Commercial vehicle operators are shifting towards integrated telematics systems as more onus is being placed on them to make their fleets run more efficiently, while simultaneously finding ways to reduce overheads.
Centrad, which is one of the UK’s leading providers of commercial vehicle CCTV and video telematics solutions, has revealed that over 70% of its customers are currently opting for integrated, all-in-one, connected solutions.
Centrad believes this trend reflects growing frustration among operators who are juggling multiple software platforms, ranging from telematics and CCTV to tachograph and driver management systems, and are struggling to access real-time data across their fleets as a consequence.
Enhanced visibility has also become critical to fleet operations as operators look to operate smarter and more efficiently in line with rising cost pressures and increased logistical and regulatory demands.
To address this, Centrad tasked its in-house development team to solve this growing challenge by developing fully integrated, connected solutions that consolidate telematics, CCTV, driver management, and compliance tools into a single platform.
In doing so, the company has been able to ensure that customers are able to integrate existing camera systems, meaning they are not tied to a specific provider’s devices and are free to use any compatible hardware with the provider’s software platform, or switch service providers without having to replace all of their installed equipment – lowering the total cost of ownership.
This flexibility also extends to the location of where fleets are upgraded. Operators can now choose to upgrade hardware at the place of their choosing, minimising downtime while giving them complete control over when and where system improvements are made.
At the heart of this is Centrad’s telematics and fleet management platform CenHub, which brings together a range of features into one easy-to-use centralised platform, helping operators get real-time insights into fleet operations, existing hardware, driver behaviour and on-road safety data, as well as vehicle performance and location.
Whether a fleet is using separate applications for routing and scheduling, fuel monitoring, vehicle tracking, CCTV systems, or tachographs, CenHub consolidates these tools into one easy-to-use platform, providing operators with complete visibility across their fleet, helping to improve efficiency, along with ensuring compliance.
Centrad’s push-and-pull API lets them capture and share data from third-party software applications seamlessly, allowing operators to pull real-time fleet data from third-party software, removing the administrative burden of having to log in and out of multiple systems when accessing fleet data.
This also means that if an operator wished to change or upgrade individual hardware, such as vehicle CCTV cameras, they can do so without needing to start over with their entire fleet setup because the system is designed to integrate seamlessly with existing devices and software.
Geoff Cross, Managing Director at Centrad commented: “We’re seeing a strong shift towards fully integrated telematics and connected systems, as many businesses struggle with multiple platforms and fragmented data. Operators are increasingly demanding one unified platform for everything, rather than five different systems that don’t talk to each other and become an administrative headache to manage, ultimately helping them make more informed decisions and operate more efficiently in real-time.
“At the same time, they are also aware of the costs and vehicle downtime that come with replacing hardware, especially if they’ve already invested in cameras or other fleet technology. As operators need to stay up to date with the latest technology and meet regulatory requirements, for which tech-led solutions may be required, the ability to upgrade, add, or swap individual components without overhauling the entire system is becoming increasingly important for customers, as it allows them to make the most of what they already have while still improving their fleet.
“This gap in the market is almost a symptom of how quickly so much technology has become available to operators in recent years. Many have added several different systems to their fleets, only to find that attempting to run them all separately is actually incredibly inefficient. As a business, we are actively addressing this snowballing issue by developing a solution that not only integrates seamlessly with existing hardware but also offers scalability and flexibility to adapt as fleet needs evolve.”
Geoff continued: “As pressure on drivers and fleet managers continues to increase, wellbeing and safe decision-making have become non-negotiable. Operators are asking for simpler, smarter tools that reduce cognitive load, not add to it.
“CenHub provides a single, scalable platform that grows with the fleet, while our new AI-enhanced features, that will come out next year, will give operators a greater layer of proactive support to stay safe, compliant and future-ready.”
