What Are GPS Tracking Services?
GPS is short for Global Positioning System (originally Navstar GPS) and is a United States government-owned and operated collection of satellites that are currently orbiting Earth. These satellites are constantly sending and receiving signals from various receivers on Earth. When two/three or more of these satellites get the same “communication” from a receiver, its location can be triangulated. That is why you can put an address in on your phone, and it can give you turn-by-turn directions. It is also why when you are in an area of low service, you may get an error message, or the coordinates might be slightly off.
The Popularity of GPS Solutions
It was 2007 when GPS went mainstream – located in cars, on smart devices, used by joggers in the park, and so on. Today, GPS is used for all types of tracking and for the directionally impaired. The advances in technology allow for more in-depth tracking, and with fleet use, business owners are getting a lot more insight into their vehicles without being tied down to a desk – these apps are now mobile.
How Companies Implement GPS Tracking Solutions
GPS tracking has a lot of benefits, especially when it comes to businesses with fleet vehicles. These vehicles are not only a big undertaking, but they are an incredible asset to any business. When you make an investment like this, you want to ensure that it is being used to its capabilities and for no other reason. You also want to make sure that you are only putting the safest drivers behind the wheel – after all, these vehicles are representative of your brand.
So, how do you choose the right GPS tracking service for your fleet?
Determine Your Fleet’s Needs
Not all fleet tracking solutions are made the same. In fact, some are made for larger fleets, and some are made for smaller fleets. If you are a large fleet, a small fleet solution is not going to be beneficial, and if you are a small fleet, a large fleet solution will not be cost-efficient. As an owner, you know where your fleet’s weaknesses are, and you want to implement a solution that will help to minimize the losses and play to your strengths. Word to the wise – if the company you are looking at requires a deposit or wants you to sign a contract, make sure you are 100% sure that is the company for you.
Factoring in the Costs
How much are you willing to spend on a GPS tracking service solution for your fleet? Some companies require you to sign a contract that obligates you to use only their services for a set period of time. The way that these contracts work is that you get special pricing for an introduction period – three months, six months, a year, etc. Once this promotional period is over, the price jumps to “full price,” or double or triple the promo pricing. Can you handle being locked into a pricing structure like this?
Ease of Use
What is the point of having a fleet tracking service if you can’t figure out how to use it? A complicated system that you can’t navigate will have features that go to waste – features that you are paying for but aren’t utilizing. You should be getting full use out of the features you are paying for. If you aren’t sure how to use a feature, make sure you contact the customer service team of the fleet tracking company you are working with. There is a happy medium between asking customer service for help and creating a personal relationship with the representatives.
The technology you implement should work for you, not require you to manually operate it. What we mean is that you should not have to constantly tell the software what to do. All of the information you need should be available to you at the push of a button.
Facts About Most GPS Tracking Services For Fleets
There is a pattern among some of the fleet tracking services out there that you should be aware of before making a decision on which one to implement.
Fleetr Offers Easy Implementation
One of the easiest solutions for small business fleet owners is Fleetr. Fleetr is a GPS tracking service that can be installed and used with your fleet – quickly and easily. The process is so easy that by the time you finish this article, you will already know how to purchase, install, and use the Fleetr services.
Purchasing Fleetr
Fleetr makes purchasing GPS tracking services for your fleet simple. Go online to www.fleetr.com and click on “buy now.” Once you navigate to the purchase page, you can tell us how many fleet vehicles you have. We do offer discounts depending on the number of vehicles you plan to use with Fleetr.
We don’t require you to have a contract when you purchase your subscription to Fleetr – we also don’t charge you for hardware or installation – these are included in the monthly amount of $9.99 per vehicle. Our pay-as-you-go fleet tracking solution was designed for small fleet owners and to be convenient for their needs.
Download the App
When you go online and place your order, you can go ahead and download the Fleetr app while you wait for your hardware to arrive. Go in and enter the information about your vehicles, your drivers, and customize your settings. Once you have the hardware in your hand, you can match the device to the vehicle/driver profile in a jiffy.
Start Monitoring Your Fleet
The hardware installation is an easy process, one that does not require additional skill sets or tools. The hardware plugs right into your fleet vehicle’s OBD II port. From there, the hardware does all of the work, transmitting the data collected right to the dashboard in your Fleetr app. Your driver doesn’t have to do anything but continue with their jobs as usual.
Fleetr Features
There are a series of unique features that you get when you implement Fleetr into your business. These features include:
- Real-time tracking of your vehicles and drivers
- An app that is available on all smart devices
- After hours alerts
- Unsafe driving alerts and push notifications
- Driver safety scores
- Geo-fencing capabilities
- Trip histories
- Reporting capabilities
- And more!
Fleetr’s features make it possible for you to keep track of your fleet vehicles and ensure that those who are behind the wheel are taking care of it, representing your brand with the best driving behaviors possible. Who is your best driver? Who needs a little work when it comes to driving safely? Fleetr can tell you this with the data it collects. Let us grade your drivers so that you can discover who among the drivers is the safest and which ones may need extra training.
Vehicle maintenance can also be a pain to keep up with. If you have 100 vehicles, how can you efficiently keep up on oil change, tire rotation, and battery life? Fleetr makes vehicle maintenance easy to keep up with because it keeps track of the individual vehicle mileage and so on. Fleet vehicles often drive a lot of miles, and you no longer have to count on tired employees to turn in their daily mileage; you have it right in the palm of your hand on the app.
Certain driving habits can decrease the fuel economy of your fleet. If you are unaware that these are happening, you can’t fix them. Fleetr recognizes these habits and gives you tips each month on how you can save on fuel expenditures. We are proud to help our clients save roughly $200 per vehicle per month on fuel charges. Are you getting the best fuel efficiency within your fleet?
Your GPS Tracking Services Are A Tool
When you implement GPS tracking services into your business and fleet, you need to look at them as a tool – a resource that helps you accomplish what you want for your business. You want to improve your fleet, whether it be improving driver safety, being more cost-efficient, or stopping unauthorized vehicle use. You have a reason for implementing these services.
Once you have figured out why you want to implement the solution and how much you can budget for the solution each month – it is time to start searching for the right fit. Like you would with anything else, do your research on each company you are considering and make sure you read the fine print.
If you are ready to take the next step, see what Fleetr has to offer – if you are a small fleet that wants the freedom to end your subscription on your terms without a lengthy contract, want to improve the efficiency of your fleet, and want a platform that is easy to use with impeccable customer service – you don’t have to look any further than www.fleetr.com.
