Since the late 1970s, the principle of fleet tracking has been around. Over the years, this has evolved – following suit with the technological advances that we frequently see among our society. Every time you turn around, there is a new fleet tracking company or software that claims to be better than the rest, but each fleet has its own set of needs, and the fleet tracking solution chosen must meet or exceed those needs to be beneficial.
The fleet management market is not expected to slow down anytime soon. In fact, the value of this market was $7.8 billion in 2015, and during the forecast period of 2016 to 2022, it is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24.5%, resulting in a value of $34.6 billion in 2022. Part of the increase is the advances in technology, making it easier to monitor fleets and learn the most cost-efficient ways to run them.
With an outlook like that, you might be wondering where a startup like Fleetr fits into the grand scheme of things – let’s explore that, shall we?
To understand exactly how Fleetr is changing the industry, you have to understand how the industry has changed over the years. Technology has been a large defining factor in how fleet tracking and outcomes are established, including changing how resources are used to develop and execute these solutions.
The first major change you might notice if you have been in the fleet business a while is the transition from paper maps to GPS. When you input an address into your phone or smart device, and it tells you turn-by-turn where to go (or where a speed trap lays in wait), we often take this for granted. It wasn’t that long ago when paper maps could be found in every convenience store, or we were using MapQuest to print out our directions to where we needed to go. Now there is a voice on the other end telling us where to go and how to get there.
These same GPS satellites that help us find our way also help fleet owners keep track of their vehicles – where there is a device in them that links to the satellites. Fleetr makes it possible for drivers to get directions and fleet owners to track their drivers’ locations in real-time. When Mrs. Grundy calls about her service visit, you can tell her exactly when Bob will be arriving by looking at your Fleetr dashboard.
Have you ever tried to keep track of multiple vehicles’ oil changes at one time? Even a fleet of 100 can be considered a small fleet, so what if each of these vehicles has a different date/mileage for their next service visit? Shuffling through a filing cabinet of service invoices for each vehicle doesn’t have to be your reality anymore – Fleetr tracks and alerts you when each vehicle is coming due for maintenance, repairs, or even oil changes.
The goal of any business owner, large or small, is to increase their profit margins. If you don’t make a profit, you don’t remain viable as a business. Technology has provided these business owners with the tools they need to monitor the efficiency of their fleet, including how to increase the overall profit margin they produce. Through real-time data, fleet managers can stay on top of the habits of their drivers.
Most of the fleet tracking solutions out there today cater to larger fleets and require businesses to sign a contract with a commitment attached to it. Think of your cable or satellite company – they offer you this incredible monthly amount as an introductory offer. If you read the fine print, you only get this offer for 12 months. After that, it doubles in price, and the contract you sign obligates you to a 24-month term.
A lot of the larger fleet tracking companies work this way. You need to bring a minimum of “X” fleet vehicles to the platform to get a specific monthly rate. They also tend to “nickel and dime” their clients, using the software or the hardware (or both) as an additional monthly fee.
There is really no simple way to put it; what you see is what you get when you choose Fleetr as your fleet tracking company. A few of the notable features that you will find with Fleetr include the low price of $9.99 per month per vehicle (with multi-vehicle discounts available), free hardware (no monthly rental fee), and a user-friendly dashboard that can be accessed from any compatible smart device. On top of these great low prices, you also are under no contractual obligation, and Fleetr won’t charge you an activation fee.
Push notifications have become something we all depend on – we get them when we get voicemails, emails, texts, social media comments, and so on. Fleetr knows how important it is to correct a potentially dangerous situation in real-time versus waiting until later to approach the subject. Driver safety is one of the highest standards fleet owners have, and Fleetr is next to them on the sidelines, ensuring that the drivers remain compliant.
Know where your fleet vehicles are with accurate GPS features, including the current driving speed of the driver. Get push notifications when the drivers are speeding or practicing other unsafe driving habits like hard braking. You can also track the fuel efficiency and receive handy tips on how to increase the fuel economy of your fleet.
We already touched base on how difficult it can be to keep track of the maintenance for each of your fleet vehicles. For every vehicle that you have on your Fleetr dashboard, you have personalized information about that vehicle. You can see the odometer and other “health” indicators like battery life and even if the check engine light comes on. How is this possible?
The Fleetr hardware was designed to fit into the OBD II port of your vehicle. Once plugged into this port, information from the vehicle’s internal computer is compiled and available to you via the Fleetr dashboard. Even reports can be compiled from the information collected while your drivers are on the road.
One of the best parts of using Fleetr doesn’t even have to do with the tracking capabilities; it is the ease of use for the entire platform. To get started, all you do is go online to www.fleetr.com and click “buy now.”
Here you tell us how many vehicles you have in your fleet. Please note that if you have more than the specified amount, you may qualify for a multi-vehicle discount each month. We do cater to smaller fleets, so we generally place a cap of 100 vehicles per client. Once you have made your purchase, you can download the dashboard and begin setting it up with your fleet’s information.
When your hardware arrives in the mail, take each of the pieces and plug them into the OBD II port of your fleet vehicles. Now, Fleetr is ready for use! It is really that simple.
Fleetr’s dedication is to the small fleet owner. With the tools built in, owners have the potential to reduce costs and increase their overall profit margin. That is part of Fleetr’s promise to the clients it serves – making your fleet more efficient.
Depending on the interval you set, you can receive reports. Within these reports, you can find out what you can do to make your fleet more efficient. Has a driver spent time idling each day, wasting precious gasoline? Take this problem directly to the source and ask the driver about it. Without the tracking software, you wouldn’t be aware that there is a fuel consumption problem like this that could be rectified.
Learn who your safe drivers are and which ones need to improve. Use these reports to proceed with your safety training and other efforts in which you work to keep your fleet drivers and the other people on the roadway safe.
If you are ready to take the next step in fleet greatness, reach out to Fleetr and see what we can do for your specific fleet.
