5 Benefits of Using a GPS Car Tracker For Your Business Fleet

Are you considering installing GPS vehicle tracking devices into your fleet of business vehicles?

If not, perhaps you should... because there are some very key business benefits that you could be missing out on. Today, we explore some of the business benefits of installing GPS trackers in a fleet of commercial vehicles.

What is GPS fleet tracking?

GPS (Global Positioning System) fleet tracking refers to the implementation of fleet management software and GPS vehicle tracking devices - these track the location of each individual vehicle within a company’s fleet.

Tracking company vehicles allows a business to collect data about the usage of vehicles as well as the location of each driver in real-time. It's widely used by tradespeople, delivery driver services, freight and logistics companies and more.

GPS fleet tracking devices usually come in the form of a box, this is usually fitted either inside the vehicle or on the body of each vehicle. These tracking devices collect and send data about the vehicle and driver to a central server. The GPS fleet tracking server then receives the vehicle data, securely stores it and reports it to the driver and fleet manager through the user interface or app.

What sort of businesses should use a GPS car tracker? 

GPS fleet tracking is an essential part of commercial vehicle tracking - especially as our world becomes more interconnected and consumers expect greater accountability from businesses, as well as for savvy business owners who want to ensure that their business is firing at maximum potential. Some examples of GPS fleet tracking in commercial environments include:

Delivery fleets:

Delivery services, such as food delivery services and parcel delivery services, utilise GPS fleet tracking to allow customer notifications to track where their items are, as well as allowing managers to plan driving routes, track productivity and ensure that no unnecessary time is being wasted. 

This means that the GPS tracker acts as a multiple-use system, also notifying the delivery office that a driver has completed their task and is ready to receive further instructions, return to the depot or be signed off. 

Being able to remotely tell when a delivery has been carried out also offers extra protection to a company in the event of receiving a complaint against a driver or failure to deliver goods, as the location being logged on a system gives the business extra evidence.

Bus fleets:

Many coach and bus fleets have already adopted GPS fleet trackers, which are used for effective route planning for planned stops. Bus fleets also benefit from knowing exactly where each vehicle it is and how fast it is moving - as by cross-checking this information against local traffic updates, they can accurately estimate arrival times.

Tradespeople:

Electricians, plumbers, carpenters... ask any tradesperson about some of their most valuable assets, and they'll point you in the direction of the contents of their work ute! Unfortunately, the utes, vans and vehicles of tradespeople are often a hotspot for petty theft, as thieves will try to steal the expensive gear in the vehicle. 

By adding GPS fleet tracking to work utes and vans, tradespeople can have the extra security of knowing where their vehicle and gear is - as well as the usual benefits of route planning and task management by supervisors.

5 Benefits of using GPS Car Trackers for your business fleet

As a business owner, you know that every dollar counts - and if you're looking for ways to protect your assets and increase productivity, security and efficiency, GPS tracking your fleet is the way to go.

GPS tracking devices offer the opportunity to improve your fleet performance while also improving the user experience for customers - and this means customer satisfaction and loyalty increases. 

And when you have greater understanding and have greater ease of access to vehicle data, the company's fleet movements can be managed better. Adding GPS tracking to your fleet will mean:

#1 Improved productivity

It's important to be able to contact drivers about changes to pickups or deliveries - but having to constantly call to ask where your drivers are is not only cumbersome to you as a business owner, but distracting and slowing to the driver. 

By instead seeing all of your company vehicle data remotely, your staff will save time and be able to track the travelled route of each vehicle with ease. It also means that if a customer calls with an urgent request, it's also visually easy to see the closest vehicle that could service the request - and similarly, when things go wrong and unexpected events happen on the road, being able to track all of your drivers makes it easier to make contingency plans.

And for your bottom line - increased productivity means increased profitability.

Improved customer service.

Customers love transparency - so imagine their delight when you're able to give them exact delivery times and tell them how far away their driver is, rather than vaguely estimating a delivery time! Your customers will be impressed with your accuracy, and this is a huge competitive advantage that could see you win plenty of business over your competitors.

#2 Better vehicle insurance deals 

When insurance companies can rest assured that your vehicles are securely protected, they’re often happy to discuss lowering your premiums or offering you a better deal on your insurance rates. We recommend discussing your GPS Car Tracker plans with your business vehicle insurance provider to see what options they may be able to offer you. 

#3 Improved OH&S of drivers

Knowing the whereabouts of your staff, especially during rough or dangerous weather, allows you to better keep tabs on their safety and wellbeing. Similarly, if a driver is in an area that is out of phone signal, or hasn't been able to have been reached for a while, being able to remotely track their vehicle can give invaluable insight into their wellbeing and whereabouts.  

By seeing your drivers'  location on a map from the data from the GPS vehicle tracking device - and potentially how long their vehicle has been stationery for - it will be much more effective for your staff to respond to any potential safety issues that the driver may be having.

#4 Save money on fuel and maintenance 

One of the biggest savings that a GPS Car Tracker will help you make for your fleet management will be considerable savings in fuel bills, as the geofencing feature can reduce overall mileage by optimising your drivers’ routes. GPS Car Trackers can also reduce fuel costs by reducing speeding, matching fuel records to fuel used and reducing unnecessary idling time. 

GPS Car Trackers can also help you cut down on the maintenance costs of your vehicles by allowing you to better schedule your maintenance timing and set reminders for basic maintenance such as oil changes.

#5 Deter vehicle theft (and recover your vehicles in the unfortunate event that they are stolen)

Fleet management is expensive - and even more so when vehicles or their contents are stolen! In the event that this occurs, your GPS tracker becomes your greatest asset as you're easily able to point police to the whereabouts of your vehicle, including the route that was taken, potentially alerting the police to any other incidents that might have occured along the way. 

Where should I start with GPS fleet tracking? 

We offer two types of car GPS trackers for fleet management - hardwired and magnetic (or portable).

Hardwired GPS Car Trackers

Hardwired GPS trackers mean no batteries and no charging, so there’s less to worry about for you as a business owner. Simply have your preferred mechanic or auto shop install the hardwired devices to your fleet and you’ll have access to 24/7 tracking. 

A hardwired tracker has the advantage of being firmly installed, meaning that it can’t be removed from the vehicle without your consent and its hardwired installation also means that the device has constant power, giving you a very accurate picture of where your vehicle is at any given time. 

Our hardwired trackers provide multiple alarms and notifications (including overspeed, vibration, ignition and geofencing), SOS emergency calls and microphone button to listen in to your vehicle, and a remove fuel/power cutoff feature to stop thieves in their tracks with a push of a button. Hardwired GPS trackers are also inconspicuous. 

In our hardwired range, we offer a 3G GPS Car Tracker and 4G GPS Car Tracker, with the 4G option being the gold standard that is going to give you the greatest speed and accuracy.

Our 4G device also stores 180 days worth of tracking history and can be played back from any computer, tablet or smartphone, and can also function as a WiFi hotspot to turn your whole vehicle into a WiFi router working off the 4G network. 

Magnetic and Portable GPS Car Trackers

Magnetic or portable GPS Car Trackers are a ‘plug and play’ style option to discreetly track your fleet of vehicles. As they’re not hardwired, they do require charging of their internal battery - but can still reliably carry 20 days of activity from a single charge. A magnetic or portable GPS Car Tracker is an excellent choice if your needs are more in the line of portability. In our magnetic range, we have a Heavy Duty GPS Car Tracker and Slimline Car Tracker.

Keeping track of your commercial fleet of vehicles with GPS Car Tracking is an excellent choice for improving safety, profitability and productivity. 

Not sure which GPS Fleet Tracking option is right for your business? Give our knowledgeable staff a call now, and we’ll be happy to help you find the right option for your business’ needs and budget.