Benefits of Fleet GPS Systems

Most business owners who operate a fleet of more than two or three vehicles have concerns about control, safety and use of their vehicles. After all, the fleet represents a significant capital asset. A fleet GPS system can help fleet owners of all types of vehicles in ways that are often not understood. Today\’s fleet GPS systems and devices provide a wealth of information to drivers, to fleet managers and to your accounting department. They can help you control use of the vehicles, prevent theft, promote safe and efficient driving habits and safe fuel and money. Here is some information to help you see the possibilities.

You Can Gather Useful Data

Connected to a satellite mapping service, your fleet GPS system will be able to provide instant routing information, a satellite view of the surrounding buildings and streets. You can also identify truck routes easily. More than this, you can gather this kind of data:

- Up-to-the-minute precision locating of each vehicle.

- Historical data on routes driven by each vehicle.

- Ability to find the vehicle closest to a specific location or able to arrive there fastest.

- Ability to alert drivers if they exceed speed limits, drive in ways that waste fuel or drive dangerously.

- Maintenance history and schedules.

- Fuel saving alerts and routing.

- Sensors and mechanisms to prevent theft or to help police locate the vehicle quickly if it is stolen.

- Ability to erect virtual geo-fences for vehicles.

- Ability to calculate alternate routes instantly when beneficial.

How You Can Use the Data

The abundant data provided by a fleet GPS tracking system can be used in many ways to improve efficiencies, reduce fleet operating costs, improve customer service, make operations more fuel efficient, and even reduce accidents and vehicle break-downs. Whether you use you vehicles to haul freight over long distances, to respond to human emergencies, to provide product servicing and maintenance or to transport your sales force, fleet GPS tracking can help you in often unexpected ways.

1. Driver information provides the basis for coaching or re-training drivers who your fleet GPS data shows to be driving unsafely or in ways that waste fuel or damage the vehicles.

2. Use driver data to build and support pay-for-performance compensation and reward programs.

3. Document such things as stop duration and schedule tracking to support drivers and employees in resolving customer complaints.

4. Use instant routing to get lost drivers back on track or to route drivers around accidents or road construction.

5. Compare various routes and choose the best based on drive time, route specifics or fuel economy.

6. Proximity mapping can identify the closest vehicle to a location or emergency.

7. Program driver and dispatcher alerts when vehicles exceed safe speeds.

8. Implement and activate sensors using the fleet GPS system to prevent theft.

9. Automate and prevent errors in many bookkeeping, time card checking, accounting and billing activities.

10. Increase employee productivity in some industries.

11. Monitor time per stop and after hours or other unauthorized vehicle use.

12. Market your ability to schedule with spot-on accuracy.

13. Qualify for insurance discounts on vehicles equipped with fleet GPS devices.

You will undoubtedly think of many other benefits of the fleet GPS system. Its value will increase each year as the historical data tracking becomes more comprehensive. If you take full advantage of fuel saving capabilities, you can probably pay for the entire system with the money you save on fuel in a single year.

If you are not using a fleet GPS system you are missing out on far too many business efficiency tools. Shouldn\’t you make the investment today?

To learn more about fleet GPS tracking, get the white paper \”7 Ways Your Company Can Save Thousands of Dollars With GPS Fleet Tracking.\” Many companies have substantially boosted their revenue and decreased their costs by implementing a GPS tracking system for their fleet. To calculate the ROI for your company in under 30 seconds, see the vehicle GPS ROI calculator.