The IT Nerd

By Nate Veeh, Senior Business Development Manager, Geotab

Last mile delivery has emerged as the pivotal battleground where convenience collides with congestion. The global market for last mile delivery is poised for unprecedented growth expected to reach US$137.4 billion by 2030, as consumers continue to transform the way we live, shop, and move.

The Concrete Jungle: The Frontline of Last Mile Delivery

The impact of last mile delivery is evident in densely populated areas, like Manhattan. In this concrete jungle, last mile delivery has witnessed a 55% increase in the number of stops on delivery routes, and a 46% rise in the number of vehicles making deliveries. It’s no wonder that over 2.4 million packages are delivered in Manhattan every single weekday.

New Yorkers have been increasing their daily household deliveries at an astonishing rate since 2009. Deliveries tripled to more than 1.1 million by 2017, and reached 1.5 million by 2019. The following four years saw the daily number grow by a staggering 60%.

Chicago, Phoenix, and Houston are also grappling with the last mile delivery boom. 

1. Chicago witnessed a 116% surge in the number of stops, and 82% increase in the number of vehicles dedicated to last mile deliveries. 
2. Phoenix recorded 58% growth in the number of stops, along with a 22% rise in the number of last mile delivery vehicles.
3. Houston had a notable 29% rise in stops along last mile delivery routes, coupled with a 39% increase in the number of fleet vehicles responsible for deliveries.

Convenience, speed, and personalization are the driving forces behind consumer purchasing behavior. If business continues as usual, emissions from delivery traffic in the world’s 100 largest cities will surge by a daunting 32% by 2030. Traffic congestion is predicted to increase by more than 21%, adding to the already frustrating urban gridlock. It’s time for a solution, which comes in the form of curbside management.

Clearing Roadblocks with Curbside Management
Curbside management is poised to clear future roadblocks created by last mile delivery. Check out Geotab ITS in action here. Discover how data insights from freight and commercial vehicles can be used to improve infrastructure efficiency, sustainability, profitability and safety.

The Geotab ITS platform, Altitude, connects aggregate commercial vehicle insights to offer a contextualized view of an entire transportation network. It harnesses the power of data intelligence and trusted AI to play a crucial role in route optimization and near real-time monitoring of traffic insights, ensuring safe, reliable deliveries even in the midst of congested city streets. 

Improving the Efficiency of Curbside Management
Curbside space is in high demand. Urban planners and cities are analyzing its use to build more efficient infrastructure, and reduce congestion– like creating overnight loading zones or paid or priority curb spaces. Geotab ITS’ Stop Analytics module fuels curbside programs with insights from commercial vehicle activity, to understand why, where, and how curbside space is used.

As businesses strive to meet the growing demands of consumers, innovative solutions based on data intelligence will pave the road to alleviate the environmental and logistical challenges ahead.

-Nate Veeh, Senior Business Development Manager, Geotab

Geotab Inc., a global leader in connected transportation solutions — has released the results of its 2023 survey of U.S. fleet professionals. The study, conducted with Bobit Research Group, explores how organizations in the transportation sector are progressing on their sustainability plans, amid increasing pressure to address climate change. More than half of those surveyed anticipate their customers will demand an increase in fleet sustainability initiatives in order to continue to do business with them over the next 1-3 years. Quality data has become critical to tracking and assessing progress on sustainability goals, enabling organizations to make smarter decisions, improve regulatory reporting, and address “greenwashing” risk, along with transformation to electrification. 

Sustainability benefits the bottom line

When citing key hesitations to starting sustainability actions, the top three reasons included overall cost, lack of data, and differing priorities. However, 69% of fleet managers executing sustainability plans reported that fleet sustainability data helped reduce operating costs in the past year, highlighting how those that take action see bottom-line benefits within a short period. 

The majority of fleets plan to invest more in sustainability 

In a recent global survey of 3,000 CEOs, more than 80% expect investments in sustainability to deliver higher business results over the next five years. Geotab’s “Greening the Fleet” survey revealed the same confidence, with 66% of fleet managers responding they plan to invest more in sustainability initiatives over the next three years to meet customer and organization requirements, while only 3% plan to invest less. Without investing in sustainability, organizations risk being left behind.

Reliable data is critical for regulatory reporting

Globally, 51% of CEOs consider sustainability a top challenge, as they face increasing pressure from boards and investors to take action. As companies look to achieve their climate targets, having reliable sources of data for decision-making and reporting is critical. Currently, 73% of fleet professionals surveyed use a fleet management solution and telematics data insights to track and manage the sustainability of their fleet, but only 24% of fleet professionals are leveraging telematics data to support regulatory reporting. With increasing regulatory pressure for accelerating action in carbon reduction, there is a clear opportunity to leverage data insights for transparent reporting, while reducing the risk of “greenwashing” challenges.

The fleet EV transition is well underway
Fleet electrification is increasing at a rapid pace. S&P Global Platts Analytics has noted light-duty electric vehicle sales reached a record high of 6.3M units in 2021 up 102% year-over-year. Of the fleet professionals surveyed by Geotab, 54% have electric vehicles already in their fleet or on order. The survey also revealed that fleets that have started on their sustainability journey are already seeing environmental and social benefits, including reduced fuel use, CO2 emissions, and idling. As they continue to follow data-driven sustainable fleet practices and electrify, they may gain increasing ROI. 

“Greening the Fleet” is a survey of 110 fleet professionals across the U.S. View the full survey findings: https://www.geotab.com/fleet-sustainability-survey

For more information on how Geotab helps power the sustainability journey, visit: https://www.geotab.com/sustainability-journey/

 Geotab Inc. is revolutionizing the way electric vehicles are managed with its comprehensive telematics and data intelligence solutions. Geotab’s platform provides near real time data on battery charge, range, energy and fuel usage and charging history for over 300 different EV makes and models, making it the global leader in EV telematics.  

Geotab announced the world leading milestone at the grand opening of its new Innovation and Research Hub in High Wycombe, England. This state-of-the-art facility, which has been active since 2020, is dedicated to advancing the data intelligence required to support the electrification of the transportation sector at scale. The hub is home to some of the brightest minds in the industry who are pioneering the way forward in developing cutting-edge technologies to support connected vehicles of all kinds. With a focus on delivering innovative solutions, this center of excellence is at the forefront of driving a cleaner and more sustainable future for transportation.

Despite the rapid growth of the EV industry, there is still a lack of official vehicle information standards, creating unique data challenges for fleet managers. Through Geotab’s technology and reverse engineering process, the company offers comprehensive data insights that provide fleet managers with the information needed to make informed decisions for fleet electrification and sustainability goals, such as vehicle range, efficiency and state-of-charge. Without access to this data, fleets can face issues such as inefficiency, unexpected breakdowns, decreased productivity and an unsatisfactory electric vehicle experience. 

Geotab has been at the forefront of innovation for over 20 years. It has continuously evolved to meet the changing needs of the industry, and for the past decade, has been specializing in electric vehicles. The company’s ability to provide rich and comprehensive data signals for virtually any EV make or model is a remarkable milestone that reflects the hard work of hundreds of engineers and data scientists.

Geotab offers a range of tools for EV fleet management, including an EV Suitability Assessment (EVSA) that analyzes unique driver profiles and patterns to identify which fleet vehicles are suitable for electrification. The Green Fleet Dashboard compares performance against similar fleets, including EV performance, usage, and cost savings, and the Fleet Electrification Knowledge Center provides data-driven analyses and resources for fleets of any size along the EV conversion journey, including analyses to help fleets understand EV battery lifespans and real-world range impacts.

To learn more about how Geotab can fully support your fleet’s transition to electric, visit https://www.geotab.com/fleet-management-solutions/electric-vehicles/. 

Geotab Inc., a global leader in connected transportation solutions — today released its 2022 Sustainability and Impact Report, titled “Unlocking the power of data for a sustainable future,” which outlines the company’s environmental, social and ethical impact, and highlights how data intelligence is a key driver of success in the carbon reduction journey. The report also includes examples of how organizations in the transportation sector are starting and managing carbon reduction initiatives using data intelligence to inform their decision-making and transition.

Accelerating decarbonization in the transportation industry

With over 3.2 million connected vehicles around the world, Geotab is uniquely positioned to help accelerate decarbonization in the transportation sector by providing a full suite of data-driven tools and insights to support fleets on their sustainability journeys (including the EV Suitability Assessment (EVSA) and Green Fleet Dashboard), scaling electrification and technology innovation through education (such as the Geotab Fleet Electrification Knowledge Center), and collaborating on research projects.

Fleet sustainability is a win-win

For many fleets, sustainability is proving to have financial advantages. Electrification studies featured in the report show the potential to save millions of dollars through lower fuel and maintenance costs while reducing CO2 emissions. A recent Geotab survey of U.S. fleet professionals found that 63% of respondents confirmed that their fleet sustainability data helped their organization reduce operating costs in the past year. 

Driving forward on our own sustainability journey

With a target of net zero emissions by 2040, Geotab is on its own sustainability journey, minimizing the environmental footprint of its operations and supply chain across all three scopes and developing sustainability-focused products and solutions for fleets. Geotab is developing a supplier program to increase supply chain sustainability. At the end of 2022, 50% of Geotab’s top 10 suppliers (by spend) were reporting their environmental data to CDP. Geotab’s goal is to have 100% of its top 10 suppliers make a public commitment to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030.

2022 Report highlights: 

• In September 2022, Geotab was the first dedicated telematics company to receive validation from the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) for its emissions reduction targets.
• Geotab was awarded a Bronze medal from EcoVadis, ranking in the top 50% of companies scored by EcoVadis according to their criteria.
• Geotab joined the UN Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative.
• Scope 2 emissions were reduced by 34% compared to our 2019 baseline.
• Updated Geotab GO Recycle Program providing take-back services for customers in North America and the EU. 
• Research collaborations demonstrating the potential of electrification and accelerating EV adoption at scale, including the North American fleet electrification study and Profitable Sustainability: The Potential of European Fleet Electrification. 
• Next-generation STEM program with over 200 participants in the company’s Internship and Co-op programs.

View the full report at: https://www.geotab.com/about/corporate-sustainability/

Geotab Inc., a global leader in connected transportation solutions, today announced it has joined the United Nations Global Compact initiative (UN Global Compact) — a voluntary leadership platform for the development, implementation and disclosure of responsible human right, labor, environmental and anti-corruption business practices. 

By joining the UN Global Compact, Geotab is committed to taking accountable business action and supporting universal sustainability principles. The UN Global Compact is a call to companies everywhere to align business operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles, and to take accountable action in support of UN goals and issues embodied in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Launched in 2000, the UN Global Compact is the largest corporate sustainability initiative in the world, with more than 15,000 companies and 3,000 non-business signatories based in over 160 countries, and more than 70 local networks. 

Geotab is committed to social sustainable governance, and has invested in initiatives to ensure the company and its customers can attain high reaching goals in corporate responsibility. A signatory of the Climate Pledge and with its carbon emissions reduction targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), Geotab published its inaugural Sustainability Report in 2021, and published its 2021 GHG Emissions Report in October of 2022, showing climate action and moving the company toward a more sustainable future.

Geotab is a global leader in connected transportation solutions. We provide telematics – vehicle and asset tracking – solutions to over forty thousand customers in 150 countries. For more than 20 years, we have invested in ground-breaking data research and innovation to enable partners and customers, including Fortune 500 and public sector organizations, to transform their fleets and operations. We connect to over 3.2 million vehicles and process more than 55 billion data points a day so that customers can make better decisions, increase productivity, have safer fleets, and achieve their sustainability goals. Geotab’s open platform and Marketplace, offers hundreds of third-party solution options. Backed by a team of industry leading data scientists and AI experts, Geotab is unlocking the power of data to understand real-time and predictive analytics – solving for today’s challenges and tomorrow’s world. To learn more, visit www.geotab.com.