How GPS Tracking Can Help Improve Fleet Management

Do you manage a fleet of trucks or other vehicle assets? You may already have trucks equipped with on-board diagnostics (OBD). Do you want to optimize the efficiency of your fleet? If the answer is yes, have you considered GPS tracking?

There are many more benefits than you can guess, but safeguarding your fleet is bound to be a top priority. The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) published FBI data that reveals that a motor vehicle gets stolen every 42 seconds in the US. What’s more, 40% of stolen vehicles are never recovered.

If you want the ability to direct police to retrieve your truck in real-time, you need to consider GPS fleet tracking. Can you afford to replace a stolen truck at a moment’s notice, or would you lose business?

We’re going to cover how GPS trackers work, what they can do, and how they can help manage your fleet. Read on!

GPS Fleet Tracking Management

GPS (Global Positioning System) works by tracking the accurate location of an asset via a network of satellites. A GPS tracker determines this information by a process called triangulation, which also uses cell tower data. The GPS device relays data in real-time for live monitoring purposes.

When the GPS data is pulled into fleet tracking software, that’s when the magic happens. Now managers have a live overview from the web of the entire fleet and can make informed decisions based on this data, without the necessity of constant phone calls. This saves money on administration costs and frees up time to focus on emergencies that arise.

The tracking software can also re-route your fleet and map them in various ways that help you visualize the whole picture. You’ll also be able to notice any unauthorized use, particularly if you use geo-fences to warn when your fleet leaves the local area they are supposed to be operating in. Alerts can also draw your attention to any unauthorized detours that hurt productivity.

Many insurance companies offer discounted rates for fleets that use GPS trackers.

GPS Tracking Benefits

In addition to navigation and tracking capabilities, the system that sends high-speed data up to the cloud can relay more than GPS information alone.

Telematics (the merging of telecommunications and informatics) is a field of great use for vehicle technologies. The OBD data can be transmitted live also, including sensor info and engine diagnostics. This is usually achieved by attaching an adapter from the truck to the GPS tracking device under the driver’s seat.

You’re probably keen to find out how vehicle tracking can save you money.

According to the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), an idling diesel truck burns around a gallon an hour of fuel. Real-time car tracking analytics can be used to detect idle time, and when used on your fleet, you can put the worst offenders on notice. This information will also help the company comply with environmental regulations and other green goals while reducing engine wear.

Live data analytics can also reveal speeding, which you can also view over a specified timeframe. Rewards could incentivize good driving, or extra driver training might be a requirement to punish constant speeding. The engine of a truck that has been speeding can even be immobilized.

Bad or risky driver habits, like hard-breaking or frequent reversing, are easy to identify too. This leads to a safer and greener fleet that’s in better mechanical condition.

Historical data is available for the entire fleet, which will be invaluable for eliminating paperwork and complying with audits. Over time, this information can establish cost-per-route data and identify the cheapest options.

Fleet Management Tips

GPS tracking software can be used to manage a maintenance schedule, and this can be based on real-time OBD data and driving hours/conditions. It’s much more effective to have repairs and servicing performed when it’s needed, rather than guessing. This leads to increased fleet uptime.

OBD data can also keep track of fuel burn and emission levels, plus other vehicle stats. You can generate reports for each vehicle in the fleet and provide them to truck technicians.

This rich incoming data can be used by managers in a myriad of ways to improve daily decision-making. Metrics can be used to drive a variety of reports that are auto-generated for review at specified intervals.

Different industries may take advantage of fleet management software in unique ways. If a client schedules a pick-up, the nearest truck can easily be assigned to the job. Without this data, you might otherwise waste fuel and lose time selecting a truck that’s further away.

Efficient dispatch times will increase customer satisfaction, and automatic delay notifications will reduce client frustration.

Benefits of GPS Tracking

Our GPS tracking solution can send SMS alerts via our mobile app. This means you have an always-on connection to your fleet, wherever you are. Fleet software can send SMS alerts to employees, for example, to warn of company policy violations.

You can prioritize driver safety, leading to fewer accidents and fleet downtime. If an accident does happen, you can easily direct the police to the exact location of the truck.

Your fleet data is also useful for proving innocence in false accident claims.

Customer service can rise to the next level when fleet management software is set-up to provide delivery updates via email or SMS. Delivery estimates can be auto-calculated and updated with real-time info, so your staff won’t face many phone calls from anxious clients.

Whether the size of your fleet is large or small, the savings from GPS tracking can still be considerable.

GPS Tracking

We’ve shown that GPS tracking can make fleet management more efficient and ultimately save you money. Don’t hire more drivers or buy more trucks until you’re getting the most out of your current investment.

If you’re in fleet management, we can help you. We are a GPS tracking device company, blending the right levels of knowledge, real-world experience, and leadership. We provide sales, support, and service of GPS devices throughout the Americas, allowing real-time tracking from the cloud.

Contact us today to schedule a demo.