Top 5 Uses Of Real Time GPS Tracking

Real time GPS trackers do exactly what they say on the tin - they use GPS to track vehicles, providing the fleet manager with highly accurate, real time updates. on mileage covered, hazardous driving behaviours, fuel consumption, and much more.

The immediate benefits are clear - they can help to improve the efficiency of your workforce, increase safety, and save you money. Read on to learn more about how these devices can help your fleet find its feet.

Save Money

With the GPS tracking updates, you can plan the most efficient routes possible for your drivers and cut your fuel costs by identifying new routes that avoid traffic or road blockages. In fact, GPS fleet management systems will reduce a company’s fuel consumption by 20 – 25% on average.

The real time data also notifies the fleet manager whenever a vehicle is being used without your company’s permission. In other words, your drivers won’t be tempted to drive their vehicles outside of working hours. This will help your business to save money on unauthorised vehicle usage.

Planning the most efficient routes will minimise the general wear and tear on your vehicles which will help you to save on maintenance costs in the future. On top of that, real time GPS tracking will also save you overspending on staff overtime, by providing your drivers with working schedules that are sufficient for your business to operate effectively. Overall, the initial cost of GPS tracking pales in comparison to how much you could save in the long term.

Minimise Fleet Downtime

Whenever your vehicles aren’t operating, you’re losing money and wasting your assets. You can either experience planned downtime - for instance when your business shuts over public holidays - or unplanned downtime, which includes any unexpected breakdowns, road incidents, or delays in the workshop.

Either way, vehicle downtime is bad for business and will incur costs one way or another. To counteract downtime, real time GPS tracking allows you to minimise vehicle down time by letting you efficiently plan your fleet’s working schedule.

You can identify overlapping tasks between drivers and reassign them, keep to tight deadlines, and precisely plan each project to ensure your vehicles stay on the road for as long as you need.

Reduce Insurance Costs

Installing real time GPS tracking will encourage safer driving in a number of ways, and insurance companies will love you for it. In fact, many insurance providers will offer 15% discounts to businesses that use GPS tracking.

Anyone who knows they are being monitored will perform their tasks to a more professional standard. The same goes for fleet management. GPS trackers monitor the vehicle’s speed and will register any incidents of rapid acceleration, harsh braking, or sharp turning which will encourage your staff to drive more safely and minimise the risk of road incident insurance claims.

There is also a lower chance of vehicle theft thanks to the GPS tracker’s ability to monitor your most valuable assets. That’s why, rather than risking paying out on a large claim due to theft, some insurance providers will offer anti-theft discounts to encourage the use of GPS tracking.

Keep Your Drivers Safe

Installing GPS tracking is like providing your drivers with another safe pair of hands at the wheel. These devices can increase the safety of drivers, and help to provide immediate assistance from the emergency services in case of an incident.

Firstly, the pre-programmed routes generated from GPS trackers will reduce the amount of time drivers spend looking at maps or a mobile phone for directions. In short, GPS tracking will reduce driver distractions, and that’s extremely worthwhile given that you’re eight times more likely to crash if you’re using your mobile phone and driving.

Secondly, as we’ve mentioned, drivers will be encouraged to drive more safely due to the fact that hazardous driving behaviours are monitored and recorded, and can be used for disciplinary purposes.

Lastly, the real time GPS location updates give you eyes on your vehicles, around the clock. This means drivers can send out an alert to the fleet manager after an incident occurs, which will allow you to call, inform, and send an ambulance to the precise location as quickly as possible.

Grow Your Business

Collecting such precise data about your fleet will not only help your drivers to perform their roles more efficiently, but also allow your business to reach its potential as a whole. Over time, you’ll be able to collect data-based insights into how you can grow your business.

With the GPS tracking data, you can calculate the cost differences between your most popular routes, and closely monitor the efficiency of your vehicles. Also, you can create useful cost analysis reports to help you accurately allocate budget. Did you know that maintenance costs attribute to 30 – 50% of the total expenditure for fleets?

Better still, taking care of your business first and improving the working conditions of your employees will ultimately result in a much more improved customer experience. Just think, the less time your drivers spend stuck in traffic or topping up fuel, the quicker they can reach each client.

 

Dan Barraclough

Dan’s a writer for Expert Market, specialising in a range of cool topics. He loves web design and all things UX, but also the hardware stuff like postage metres and photocopiers.