If you are a small business fleet owner, you know how important an asset your fleet is – so not tracking it would be irresponsible. Nowadays, using a GPS tracker on a vehicle is nothing new. In fact, most of us have GPS tracking-capable devices on us most of the time anyway – just look at your smartphone. Using a GPS fleet tracker can help you run your fleet more efficiently, and we will tell you how (but first, the basics).
The Global Positioning System (GPS), also known as Navstar, is a series of satellites that orbit the earth and communicate with receivers on the ground. When three or more satellites fix on the location of a receiver, the location of the receiver can be determined with complete accuracy. The great part about using GPS tracking for your fleet is that you can track everything from your mobile device.
There are several benefits to be had when you sign up for a GPS fleet tracking solution, and these benefits range from reduced fuel costs to being able to monitor the real-time location of your fleet, no matter where it is.
Each of the benefits has its own parks, but when using a GPS fleet tracking solution, it becomes possible to keep track of daily business without trying to overwhelm yourself as a manager. All you have to do is sign up to see what the technology could do for you and your small business.
Reduced Fuel Costs
By using a fleet tracking solution, you can essentially reduce your fleet’s fuel costs. You can map out more efficient routes, optimize the routes, and eliminate instances of hard braking, idling, sudden acceleration, speeding, and more. When you eliminate these, there’s a higher likelihood that fuel consumption will be reduced, reducing the amount of money you pay to fuel your fleet vehicles.
Planning Routes Efficiently
When you optimize your driver’s route, you take the guesswork out of which way to go. Even at times of trouble, your driver will know the best solution possible because of fleet tracking capabilities. Now, when you use a GPS in your vehicles, you don’t have to worry about the driver getting lost. They can also be alerted to accidents or when there’s a detour coming up. This allows them to find alternative routes and keep them on time to customers, which makes customers happy
Real-Time Location
When you own a fleet, you want to know the real-time location of your fleet/asset. Satellite technology allows you to communicate with your drivers and know if there’s a problem on the roadway. You can also see what the drivers are doing and if they’re doing what they’re supposed to. Determine how far they are from their next location and provide the customer an update if they request one.
Reduce Maintenance Costs
When you implement a fleet tracking solution into your vehicles, you can use it to gather information about the vehicle – like the mileage that is put on it each day. Now you will not miss a tire rotation, oil change, or other preventative maintenance that needs to be completed. You can stay on top of maintenance and reduce the chances of prematurely replacing a vehicle. Forget about breakdowns and keep your fleet active on the roadway.
Reduce Paperwork
You’re likely covered in mounds of paperwork as a manager of a fleet. Instead of shuffling through all of these papers, you can reduce it to a minimum amount – all because your fleet tracking software digitizes the entire process. You can receive up-to-date alerts on mileage and other aspects of your fleet.
Don’t spend all day inputting the day before’s data when it can be obtained from the hardware installed in each vehicle’s OBD-II port. Now, you can reduce paperwork and spend less time behind the desk, allowing you to do what you love – run your business.
Easy-To-Use
GPS tracking software is an easy-to-use solution for small fleet owners. You can monitor speed, trip, distance, each driver’s driving behavior, and all from your smartphone or device. Desktop options are available, too. This allows you to step out from behind the desk while still monitoring your fleet and interacting with customers as they enter your establishment.
Increased Driver Accountability
You likely worry about your drivers on a daily basis as they enter the roadways with your fleet. You no longer have to be afraid that drivers are going to be reckless and tarnish your brand. With real-time fleet tracking, you can monitor speed, driving behavior, and other areas that may cause concern.
Potentially Reduce Insurance Costs
Not all insurance companies will provide a discount for fleet owners if they use a fleet tracking system. However, most insurance premiums are based on the risk of insuring the company, and with fleet tracking software, the potential risk could be reduced. You will find that many insurance companies prefer the reduced risk and will offer some type of discount. Fleet tracking makes it possible for stolen vehicles to be recovered (in most circumstances) and accidents to be avoided – this sounds a lot like a risk reduction!
Get Timely Alerts
if you’re using fleet tracking software, you can get up to the minute alerts on what your drivers are doing, how they’re driving, and if your fleet is essentially in danger. These alerts come in the form of a push notification, often in SMS. For example, you can be alerted when a driver leaves a geofenced area, engages in speeding, or has other unflattering driving habits. You can reach out and fix the situation before it turns into a larger mess.
How your driver acts behind the wheel of your fleet vehicle is important to the overall structure of your business. What if your drivers make common mistakes that put the fleet in danger or make your brand look bad? These are behaviors that have to be taken care of immediately before they become a habit instead of a single instance. By using a GPS fleet tracking software and hardware pair, you can now see exactly how the driver is driving, whether or not they need to be reprimanded, and what needs to be improved upon for future driving.
Speeding
speeding is a very dangerous situation that is not only unsafe but can lead to reduced gas mileage in your fleet vehicles. When using a fleet management service with GPS, you can use automatic alerts to ensure that you are catching speeding drivers or those who are unsafe on the road.
Speeding is one of the most common offenses you’ll find among drivers, and the ability to monitor these and be alerted when it occurs can help eliminate any problematic driving patterns that may be on the horizon.
Driver Safety Reporting
Part of using fleet tracking software is compiling data in a report form. These reports allow you to determine what drivers are efficiently driving your fleet and what drivers need more improvement. You can use all the information that you receive from these reports to create a training template. This template can be used across the entire fleet to ensure that they are all driving to the same standard. You can also use this training to hone the skills of those who need more improvement without singling them out. You can use this software to determine who needs the extra training and who doesn’t.
Aggressive Driving Behavior.
Not only is aggressive driving behavior unsafe, but it also puts an unwanted spotlight on your business. You want your business to be associated with timeliness, good driving, and courtesy for others. You don’t want your brand to be considered an aggressive brand because of how your drivers are driving on the road. When this occurs, it can take a lot more to recover the goodness of your name – something that it only took mere seconds to ruin.
Drivers who are aggressive take unnecessary risks. As you already know, the risk is calculated into your insurance premium. Some of the following driving behaviors are considered aggressive:
Fleet Safety
The safety of your fleet is also on the line when it comes to how your driver is driving. Keep in mind that larger vehicles have larger blind spots, and these vehicles require more time to slow down, stop, and maneuver. If your driver is not anticipating the moves of the vehicle in front of them, it is a recipe for disaster. It is your responsibility to ensure that your drivers are making the appropriate concessions when driving to factor in safety first and foremost. Drivers need to keep their distance, drive slower, and pay attention to all of their surroundings (not just the radio). They’re not only responsible for your fleet vehicles when they are on the road, but they are also responsible for sharing the road with others.
When it comes to operating a fleet, you need a constant string of data. But this data has to be captured, organized, and analyzed to provide you with a full picture. A lot of technology on the market today allows you to do this, the most common being a GPS fleet tracking solution, but how do you know which solution is right for your fleet?
These solutions come in all shapes and sizes. But what works for a large fleet may not work for your small one. That is why you have to address every area and ensure that it will work for the size of your fleet. So, what should you look for in one of these technologies?
There are some questions that you can ask yourself before you make a decision.
1. What do you want to achieve with a GPS tracking system for your fleet?
2. How many vehicles do you need to track? If it’s under 100? You will want to use a small business fleet tracking solution, not a large one.
3. What kind of budget are you looking at? Ensure you are factoring in any upfront costs and the monthly subscription amount. Is there’s an early termination fee associated with the solution?
4. What exactly do you want to get in terms of data?
5. How will you use the data once you gather it?
6. Will you or someone else monitor and track all of this data. Does your solution offer multiple login accounts?
When you choose a solution like Fleetr (catered to small businesses), you will find that everything we mentioned is a lot easier. Fleetr was made for small fleets like yours and offers all the benefits of a large fleet tracking option but for a fraction of the cost. GPS tracking is one of the largest assets you can have (next to your fleet), and if you want to ensure that it is being properly treated or taken care of, it is best to have it on your side.
