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.
How Fleet Tracking Can Keep Your Vehicles Secure
A fleet is an expensive investment for any business. This asset is something that you want to protect at any cost because replacing it can be way too expensive. You may find that some aspects of securing your fleet are easier to maintain than others. Trying to do this without a fleet tracking system can be even more difficult because you are required to rely on your drivers for accurate information. When you implement a fleet tracking device that encompasses all your needs, you find that your fleet is not only safer but more efficient.
What is Fleet Tracking?
Fleet tracking is a way that a fleet owner or manager can gain more information about how their fleet is being operated. This information can tell a manager where their fleet vehicle is at any given moment, how fast it is driving and other driver-specific information.
The magic of these fleet tracking units is between the on-board diagnostics (OBD) and GPS satellite communication. The device is plugged into the OBD II port, which communicates information from the fleet vehicle’s computer system directly to the fleet manager’s smartphone or app-compatible device.
GPS satellites are constantly orbiting the Earth. These satellites are always in constant communication with receivers on the ground. That is how using GPS for directions can give you the directions based on your moving location, not just a fixed point. These GPS satellites also allow for fleet tracking devices to show the location and driving speeds of each fleet vehicle.
How a Fleet Tracker Keep Your Vehicles Secure
The biggest part of keeping your fleet secure is making sure it is safe, effective, and working properly. Any number of things can happen to a vehicle, things that we never even anticipated happening – theft, vandalism, and misuse, to name a few. Using a fleet tracking device within your fleet can help you address these types of concerns.
Preventing Fleet Theft
Did you know that a majority of fleets experience an average of two fleet vehicle thefts per year? Approximately 53% of these businesses recover their stolen vehicles; however, the remaining 47% never recover the vehicles from thieves.
Many fleet managers are incorporating technological solutions for the problem of potential thefts. Technology that disengages the starter when engaged by the manager is great for stopping a thief in their tracks. This option may not be financially feasible for all fleets.
A more cost-efficient way of preventing theft is by using a fleet tracking device. The GPS location allows managers to see where the stolen vehicle is, often without the thief realizing they are being tracked. In many circumstances, it may be easier to recover the stolen property using these tracking systems.
Preventing Vehicle Misuse
Sometimes, your fleet vehicles are garaged at the driver’s address. Even though they are not supposed to use them after hours, they may do it from time to time. Even though you couldn’t prove it before, using a fleet tracking device can help show historical data about where the vehicle has been.
Misuse doesn’t always have to mean your employee is driving after hours. Sometimes how they are driving can be considered misuse of the fleet vehicle. Poor driving habits are not the same as being reckless with a vehicle. A fleet tracking device can help monitor for these reckless behaviors.
Preventing Unsafe Vehicle Driving
There is a lot of information you can gather from a fleet tracking device. You can see the rates of speed your fleet vehicle was driving in a particular area. While a driver who habitually drives five over the speed limit may seem like a large problem, it is those instances where a driver is driving at high rates of speed to make it to their appointments on time that pose a larger safety risk.
The driver driving at five over the speed limit is most likely used to doing the same in their own vehicle. The practice is costing your fleet vehicle it’s fuel efficiency, but not necessarily safety. You can easily address this problem by showing them the amount that could be saved if they drove the speed limit all the time. This habit should be something that is easily rectified.
The driver who rushes to service calls at high rates of speed is another story. They are putting themselves, others, and your fleet vehicle in danger when they do this. The stopping distance needed at higher rates of speed is longer than those driving the speed limit. Reaction times often cannot keep up with how fast the vehicle is going, creating accidents. Offering solutions to the speeding problem, like more time between service calls, might be what the employee needs to be safe in your fleet vehicle.
Preventing Vehicle Breakdowns
One area that is often overlooked for safety is fleet maintenance. A healthy vehicle is a safe vehicle. Using fleet tracking, you can record mileages and service your fleet at the correct intervals. A vehicle that does not operate correctly does not offer safety to the driver or those on the road with it. Exposed wires can be a fire hazard but could be easily corrected if serviced at the required intervals.
Using fleet tracking to prevent breakdowns and keep a properly maintained vehicle takes the guesswork out of when the next oil change is due. Preventative maintenance can help alert fleet managers to problems or dangers that a vehicle may be facing. Fixing small problems now beat vehicle replacement later on.
Preventing Driver Miscommunication
In the event of a situation where a driver needs to be rerouted because of an unsafe situation, the fleet manager can see the driver’s location and reroute them safely. The same applies to a driver getting lost looking for a service location. Sometimes getting lost in the wrong area can be dangerous. Having fleet tracking can help talk the driver out of areas they are not familiar with.
Using Fleetr For Your Fleet Tracking
Fleetr is a one-of-a-kind fleet tracking solution. Fitting easily in your OBD II port, the Fleetr fleet tracking device can help you keep your fleet secure for only $12.99 per month per vehicle. Created to serve the small fleet owner, Fleetr can be used for fleets one vehicle in size up to 100.
Weekly reports help you see how your drivers measure up when it comes to safety—allowing you to provide them insight on driving more safely and increasing their efficiency. Real-time monitoring provides push notifications of unsafe habits that may cause dangerous situations. You can connect with the driver immediately to put an end to the unsafe behavior.
When looking for a way to keep your fleet secure, Fleetr has all the options you need. You can effectively prevent theft, miscommunication, misuse, unsafe driving, and prevent breakdowns, all while monitoring every vehicle from your smart device. Everything you want to know about your fleet can now fit in the palm of your hand.
