicle utilisation and reduce the amount of time drivers spend sitting in queues or stop-start traffic. Cutting unnecessary fuel use would also help operators manage running costs while supporting efforts to reduce fleet emissions.
Avent believes the bigger opportunity is to develop a road network where routing decisions work collectively rather than simply finding the quickest journey for one vehicle at a time.
He added: “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’s an area the fleet sector should monitor, becoming earlier adopters if the technology fulfils its promise.”