Fleetr, a Jooycar company, is the leader in small fleet management and insurance solutions. We have built an AI-powered platform that provides actionable insights to fleet owners with our GPS tracker. We are proud to serve nearly 40,000 connected vehicles via our OBD II device with affordable and easy solutions across several countries. We believe in the power of telematics and big data to address the pressing needs of the small fleet owner and are working tirelessly to reduce costs, improve efficiency and increase safety.
Benefits of Increasing Fleet Visibility
Fleet management systems have never been simpler in history. GPS fleet management software and telematics (telecom + informatics) have made it possible for company owners and managers to not only follow the progress of their fleets but also improves their visibility.
Fleet visibility has become clearer than ever.
Mangers have access to transparent records and stats, and also get to communicate directly with the drivers if something doesn’t feel right. Route optimization, cost deduction, ensuring vehicle safety, and strategizing operations are just some of the many advantages of modern fleet management systems.
In this article, we will discuss the basics of GPS fleet management software and the advantages of boosting fleet visibility through GPS and telematics.
GPS Fleet Management Software & Telematics
Perhaps no one is unaware of the wonderful piece of technology that is GPS (global positioning system) in the modern era. It is everywhere. Your phone has it, so does your computer, and even those fancy smartwatches make use of the technology.
Of course, more sophisticated forms of this technology also exist.
Electronic logging devices (ELDs) are powered by GPS and help managers track their fleets with impressive precision. These devices transmit signals that travel via the internet to any device displaying the output. The interface is usually very simple: more like an interactive map showing the position of your fleet cars and their planned route.
Modern fleet management software and telematics give you unprecedented transparency in the whole matter.
Telematics offers live input from each vehicle and gives you constant updates via the internet.
Many companies have used this innovative approach to maximize their fleet’s potential and ensure customer satisfaction with every project, without fail.
10 Benefits of Increasing Fleet Visibility Through GPS & Telematics
With better fleet visibility, managers can have more control and enjoy several benefits:
#1 Managing Operation Costs More Effectively
Fuel is the biggest cost factor for any fleet operation. The cut is significant, and although fuel consumption is inevitable in the fleet business, it is common knowledge that a significant proportion of these losses results due to wastage of gas and negligence on part of the fleet drivers.
Idling the vehicle for minutes at a time or adopting a longer route when a simpler option exists are the biggest reasons for this loss. Fleet drivers usually don’t consider the profitability of their employer a prerequisite for their progress, and this leads them to being inconsiderate in such matters.
Fuel wastage and the assorted money drains can hurt your business, but advanced fleet management software and telematics can help you stay on top of the drivers’ activities and communicate directly to let them know if you’re not okay with something.
Similarly, vehicle maintenance, if ignored, can become a financial burden on any fleet operation. With the detailed analytics and complete transparency provided by telematics, you can stay on top of these issues and resolving them before they become any more bothersome.
#2 Live Monitoring & Better Decision Making
Fleet management and telematics virtually put you in the passenger seat of all of your vehicles, at once. You’ll be on board with every event during the journey. Not only will you be able to track the position of your fleet cars but also their speeds, estimated time of arrivals at destination, and much more.
Many fleet trackers even show managers any rough or aggressive driving patterns from their drivers. If one of your employees is accelerating fast at one point and then screeching to a halt with a hard press on the brakes, you’ll know in time to ask them to stop.
Accidents involving transport company trucks and other vehicles are not that uncommon and often result in severe financial penalties to the company as well. You must preempt such calamities by nipping the problem in its bud.
Also, route optimization can help you beat the traffic and avoid unnecessary delays and wastage of fuel. Thus, with more information, you’ll be able to better coordinate with your drivers and mold your strategies to best suit the situation.
#3 Making The Fleet & Drivers Safer
Driver safety is also one area that fleet visibility helps with, immensely. Fleet management systems and telematics let you monitor the health of your vehicles and preempt serious problems, most of which can result in devastating accidents, by prompt alerts of any impending maintenance issues.
Moreover, with precise location tracking of the vehicle by the virtue of fleet management software and telematics, you’ll be in a much better position to help your drivers if they ever run into a problem. The same is also true for your vehicle. GPS fleet tracking is a perfect theft deterrent and with all the analytics and stats on your disposal, you can ensure that your cars stay in peak shape.
Thus the safety of the entire enterprise is ensured through the use of such technologies.
#4 Being More Informed About The Fleet’s Condition
In the ever-busy industry of fleet management, regular maintenance checks can be a bit hard to commit to. They are very important, no doubt, but not always possible. However, with constant updates pouring in through the fleet management software, you can stay in the loop of things.
With all the data at your disposal, you will be able to preempt any vehicle breakdown or worse: a major accident. Being well informed about your fleet’s condition puts you in a better decision-making position. The success or failure of your endeavors will lie completely in your ability to call shots when they are needed, and for that to happen, you’ll need to know the complete picture.
You’ll also know if and when one of your cars is idling and wasting fuel.
This level of transparency is sure to bear impressive results for your fleet’s performance!
#5 Avoiding Vehicle Accidents & False Accusations
Automobile accidents involving trucks and other cars are not uncommon.
Maintenance issues and reckless driving are some of the leading causes of truck accidents. But fleet management systems and telematics allow managers to keep an eye out for any rough driving behavior from the truckers, they even warn users about maintenance problems that may cause an accident if not addressed immediately.
Usually, in the case of such accidents, the truck drivers are considered at fault, however, this may not always be the case. The other driver may have shown negligence and caused the accident. If the at-fault driver falsely accuses your employee of such an accident, your fleet management system will come to the rescue!
Many telematics systems employ dash-cams and rear-cams to record the ride experience. Thus, in case of an accident, these camera recordings will become concrete proofs for your employee’s innocence of the matter. Your fleet stats will also allow you to assert that your driver was not over-speeding, or driving recklessly, or breaking the law in any other way.
Many trucking companies have to face false accusations for car accidents, but fleet management solutions can help companies and fleet drivers escape the blame for something they did not do!
#6 Better Performance Tracking
Ideal behavior deserves a decent bonus, or at the very least, a commendation. Whereas, recklessness of aggressive driving tendencies should never be tolerated and the drivers showing such indifference be made aware that this is not okay.
Through detailed stats and constant updates, fleet managers receive firsthand input of their drivers’ performance. If someone is over-speeding, driving aggressively, pushing hard against the accelerator and brakes, making speedy turns, or violating traffic laws, you’ll be the first one to know.
Since these systems usually allow direct communication between the hub and each driver, you can remind your employee that they are endangering the company’s assets, their lives, and the safety of others on the road.
Of course, this should be a zero-tolerance area. If drivers consistently show such negligent and reckless behavior, you should make an example out of them.
Remember, any accident caused by one of your employees while on duty and in your company’s car, will implicate you in the whole mess as well.
You should never let this happen!
#7 Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed
What do customers demand in the transportation business? Of course, it is not happy faces or fancy brand names, but professionalism. Your transport/delivery services will only be as good as you’re willing to make them.
Punctuality is a dying principle. But through the use of such technologies, you can ensure that your employees are never late and that your business never falls behind the crowd. Being on time is not hard, all you have to do is a little planning and show some commitment.
Route optimization, or the process of picking the shortest and smoothest route to a place, is a valuable fleet management tool. It allows you to circumnavigate dense traffic areas, avoid unsafe road conditions, and evade any delays.
This way, you’ll be on time and earn the customer’s trust and respect.
Of course, if a delay is unavoidable, you can communicate with the client beforehand and let them know about the situation – they will appreciate this as well. In all cases, transparency removes excuses out of the equation and forces employees to work as best as they should be working and deliver up to the client’s expectation.
Retaining clients is a universal business essential, and a good service is the best way of doing so!
#8 Less Burden on the Drivers
Your drivers already have a lot to handle in their day-to-day activities. Spending hours and hours behind the wheel can be both frustrating and risky. Highway hypnosis is a serious consequence of overworking your truckers, so is distracted and drowsy sleeping.
Through effective fleet management systems, you can ensure that all of your workers are well-rested and not forced to work for inconvenient hours. You will also be able to reduce travel times and disturbances through smart route planning and avoiding crowded courses.
By relieving the burden on your drivers, you will help them perform at their best and deliver the results you need to take your business further!
#9 Complete Transparency & Honesty
Okay, let’s admit it, the good old timesheets are no longer good for anything. We don’t want you to doubt the honesty of your workers but being skeptical is only natural when you spot discrepancies between the work done on paper and in reality.
Instead of interrogating your employees to find if the records were falsified, eliminate the need to keep handwritten logs altogether. Through automated and highly accurate reports generated by fleet management systems, you can better deduce the performance of your staff.
The mileage, route selection, and driving behavior can all be accounted for. You need not rely upon the truthfulness of your workers but instead work with verified and irrefutable data. This way, you’ll be in a much better position to execute orders and pointing out people who’re not following due protocol.
If you ever discuss performance issues with an employee, they will lack deniability because the facts at hand will be free from error.
#10 Better Management
Overall, better visibility means better management. As a fleet owner/manager, you will face great pressures and stresses, some avoidable and others not so much. But with a complete layout of information set before you, nothing can keep you from making remarkable progress.
Transparency eliminates any cover for incompetence or deceit, so make the best of it and help your business grow!
Fleetr Is Your Perfect Option For Increasing Fleet Visibility
Transparency, absolute control, and ease of communication are just some of the things that Fleetr guarantees to its users. Having served thousands of vehicles and companies throughout the USA, we have established ourselves as an authority in the fleet management business.
The best part about rolling with Fleetr is that there are no contracts, no initiation fees, and no complications. Our goal is to make fleet management software and telematics simpler and we offer complete transparency to our users. You will be in absolute control the whole time, and be in a much better decision-making position with all the useful stats and info at your disposal.
Not only is Fleetr very affordable at only $9.99 per vehicle cost for a month, but it is also a very powerful and effective tool.
All you have to do is to give us a call today, and your fleet visibility worries will end there!
