Any fleet manager will tell you that managing a fleet of tens or even hundreds of commercial vehicles is not easy. The risk is further compounded when you consider that many commercial vehicles will be carrying expensive equipment or other valuable content. Once the fleet leaves the job site, it becomes difficult for fleet owners/managers to influence the behavior of individual drivers or determine the whereabouts of any individual vehicle.
Therefore, the benefits of adopting a technology that can provide timely and detailed information on fleet activities along with tracking their exact location can be easily appreciated. GPS tracking devices are now more profitable than ever, and the business case for their adoption has never been stronger. The market is now flooded with a range of GPS tracking devices. For most companies, GPS tracking systems that can provide real-time fleet tracking is the primary requirement, while many companies also see value in being able to send other data from onboard vehicle systems to a core repository. For example, this will allow the company to monitor the vehicle’s mileage, which, for example, can help identify any unusual usage patterns.
Five of the main benefits of adopting Vehicle Tracking include:
1. Improved Driving Style leading to cost reduction.
Companies that have incorporated GPS tracking devices have reported that their presence helps address concerns about driver behavior and safety risk. Not only can the fleet manager monitor driver behaviour, including setting alarms in case certain speed limits are exceeded, but simply the drivers’ knowledge that their driving style is being monitored seems be enough in itself to modify your driving style. Influencing drivers to adopt a more conservative driving style will have the benefit of reducing costs, for example through lower fuel consumption, less wear and tear on the vehicle, as well as reducing the risk of costs associated with traffic accidents.
2. Opportunity to Improve Business Efficiency.
When staff travel between customer sites, precise knowledge of people’s locations can help the business react effectively to changing circumstances. If a field engineer is urgently needed at a certain location, then it is easy to identify which engineers are closest and could be more efficiently diverted to the new job. Additionally, when a driver is scheduled to arrive at a customer for an urgent delivery or appointment but is late, the customer service organization can be proactive and step in to keep the customer informed of progress and maintain a high level of service. to the client.
3. Vehicle Management Information Reports Trip cost reports can provide data related to vehicle type, fuel consumption, and running costs for
Calculate the costs of completing a job.
This means that you can:
– Bill customers accurately and lock in profit margins
– Determine the relative value of your customers
– Analysis of driver efficiency based on speed and routes
Fleet usage reports showing the activity of the entire fleet during the chosen time period. This helps identify:
– Measure the number of vehicles on the road at one time to help inform what the optimal fleet size would be
– The amount of idle or stationary time to verify the time needed to complete deliveries or service calls
– Vehicles that are overused or underused to balance wear and tear and minimize lease costs
Timesheet reports summarize an individual’s weekly activity showing start and end times, shift pattern can be configured in the report. This allows you:
– Allow the management of overtime claims
– Track usage outside of normal business hours
– Make comparisons with manual timesheets
– Validate the activities of the Working Time Directive
4. Vehicle service programming.
A GPS tracking facility can also be configured to send maintenance alerts to fleet managers based on mileage since the last service point. When you’re bound to make sure you meet a timed service schedule agreed to as part of a lease, automating the collection of information for every vehicle in a large fleet ensures you don’t risk some vehicles missing their maintenance inspections scheduled.
5. Management of the risk of theft or other emergencies.
Fortunately, car theft (a theft that takes place while the driver is still in the vehicle) is not a major problem in the UK, but the more frequent incidence of this particularly violent and dangerous crime is increasing. Some GPS tracking systems also have the ability to be activated by a passenger inside the car, alerting the police to a situation and improving response times. The precise location of the car can be monitored until the authorities have a chance to control the situation. This could be particularly useful for women who drive alone, who are more vulnerable to this type of crime.