What Unique Challenges Do Small Fleet Owners Face?
Running a small fleet means fewer vehicles to watch, but he does not translate to fewer challenges. Surprisingly, you are likely to face the same challenges as established organizations go through. However, there are unique challenges growing fleets face that hinder their potential.
- Fewer Vehicles
Although fewer vehicles mean better attention and improved maintenance, what happens when one vehicle goes missing? It means unsatisfied customers and bad reviews due to pilled workload and inefficiency in operations. Moreover, the chances of having a replacement are slim due to constrained funds.
Therefore, there is a need for owners to keep up with the status of their vehicles frequently for safety purposes. Installing a GPS fleet tracking system helps monitor vehicle location simply and effectively.
- Few Employees
Fleet managers are likely to have so much on their plate due to added responsibilities with few employees. Therefore, it would mean missing out on essential maintenance schedules or follow-up on driver performance.
Fortunately, this is where a tracker comes in handy. The system helps managers monitor the vehicles through mobile phones or computers. Also, they receive reminders on scheduled maintenance and do not have to rely on manual filing.
- Constrained Budget
When one or two fleets break down, a smaller business may lack costly repairs or replacement funds. Consider the time it takes for loan approval, which is enough time to lose customers to your competitors.
Having GPS fleet tracking in place can make a huge difference financially. It facilitates timely truck maintenance, and any issues are detected and mitigated on time before they escalate to something serious.
When Is the Best Time to Install a Fleet Tracking System?
Are you wondering when the best time to switch to a GPS tracker is? Well, if you are spending hours tracking your vehicles and have a rough time attending to other tasks, it’s time you invest in a GPS tracker.
Spending a lot of time following up on driver activities and vehicle location is not economically feasible. With a GPS tracker in place, you will have real-time updates without moving a finger.
Also, if you are having substantial operational costs and regular disagreements with your drivers over spreadsheets, it’s time you invest in a tracking system. A GPS tracker will help you reduce fuel costs and pay wages for hours worked only.
Which Are Small Business Telematics Benefits?
Many think only organizations that operate thousands of fleets deserve such solutions. However, having a GPS fleet tracking system in place is invaluable, no matter the size of your business. Small business telematics benefits are many, but here is a glimpse.
- Real-Time Tracking
Fleet tracking systems allow managers to check on vehicle activities from their phones or computers in real-time. A few clicks on the tracking app are all it takes to check the vehicle’s route, loaded cargo, driver activities, and more.
Real-time monitoring also helps business owners plan and strategize accordingly. If you have any load on the road, they can anticipate arrival time and make the necessary arrangements.
- Customer Satisfaction
Customers love transparency, and fleets trying to grow their customer base need to keep them updated. Luckily, GPS fleet tracking enables companies to update their customers with real and reliable information regarding their cargo progress—the ability to see the vehicle’s location in real-time means providing accurate information to the customers.
Additionally, vehicle tracking solutions offer customers the convenience they deserve. Instead of calling back and forth between the driver and the customer, GPS tracking systems allow you to share GPS location updates with your customers. In turn, the customers can track the vehicle’s location through their phone, so they always know when the delivery arrives.
Telematics also enables managers to find the nearest driver to a customer. They then dispatch them and, within a short time, they arrive at the customer’s doorstep. Prompt response is a perfect way of keeping customers happy and satisfied.
- Safety
Fleet telematics technology gives real-time visibility into the location of your vehicles at any given time. Therefore, you can locate where your assets are anytime you wish. Also, the technology gives you the ability to create Geofences or virtual borders within a designated area.
Taking this into account, you get to see if the vehicles are where they are supposed to be. If they move outside the virtual border due to theft or driver carelessness, you get Geofence notifications for your immediate actions in real-time.
Your driver’s safety significantly matters as well. Fleet telematics technology comes with an in-built accelerometer that collects data on driver behaviors. Actions, such as acceleration, sudden braking, sharp turn, or other harsh driving activities can lead to a crash endangering the driver’s life.
Fortunately, a telematics system can detect and notify you of any harsh driving behavior. As the company owner, you can enroll your employees in refresher courses or safe driving coaching and decrease the likelihood of a crash.
- Optimized Operations
Although no one can predict bad weather, traffic, or accidents, managers must mitigate measures to ensure smooth delivery. Fleet tracking increases insights into holding operations and helps eliminate the obstacles.
The technology increases asset insight, discovers patterns and trends, and helps business owners determine what is delaying the operation. For instance, the tracking system allows owners to recognize what is holding back, suggesting another transport route.
- Saves Money
Many people think installing fleet tracking systems is costly, but come to think of it, it saves you a fortune in the long run. Think of associated costs of events such as delays, accidents, damaged or stolen goods, stolen vehicles, repair costs, and driver’s hospital bills in case of an accident or losing a client.
These costs can bankrupt your company. Leveraging Fleetr can help you save money on assets. Enjoy the mentioned benefits for $9.99 per vehicle. You also get free shipping and no initiation fees to pay.
Even more, Fleetr helps cut on expenses, such as wages and gas. For instance, the technology has analytic tools that help you find the shortest route, maximizing fuel efficiency. Also, training your drivers against behaviors like overspeeding and acceleration that consume more fuel is a perfect way of cutting costs.
Gone are the drivers’ days to add extra overtime hours on the driving sheet. The technology calculates the mileage and shows the number of hours it took the driver to get to the destination. Therefore, you reduce the wages and pay only for hours worked.
- Timely Maintenance
One of the reasons for regular breakdowns is delayed or postponed maintenance. When your plate is full, it’s natural to forget scheduled maintenance. However, that should not be the case, especially with the latest technological advancement.
A GPS tracker is a tool that can remind you of upcoming maintenance. All you need to do is set the alarm, and notifications will be sent to you when the day arrives.
Tips for Choosing a Fleet Management Solution for a Small Business
Even as a growing business, you want to get the most out of your vehicles by installing fleet tracking software. However, not every fleet management solution will offer you the services specific to your needs; otherwise, you may find yourself with a piece of technology that is of no or little use.
So, here are guiding tips that aid when choosing a tracker.
- Understand Your Business Needs
Before investing in a fleet management tool, start with a clear goal in mind. For instance, if your goal is to protect your asset, reduce harsh driving incidents, or increase fuel efficiency, you have to choose a tracking solution capable of meeting your needs.
Similarly, you also need to keep in mind any special regulations your vehicles should follow. If your city has anti-idling laws that charge companies that leave their vehicles running, you need a solution that notifies you of the same.
If Hours-of-Service laws bind your drivers, a telematics solution needs to have a tracking feature to ensure driving hours do not exceed. Therefore, always ensure you list all the features so you do not miss out on anything when you decide to buy.
- Consider System Scalability
Although you are a growing business, you need an excellent strategy to ensure progress. Therefore, good telematics ought to respond to the increase in demand. There are systems with minimal features and are ideal for smaller fleets.
However, you should choose a system that has additional features that can help you meet your needs in a few months or years to come. Nonetheless, be careful not to go for telematics technology meant for big organizations since it wastes money and resources.
- Ease of Use
Once the telematics solution collects data, it’s your turn to analyze it. Your drivers, too, must know if the system is working correctly at all times. What happens if the technology you choose is complex to operate? You end up analyzing wrong information and fail to get the most out of your investment.
Therefore, ensure the telematics solution of your choice is easy to use. At the very least, make sure it comes with a straightforward user manual.
What Is the Best GPS Fleet Tracking System for Your Small Business?
Improved operation is a vital fleet management task. So, when looking for a telematics solution, what you have in mind is a system that will help you optimize your company’s operations in every aspect regardless of the number of vehicles in your fleet. But which tracking system is right for your growing business? The best system ought to offer real-time data relay and be easy to install
Real-Time Relaying of Data
Tracking technology helps fleets automatically locate their fleets any day or night. The best tracking solution is one that relays real-time data. Systems such as Fleetr offers driving and real-time location updates after every 60 seconds. Additionally, it provides business owners with a bird’s eye and can see each fleet’s activities every minute.
Easy to Install
If you are trying to cut costs, the last thing you need is a fleet tracker that requires an expert to install or a trip to the mechanic during maintenance. Luckily, Fleetr’s OBD II plug-in device only takes five minutes to install. All one has to do is insert the device into the OBD port on the dashboard and download the app on the phone or computer to get the system up and running.
