Fleet management is a very important task for any logistics company. Therefore a fleet manager needs to keep abreast of some vital information about the fleet in operation. It includes the exact location of vehicles, the quantity of fuel spent per trip to help with budgeting, and driver behavior while handling the vehicles and goods in transit. Furthermore, fleet managers must stay ahead of information and advice or respond to clients appropriately.
Gathering such vital pieces of information has been challenging over the years, especially with less use of digital tools. Earlier fleet managers were at the mercy of drivers to acquire every piece of information.
But with the innovation of GPS technology, fleet managers can now use a powerful fleet tracking system to afford seamless and continuous fleet information and achieve top-tier monitoring and management functions.
This article discusses the fleet tracking system and its benefits in detail.
What Is a Fleet Tracking System?
A fleet tracking system is a management software that employs Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking to monitor assets and fleet vehicles. GPS fleet tracking employs cellular and satellite innovation, enabling fleet managers to ascertain vehicle locations in real time.
For instance, tracking systems can demonstrate the duration drivers spend at loading docks before embarking on their journey to the next stops throughout the trip. If the timeframe is excessively long, you can devise solutions to make their pickups more efficacious. Through this approach, they can reduce their loading time and revamp their daily work efficiency.
With a GPS fleet tracking system, you get the most exact data on vehicle locomotions and whereabouts, fuel usage estimates and emissions levels, duration taken on site, and equipment employment. Furthermore, GPS fleet tracking software provides fleet managers with the data necessary to make consequential decisions and to grow vehicle and asset return on investment (ROI).
So, How exactly does the fleet tracking system work?
A fleet tracking system—embedded in your logistics vehicle—connects to an assemblage of satellites to distinguish the vehicle’s location. The tracking system uses a trilateration procedure that employs the position of a minimum of three satellites to accomplish this task.
Out of the trilateration process, the GPS tracker single out the vehicle’s coordinates (latitude and longitude encompassing time and elevation) and irradiates a signal with the data facts in real time.
All these components work with a wireless carrier tower, which picks up the signal and the transfused coordinates and conveys them to a cloud server. If you employ a fleet tracking system, you can interlink to that cloud server and acquire real-time GPS information about your vehicle’s locale.
Using a fleet tracking system will enable you to enjoy lots of benefits it comes with.
Five Amazing Benefits of a Fleet Tracking System
1. Revamps Customer Service
The customer is king for any business, including those providing logistics services. Exceptional customer service is key because delighted customers recommend you to their friends and come back for more.
The fleet tracking system enables you to meet customers demands, most importantly when their goods are in transit, and accurate information on the safety and progress of their shipment. In case of any delays which may need rescheduling or adjustments with pick-up times, customers are kept abreast of these facts to help them adjust accordingly and avoid arriving at the pick-up station only to wait more than expected.
2. Increases Driver Safety
Most people always look at the fleet managers’ side of the story and why fleet tracking system makes fleet managers micro-manage fleet drivers by extreme monitoring. Unfortunately, the converse is true that increased and more accurate monitoring works for the best of drivers by increasing their safety.
With real-time data, fleet managers can reach out to drivers with relevant intervention in case of challenges such as accidents, heavy traffic, security concerts, et cetera.
3. Reduces Fleet Maintenance and Fuel Costs
Maintenance and fuel costs are one of the greatest cost considerations for fleet operations. Fleet tracking system help reduce these costs in a very big way by ensuring great planning and proactive efforts.
Tracking software enables route optimization, helping fleet managers budget fuel accordingly and avoid any extra charges resulting from non-business operations. The tracking system also enables setting vehicle maintenance alerts to help with timely attendance and avoid mechanical breakdowns. Your vehicle health will be in far better shape with alerts and timely maintenance and avoid financially demanding consequences.
4. Boosts Productivity
The fleet tracking system also boosts productivity, which is very important for the sustenance of the business.
So, how do fleet trackers boost productivity?
It comes in many ways; the first involves increased streamlining of operations with better fleet management. Drivers have more incentives for better performance when they know their activities are being monitored. Besides monitoring, there is increased working and easier scheduling through the tracking software, ensuring a better work plan and leading to productivity.
5. Better Risk Mangement
Risk management is also made better by employing a fleet tracking system. Some of the major risks involved in logistics include insurance which can only be processed based on factual, verifiable data. With a fleet tracking system, every occurrence throughout the shipment and handling of the client’s goods can be proved to ascertain non-negligence and prove grounds for insurance cover.
Bottomline
Vehicle tracking is very significant for fleet operations. Employing a tracking system helps fleet managers overcome the challenges of analog vehicle tracking operations. The fleet tracking system enables real-time tracking, which comes with powerful pros, including better customer service, increased driver safety, and powerful capabilities for vehicle maintenance.