Benefits of Fleet GPS Systems
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by: Todd Cavanaugh
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Word Count: 659
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 2010 Time: 12:57 PM
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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
A fleet GPS system gathers a variety of types of information and uses it to build important historical tracking. Your system will also be connected to a global mapping service and to satellite images of the terrain. You will be able to route and re-route individual vehicles on the best routes. Even more, you will have other data that will quickly become integral to your business operations.
- Current location (minute-by-minute) of each vehicle.
- History of routes driven with each vehicle.
- Proximity mapping for emergency responses.
- Ability to alert drivers if they exceed speed limits, drive in ways that waste fuel or drive dangerously.
- System tracking and scheduling of vehicle maintenance and service.
- Ability to route vehicles the best way to save fuel.
- Anti-theft mechanisms and police assistance with locating stolen vehicles.
- Ability to erect virtual geo-fences for vehicles.
- Instant calculation of alternate routes.
Possible Data Applications
No matter how great it seems to think about these specific bits of information you will gather into your fleet GPS system's memory, it is the use you can make of the data that makes it truly worth having. You will be able to use information to increase productivity of your employees, improve customer service, save fuel, save money, and automate several internal processes and functions. Here are just a few of the possible applications for the data you will gather with a fleet GPS system.
1. Use data to define driver training for those who drive unsafely or inefficiently.
2. Use driver data to build and support pay-for-performance compensation and reward programs.
3. Driver and route tracking maintained by your fleet GPS device provides needed documentation for dispute resolution of customer complaints, servicing time, schedule discrepancies.
4. Re-route drivers around traffic jams or help them if they get lost.
5. Compare several possible routes to find the most fuel efficient.
6. Use proximity mapping and routing to find the vehicle that can reach an emergency fastest.
7. Create driver alerts when speed limit is exceeded.
8. Create anti-theft measures, such as disabling starters, locking doors, triggering sirens and defining geographic boundaries.
9. Automate and prevent errors in many bookkeeping, time card checking, accounting and billing activities.
10. Take driver productivity to the next level by preventing wasted time.
11. Monitor use of vehicles outside defined areas or outside of specified times to eliminate personal use of vehicles.
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?
About the Author
To learn more about fleet GPS tracking, get the free report "7 Ways Your Company Can Save Thousands of Dollars With GPS Fleet Tracking." Many companies have boosted their revenue and lowered 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.
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