Aeris’ survey of UK fleet operators reveals data charges from telematics providers even as vehicles were mothballed due to Covid restrictions.

Aeris’ survey highlights data charges for inactive fleet vehicles

Aeris, an IoT technology leader, today announced the results of a survey of fleet operators and the service they receive from their telematics provider, highlighting that 77% of respondents had no flexibility or a lack of knowledge of managing data costs incurred by their telematics provider, even when their fleets were side-lined due to the first COVID lockdown.

For fleet operators using a telematics service, managing costs is vital, particularly in these uncertain times when vehicles can spend long periods of time stationery due to restrictions on travel. The real impact was mainly around the insurance Pay-As-You-Go/UBI or the Universal Basic Income fleet segment, whereby cars were parked, and not being driven, but the operators were still incurring data charges.

Typically, the telematics provider will offer a particular rate plan for all SIMs at the start of a billing cycle. Customers choose the best tariff for the SIM to be on, at the start of the month, for example a 2MB tariff, however if they work out that their SIM would have been better if it was on a 5MB plan, they can switch to that plan the day before the end of the month, and therefore be billed for that 5MB plan.

To that end, Aeris provides ‘Freedom to Operate’, enabling its customers to move their devices from one rate plan to another – without incurring any penalties. Aeris also provides customers with the flexibility to suspend their connection and allow them to cancel.

Commenting on the benefits and savings delivered to telematics providers that use Aeris connectivity, Mohsen Mohseninia said: “With one of the main pressures on telematics companies coming down to cost, telematics providers need to stand out from their competitors and offer dynamic pricing that supports their end users, such as fleet operators. Aeris’s technical and contractual flexibility ensures telematics providers are not charged for devices when they are not in use. Because of this, one of our customers, Redtail Telematics has been able to tap into new markets, as it has the flexibility to offer affordable solutions while guaranteeing quality and accurate data insights even in poor infrastructure areas.”