Ryder seeks better warehouse operations through forklift telematics

Logistics and transportation provider Ryder System Inc. will embed telematics into its forklifts and other material handling equipment within its warehouses through a new deal with technology provider PowerFleet Inc., the companies said today.

With a goal of enhancing safety and regulatory compliance in its warehouse material handling operations, Ryder will deploy the PowerFleet Enterprise solution over the next 12-18 months on over 1,000 pieces of material handling equipment at more than 30 sites in North America.

The PowerFleet platform combines a hardware device installed on the Ryder equipment, software as a service (SaaS)-based software, and a data analytics platform. Together, those components can boost warehouse safety in three ways, according to Mark Stanton, general manager at PowerFleet for Industrial. 

Mounted on lift trucks, the suite can apply access control—by allowing only specially-trained employees to use any given piece of equipment—support a digital checklist of regulations complying with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and use on-board accelerometers to perform impact management, which measures driver behavior such as harsh cornering or quick decelerations, Stanton said.

In addition, the system analyzes each facility’s utilization of material handling equipment to ensure the DC is using the appropriate type and quantity of each type of vehicle, or whether it needs to reallocate those vehicles to different locations or purchase new models, he said.