Fleet Tracking Services Matter Even For Small Businesses
Firstly, it is important to understand that the common perception regarding fleet tracking, i.e., it is an investment only for big fleet owners, is false. Fleet tracking is just as relevant for smaller fleets as it is for larger ones.
The goals and benefits translate perfectly on a smaller scale as well, and by our experience, smaller fleets are usually in a much direr need of such systems because of their merits. If your small fleet performs well as is, it will deliver excellently with a fleet management system installed.
Improvement is guaranteed, and here’s how fleet tracking ensures that:
Better Management
To begin, fleet tracking software enables much better management of the vehicles than otherwise. With greater transparency in the equation, you will be better able to give informed orders to your workers and operate knowing all the facts on the ground.
A fleet manager can never enjoy such benefits otherwise, no matter how talented or resourceful they are. The only alternative would be constantly calling your drivers for location updates, which is very impractical and unsafe.
By dispatching drivers to new delivery assignments/customer locations based on their proximity, you’ll also end up saving a lot of time and thus improve overall work efficiency.
In essence, you’ll get more done with less!
Improved Fuel Economy
Fuel costs are a constant worry for the fleet managers since the sum lost because of poor fuel efficiency is substantial when put together at the end of the year. This money would be better put to use in improving the quality of your business and covering other expenses.
But instead, you end up losing it.
The simplest solution for this issue is to improve the overall efficiency of your setup. Idling and poor route planning are the leading reasons for the unnecessary loss of fuel which increases the operating costs for your fleet.
Luckily, with GPS fleet tracking software, you can not only counter idling by contacting your drivers whenever you get a notification, but smart route plotting will also make your life a whole lot easier. All in all, the sum saved by better fuel efficiency will be significant, this much is certain!
Road Safety Ensured & More Control Over Drivers
Unsafe driving behavior such as speeding, swift acceleration, hard braking, speedy turns, rough handling, and so on creates an unsafe environment for all on the road. Commercial vehicle drivers are known for such negligence since they usually are in a hurry to meet deadlines.
Their job is stressful, but that is no excuse for unsafe driving.
You should make it absolutely clear to your drivers from day one that any form of unsafe driving behavior on the road will not be tolerated. Road safety is of the utmost importance because the lives of people are at stake here. If one of your drivers gets involved in an accident, you’ll be dragged into the lawsuit as well.
However, fleet tracking software constantly notifies fleet managers about such behavior, allowing them to act in time to avoid disaster.
Route Optimization
This one is rather simple but still very useful: you select the most optimal route, based on the distance, traffic density, weather conditions, unexpected blockades, and so on, for a smoother, uninterrupted ride to every destination. It is impossible to do the same trusting only your gut instinct because a GPS fleet tracking system with its algorithm is there for a reason.
Plus, it also helps cut down fuel costs.
On-Time Maintenance Alerts
Maintenance trouble can come to haunt fleet vehicles at the most inconvenient time if you’re not careful to begin with. However, it is understandable if you become a little forgetful with such tight schedules and everything.
No worries, you’ll receive constant notifications about any upcoming maintenance issues or regularly scheduled alerts to keep you up to date about your vehicles’ maintenance needs. On-time maintenance will ensure smooth performance and improved efficiency.
No Need For Manual Logs
Fleet tracking systems also eliminate the need and relevance of manual logs and registers to record the performance of your drivers. Instead, you don’t have to ask them to do anything in this regard since the software will automatically update you about all the relevant details at the end of the day.
Miles traveled, any instances of idling, unsafe driving, and everything else – you’ll know who did what and thus be able to assess your workers based purely on merit and nothing else.
Punctuality Guaranteed
Clients like it when they get their orders delivered on time.
Punctuality is one of the most important business qualities that fleet managers could hope to instill in their drivers. Rushing through traffic at the eleventh hour never works. Instead, planning ahead of time and sticking to the schedule is the way to go.
This is another area where GPS fleet tracking shines out!
You’ll be able to monitor the schedule progress of all of your drivers and give them instructions accordingly.
What Makes A GPS Tracking Service Perfect For Small Fleets?
So how would you classify a fleet tracking option as small-fleet-friendly? Simply by reading the product description and scanning through the terms and conditions placed by the company, you can assess whether or not any given fleet tracking services will work well for small fleets.
Note that several products available in the market are meant for medium to large fleets, and while some work well for smaller fleets, finding them can be tough. You need something that works well, offers a host of features but does not demand much.
Your primary objective is to reduce the operational costs, not to inflate them.
Let’s see what you need to look for in a fleet tracking system meant for small fleets:
No Binding Commitments
Small fleet owners need something flexible and adjustable. Thus strict and binding terms and conditions are out of the picture. If a fleet management system puts you in a position that might hinder your free choice in the matter, it is not for you.
You may not like their service and want to step back but won’t be able to if you committed to using their service for a set period. The same goes for payments, fines, and so on. Thus look for something that gives you a completely free hand in this regard.
You must retain the freedom of stepping in and out of a subscription.
Minimum Number Of Vehicles To Be Tracked
This is another area where small fleet owners might struggle a bit. Some fleet tracking services will put a minimum limit on the number of vehicles that you must track. For instance, if you’re buying a subscription, it will cover six or eight vehicles even if you don’t have that many to track in the first place.
In short, you’ll be overpaying for the service.
Some companies sell their products as such to lower the individual cost, but it knocks the small fleet owners out of the picture. You need to look for a fleet tracking solution that does not force your hand here. No matter how many vehicles you have, you should be able to install the system and only pay for the services you’ve used.
Fleetr, for instance, will work for any number of vehicles, even if you want to track only one car.
No Extra Charges/Hidden Fees
Initiation fees, installation charges, registration fees, service charges, and so on are all different names for hidden fees. Fleet tracking companies will often bombard you with inflated bills, with more than the agreed-upon charges.
This makes the whole thing a lot less cost-effective.
Of course, this will not be an issue for larger fleets since the hardwired devices will need to be installed (thus, the installation charges will be justified). The extra charges won’t really create a financial burden compared to the savings brought to the table.
For small fleet businesses, on the other hand, every dollar counts.
You need to minimize the operation costs however possible, which is only possible when you know what to expect in the monthly bill.
For Fleetr, it is the $9.99 per vehicle per month rent, and nothing else!
Free Tracker Device
In the case of a Fleetr subscription, the GPS tracker device shipped to your address is also completely free. This means that you don’t have to worry about buying the tracker. Instead, you’ll only be renting it with no upfront fees or charges except the monthly rent.
A free tracker device is not a must-have when it comes to vehicle tracking solutions for small fleets, but it does help bring down the costs, so it is welcome.
Affordable Subscription (Per Vehicle Deal)
Then, of course, you need a subscription deal that is easy to commit to.
As we noted earlier, some fleet tracking companies will force you to sign up for a deal that covers four or six cars at a minimum, even if you don’t have that many cars. What this does is increase the overall operational costs rather than reducing them.
In contrast, per vehicle deals make more sense, and it also allows you to break up the cost for every fleet car.
For Fleetr, the deal is $9.99 per vehicle per month.
Simple & Effective
Lastly, you need your fleet tracking solution to have a simple and user-friendly interface. Small fleets usually don’t have a panel of technical experts on board, so the best choice would be a system that presents the data in an easy-to-understand format.
Thus the fleet manager will be able to read the data with relative ease and act accordingly.
Simplicity may not seem like much of a factor here, but when you have a team of people trying to make every second count, an easier interface can make a difference.
Plus, you won’t have to invest time (the same as money) to learn the system.
Fleetr Is The Perfect Small-Sized Fleet Tracking Solution
If the attributes mentioned above of a competent fleet tracking service for small fleets felt right, Fleetr will sound like the perfect deal.
The best part about Fleetr is that we let our product’s excellence do the talking for us. There are no binding contracts, hidden fees, or other commitments, we’ll ship your fleet tracker device for free, and you’ll be able to monitor every aspect of your fleet vehicle’s performance for a mere $9.99 per month.
Call us today, and we’ll debrief you about the rest!
