Transforming Fleet Management With GPS Car Tracker Systems

GPS tracking technology can help fleet managers reduce costs and increase profits

Running a business is a challenging task, especially when it involves managing a fleet of vehicles. When you have no way of knowing where your vehicles are at a given time, it’s easy for productivity to slip. A GPS fleet tracking system can help businesses of all sizes manage their fleets more effectively and gain a competitive advantage. Using GPS fleet tracking devices, fleet managers can cut costs, increase productivity and improve the safety of their drivers.

Shrink Costs

Driving habits such as speeding and idling can waste fuel and send costs soaring. A GPS tracking system can help fleet managers identify drivers who are engaging in these behaviors and alert them to either slow down or turn off the vehicle instead of idling. While these changes may seem relatively minor, they can add up to significant savings. When Campbell Oil Company, a family-run fuel-delivery business in North Carolina, implemented a GPS fleet-management system, they saved over $1,800 in the first month by reducing idling time.

Another way that a GPS vehicle tracking system can help cut fuel costs is by optimizing routes. The routes your drivers are currently taking aren't always the best ones. The Crescent Electric Supply Company, a national electric distribution company, saw the benefits of route optimization within weeks of implementing a fleet-management system at their Salt Lake City, Utah, branch. Although this branch had just five vehicles in its fleet, it saw a reduction of over 1,600 miles in the first month of the system's use. The company's savings from the reduced mileage resulted in a 93 percent return on investment. A large business with an enterprise fleet can use a fleet-management system to make more strategic dispatching decisions. With the help of GPS technology, dispatchers can assign the nearest vehicle to a job. Faster delivery times or response times don’t just conserve fuel, but they also improve customer service.

Boost Productivity

With GPS trackers in place, businesses can take steps to make their fleet more productive. The ability to optimize routes and make more informed dispatching decisions allows a greater number of jobs to be completed in a day. When traffic or inclement weather poses an obstacle for drivers, GPS technology can help fleet managers reroute individual vehicles or even a whole fleet.

Improve Driver Safety

In addition to saving money and increasing productivity, GPS tracking technology can also help businesses keep their drivers safe. By identifying potentially dangerous driving habits such as speeding, rapid acceleration and excessive braking, tracking systems can help drivers correct these behaviors. When Cable One, a company with a fleet of over 1,000 vehicles, started using GPS trackers in its vehicles, the number of speeding incidents experienced by its fleet was reduced by 68 percent in just one month of use. Although this example shows the impact of a tracking system on a large enterprise fleet, even the smallest businesses can benefit by helping its drivers stay safe. GPS technology also helps keep drivers from getting lost, which enables them to maintain their focus and attention on their driving.

Reduce the Carbon Footprint of the Fleet

When GPS car tracker systems help a fleet conserve fuel, the business saves money and reduces its carbon footprint at the same time. Decreased fuel usage results in fewer greenhouse gas emissions that pollute the environment. Many fleet-management systems also alert fleet managers when a vehicle needs an oil change, filter replacement, or other regularly scheduled maintenance. Keeping a fleet's vehicles in top working condition can improve their fuel efficiency, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions even further.

It's clear that GPS tracking technology can help businesses of all sizes manage their fleet. These tracking devices can help reduce costs and improve productivity for small and medium-sized businesses, and they can also help solve the logistical challenges of a large enterprise operation. When you're able to make smart, informed decisions about your fleet, you can keep your business growing and moving forward.