Most fleets with more than a few dozen vehicles run more than one telematics system: the truck maker's own portal on new HGVs, an aftermarket tracker on vans, and something different on vehicles that came with an acquisition or a hire contract. The way to get one view is not to rip them out, but to connect every system to one platform that matches the data to each vehicle and to your fuel cards and invoices. Fleevo does this for fleets that run Volvo Connect, Mercedes-Benz and Ford Pro next to trackers such as Samsara, Geotab and Verizon Connect.
Why Fleets End Up With Several Telematics Systems
- Factory-fitted telematics. New trucks and vans arrive with the maker's system already live, such as Volvo Connect on Volvo trucks or Ford Pro on Ford vans.
- Aftermarket trackers. Older vehicles, other makes and trailers run a tracker fitted by a telematics provider.
- Acquisitions and depots. A bought business or a regional depot keeps the system it already had.
- Hire and lease vehicles. Short-term vehicles arrive with whatever the hire company fitted, or nothing.
Each system works well on its own. The problem is that nobody can see the whole fleet in one place.
What Goes Wrong With Separate Systems
- No single cost per vehicle. Mileage sits in three portals, fuel on card statements and maintenance on invoices, so true cost per mile is a spreadsheet job done once a quarter, if at all.
- Fuel fraud hides in the gaps. A fuel card check needs the vehicle's location and fuel level at the time of the fill. If that vehicle's data is in a portal nobody checks, the fill goes unchecked.
- Different units and definitions. One system reports kilometres and litres, another miles and gallons; one sends odometer, another trip distance.
- Vehicles that do not match. The same truck appears under a fleet number in one system and a registration or VIN in another.
Four Ways Fleets Handle It
| Approach | What it gives you | Where it falls short |
|---|---|---|
| Fit one tracker on every vehicle | One portal for location and driving | Pays twice for data the vehicle already sends, and still leaves fuel and invoices separate |
| Log in to each portal | Full detail per system | No fleet-wide view; checks depend on someone remembering to look |
| Export to spreadsheets | A fleet total, eventually | Slow, manual and out of date by the time it is finished |
| Connect every system to one platform | One record per vehicle with mileage, fuel, maintenance and cost | Needs a platform that already integrates your systems |
The Role of rFMS
rFMS (remote Fleet Management Systems) is a standard from the European truck makers' association, ACEA, for sharing vehicle data such as position, distance and fuel use with outside systems. Volvo's Volvo Connect API is based on it. A common standard makes truck-maker data easier to combine, but it does not cover vans, aftermarket trackers, fuel cards or invoices, so a mixed fleet still needs a platform that brings all of those together.
How Fleevo Gives One View
- Connect each system. Fleevo connects to each telematics provider and truck-maker portal through its API, with no new hardware.
- Match every vehicle. Data from each source is matched to one vehicle record, so a truck has one history whichever system it reports through.
- Join fuel and invoices. Fuel card transactions, onsite tank records and maintenance invoices are matched to the same vehicles.
- Act on it. Fuel fills are checked against location and fuel level, services are planned on real mileage, and cost per mile is calculated for every vehicle, depot and driver.
Many Fleevo customers run more than one telematics system, so this is the normal setup, not an edge case.
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Telematics Systems Fleevo Connects
Vehicle makers: Volvo Connect, Mercedes-Benz and Ford Pro.
Telematics providers: Samsara, Geotab, Verizon Connect, Webfleet, Teletrac Navman, Transics, Frotcom, Quartix, Ctrack and more. See all 100+ integrations, including 40+ fuel cards.
Mixed Fleet Telematics FAQs
Can I manage vehicles on different telematics systems in one place?
Yes. Connect each system to a platform that matches the data to one record per vehicle. Fleevo does this for truck-maker systems such as Volvo Connect and for trackers such as Samsara, Geotab and Verizon Connect, alongside fuel cards and maintenance invoices.
Do I need to replace my trackers to get one view?
No. Fleevo uses the data your existing trackers and factory-fitted systems already send, so there is no new hardware to buy or fit.
How do you calculate the true cost per vehicle in a mixed fleet?
Add each vehicle's fuel, charging, maintenance and other running costs, then divide by the miles it actually drove according to telematics. With every system connected, Fleevo does this automatically for every vehicle, depot and driver.
What is rFMS?
rFMS is the truck makers' standard, set by ACEA, for sharing vehicle data such as position, distance and fuel use with outside systems. Volvo Connect's API is based on it.
Related: Volvo Connect Integration for Fleet Fuel Audit and Managing a Mixed ICE and EV Fleet.
Explore the platform: Fuel & Energy Management and Total Cost of Ownership. To connect your systems, book a demo.
