Although there are definitely a lot of great fleet tracking add ons that lead to operational improvements, some are more popular than others. Here are five essentials that truly make a big difference.

1. Map Integration

Normally, GPS fleet tracking lets you pinpoint each vehicle in your fleet with extreme precision. The best tracking systems also allow you to plot this data on a regular digital road map so that you can easily find your drivers at all times.

1. Mobile Reports

Vehicle tracking software that makes checking in inconvenient is practically worthless. If you had time to follow all your vehicles around, you wouldn’t need tracking. Mobile reporting allows you to check in on your fleet at any time from your device of choice using Android or iPhone apps.

1. Engine Status

One of the most loved features of modern tracking systems is their inclusion of the engine start and stop record. This ordered information logs the exact time when your vehicles were turned on and off. This feature makes it much easier to see exactly how your drivers are using your vehicles.

1. Daily Travel Usage

It’s important to know not only where your fleet is but also how it got there. Travel usage reports allow you to view daily records of your GPS fleet tracking data so that you can analyse the paths your drivers took. You can thus learn to avoid highly congested routes and modify your shipments so they reach more consumers per trip.

1. Driver Analysis Reporting

A favourite feature among fleet managers, driver analysis lets you pull up numerous driver statistics instantly. You can see how long trips took, how much time drivers spent idle and how fast they went. Driver analysis reporting makes it easy to compare your employees side-by-side.

Managing a large fleet of vehicles can be a daunting prospect for many business owners. In the past, most businesses with lots of mobile assets hired a dispatcher to manage the location of different vehicles. However, hiring a full-time dispatcher could be very expensive.

In addition, dispatchers and drivers may not understand the best ways to improve gas mileage and reduce fuel usage. While drivers can be equipped with a GPS system, this won’t provide real-time traffic information to drivers in many cases.

With modern tracking technology, it’s possible to quickly and easily manage the location of mobile assets. In addition, it’s possible for a business to improve its routing techniques.

For example, UPS uses tracking technology on all its fleet vehicles. This data is transmitted in real-time to a dispatcher. Based on how a driver manages his or her day, it’s often possible for a company to provide suggestions that can improve gas mileage.

UPS noticed that lots of its drivers were spending at least 20 minutes a day trying to make left hand turns in traffic. While each incident usually only lasted less than 30 seconds, the combined number of these throughout the day was resulting in significant fuel wastage. To avoid these problems in the future, UPS began implementing a new type of routing technology for its drivers.

UPS drivers are now given routes that maximize the number of right hand turns. Since there’s no need to wait when one is taking a right hand turn, it’s possible for these vehicles to have better fuel efficiency and reduced delivery times. With tracking technology, it’s possible to go green in many exciting ways.

1) Better employee behavior
Vehicle tracking is a great way to ensure that staff members are not abusing the privilege of having access to company vehicles. A vehicle tracker can store a vehicles location, and this data can be kept at a low cost for a long length of time. Employees who know that their activities are monitored are less likely to use company vehicles for personal uses; companies can avoid the expense of vehicle misuse through effective vehicle tracking.

2) Better insurance rates and safety
Fleet tracking services can monitor that vehicles are being used safely. With speed-monitoring features, these services allow employees to know if an employee is driving a vehicle in an unsafe manner. By reduce the likelihood of accidents, a company can reduce its overhead. Further, insurers are like to offer lower rates to those who implement safety features such as speed monitoring.

3) Logistical and analytical insight
Using vehicle trackers can help a company use analytical tools to determine if their current fleet is appropriate for their activities. Further, these tools can help a company find better ways to use their vehicles. Substantial savings can often be found by changing the times when a vehicle is being used and making changes accordingly. Some companies might even be able to reduce their vehicle needs and sell a fleet vehicle or two.

With recent technological advances, the cost of buying fleet tracking services is significantly less than it was in the past. By using the services providers offer, most companies can save far more than the services cost.

Luckily, the law is pretty clear on the subject. Some uses of vehicle trackers are allowed and some are not. There are few gray areas. A solid knowledge of how UK law stipulates that this information may be obtained and used is important for businesses planning on employing fleet tracking.

In the UK, the basic rule is that tracking any vehicle at any time is legal, so long as the person driving it knows they are being tracked. This means that businesses are free to install vehicle trackers on their fleet, but must inform all of their employees immediately. There are no exceptions for private citizens– only police and other authorized law enforcement may use covert trackers.

The Data Protection Act (1998) also applies to most uses of professional vehicle tracking. Personal data and privacy are protected under the law, and this includes a lot of information gathered during work hours. Businesses must take pains to be aware of what constitutes personal information, because it may not be immediately obvious.

The Data Protection Act defines personal information as information obtained about an individual that could potentially impact a person in a professional or personal way. The Act usually applies when vehicles are tracked because the tracker gives the monitoring personnel the ability to know where each person is at any given time. Tracking information like this could be used in a professional or personal capacity, even if it usually is not. It is the information obtained, not the way that the business uses it, that determines what is personal data.

Vehicle tracking is a useful tool. While some employees may resent it, many will be grateful for the additional safety it provides and most will understand its use as a professional tool. However, businesses must take every precaution in order to comply with all applicable laws.

Administrative Tasks

Outsourcing your administrative tasks such as sending emails, creating invoices and placing orders will save you money in the long run. Virtual administrative assistants charge a fraction of their in-house counterparts while using the same skills.

Accounting

Use an accounting program or software to handle all of your accounting needs. The annual cost of the software is less than half of the fees of a professional accountant. Easy to use software makes it easy to learn to create your own accounting transactions.

Payroll

No longer do you have to hire an entire staff to handle your payroll needs. Hire an outside company to quickly process your company payroll and simplify your office operations. By outsourcing your payroll, you will free up much needed company funds.

Inventory Management

Keeping track of your inventory can be time consuming and expensive. Worse yet, losing a vehicle in your fleet can cost you thousands of dollars in lost revenue and replacement fees. Vehicle tracking devices can mean the difference in a loss of a vehicle and a quick recovery. Don’t leave your vehicle tracking needs to amateurs. Find a company that specializes in this service.

Shared Office Space

Many companies save money by sharing space with similar businesses. Your company can benefit from sharing office space with a complementary business. If you own a limousine company, for example, consider sharing space with a wedding photographer or a travel agency. By sharing office space, you can split the costs of operations with other successful businesses and cut back on your costs.

Use Free Services

There are many free services and applications available to business owners. These websites and applications do everything from managing your finances to organizing your files. Save money by using free apps for business.

If you are looking for vehicle tracking and vehicle tracking devices, there is one industry leader who delivers results.

You stay up to date. You get live updates sent directly to your computer or mobile phone. This is a powerful tool for any fleet manager. You have the ability to keep all the data readily available with GPS. Every time there is a change in the fleet, the system updates you. No needs to refresh or reload a page – updates are in real-time.

It is all online. There is no need to download software or worry about installing a widget. The fleet tracking system is Internet-based. This means there is a webpage that you open to manage your fleet and do vehicle tracking. Online service is a plus when you are at home or on the road. A vehicle tracker keeps you in touch with every asset as long as you have Internet access.

You save money. Vehicle trackers tell you what route a driver takes, no more side trips or moving in pairs. This advanced system allows you to know which drivers are heavy on the gas pedal or too quick to hit the brakes. On average, fleets save 10 percent on fuel costs each year.

The installation is easier than you think. Vehicle trackers are put into place wherever the asset sits. There is no need to bring every vehicle to a service center or repair dock to have the hardware installed. It is fast and convenient with no down time.

It is just good for business. Without a happy client base, your fleet will lose value quickly. Vehicle tracking allows you to manage the fleet while it is one the road. It also lets you keep your customers informed. Having the ability to pass on critical information to customers will build up your reputation.

Fleet tracking is a system wherein a central office is able to keep tabs on the location of all its vehicles. Individual vehicle tracking is provided via a Global Positioning System, or GPS, transponder mounted on each vehicle. This tracking system uses satellites in geosynchronous orbit to determine the vehicle’s exact location within a few meters. Because the information coming in from these vehicle tracking devices can be logged electronically, it is invaluable for use later in potential insurance claims. In these situations, having documentation for every detail is crucial in ensuring that the insurance provider comes to a fair decision.

If the vehicles in your fleet are fitted with radio systems or the drivers are equipped with mobile phones, the tracking system can be used to spot detours, traffic jams, road construction and other obstacles. The driver can be informed and redirected to a more optimal route. This helps to save time, fuel and money. It also gets crucial materials to your clients as quickly as possible. This can help to boost customer satisfaction and your business’ overall reputation. With computerized fleet tracking, no portion of your supply chain is ever left in the dark.

Not only does a vehicle tracking system help to optimize routes and minimize operating costs, it also does wonders for accountability. Your company will be able to tell if drivers are making extra stops, taking unauthorized routes, making undocumented stops, or even speeding. With the proper software, a computer can interpret the incoming fleet tracking data and issue notifications via mobile text message when an irregularity is detected. These discrepancies can also be stored in a log and cataloged for later analysis.

Vehicle tracking software allows you to track all of your vehicles from a single location. You can use the software on your PC, iPad, Droid based device or your Mac. You’re not limited to a single device. From your device, you can monitor the movements of your employees, and that’s not all this software allows you to do.

You can view the important information on your device.

Speed of vehicle – Not only can you look at how fast or slow your employees are driving, but you can look at their total history to determine how they have driven in the past.

Where they have been – You can also look at the past driving of each of your employees. You can see every stop and start, how long they spend at a specific location, how they manage a route and so on.

There are great benefits to using this kind of service.

The first benefit is that you can save money on your insurance. Many insurance companies will provide discounts to employers that use vehicle tracking devices. What’s more, if your drivers are exceptional drivers you can use the data from your reports to show your safety statistics and the driving habits of your drivers.

Another benefit is that you can see how your employees are spending their day. You can see who is the most efficient and who wastes a lot of time. This can help you to eliminate employees who aren’t doing their job correctly, and you can use this information to bid on projects, create training for your drivers and to create standard operating procedures for your company.

Lastly, you don’t have to sign a contract to use this software. This means if you don’t like it you aren’t obligated to keep using it.

One reason to monitor your employees while on the road is to ensure that the mileage they report is accurate. An employee might have a desire to detour from their route or veer off the path to their destination to make personal stops or run errands. This discrepancy would be reported by the vehicle tracking device giving you the opportunity to correct it before issuing payroll.

Another reason to use vehicle tracking devices is to monitor the time spent on an extended trip. If an employee is given an allowance to be used for a hotel stay, you will be able to see whether or not they actually stayed all of the nights they reported. Employees aware they are being monitored will be less likely to leave a day early and make the drive back without reporting the unused hotel allowance.

Finally, vehicle tracking devices can be used to determine if your employees were operating a fleet vehicle irresponsibly. If an accident were to occur, the tracking device would be able to report the exact location. The liability for the cost of the accident could fall on the employee rather than the employer if it occurred at a location other than the business route.

Vehicle tracking is a way to boost trust between employees and employers by removing the temptation for dishonesty. Rather than having to address the issues listed above, you’ll find that they become a non-issue. Increasing accountability for your employees will ultimately decrease unnecessary payroll spending.

First off, vehicle tracking allows you to keep tabs on each company vehicle when it leaves your parking lot. Should your drivers arrive late to their destination or disappear for any length of time, you will know exactly where they are. It helps to give you peace of mind, knowing that your car can be found at any time. It is also a simple way for your employees to choose responsible driving patterns.

Secondly, it is also important for the safety of your company. Should a vehicle get stolen or much worse, your drivers are involved in an accident, you will be able to respond accordingly. You can share your information with law enforcement, plus you will have the needed information for insurance reports. It is also beneficial for family members that may need to be alerted.

Many gps tracking devices are installed on site so that you don’t have to worry about incorrect installation. That way you know they work right then and there. Plus, company installation means they will show you step by step how it works, etc. Not only that, but with fleet tracking you will have real live time updates. You won’t have to worry about delayed information anymore. It is one of the best ways to remain calm during stressful situations with a lost company vehicle.

For additional information, you may want to read more in depth studies regarding vehicle tracking. You will quickly note how important it is to have fleet tracking installed on your company cars. You can read reviews, updates and informational reports on the benefits of tracking devices. You can also read what other companies have to say about the benefits of fleet tracking devices.

So check out our web site today! It’s important to begin installation on your cars as soon as possible. The safety of your company is at stake.