What Are the Advantages of A GPS Tracker in Fleet Management?

What is fleet management? Modern fleet management makes use of data from the best technologies to determine the needs of your business. Separate innovations have given us GPS tracking software, video feeds from dashcams, and increasingly more data that can improve fleet efficiency. And telematics systems to bring them all together and make sense of the data gathered.

All of this data can be accessed and customized into a database and interpreted by computer rather than by fleet managers looking at separate reports from different programs. This provides a bigger picture of how a fleet is running and where it can be improved.

What Are Smart Fleet Tracking Systems and How Do They Work?

Smart fleet tracking systems are a game-changer for fleet managers. These systems have become a constant presence in many applications we take for granted, especially in fleet management software and GPS tracking.

Smart fleet tracking systems use AI models to make highly accurate predictions. These models can quickly calculate a specific output using multiple input variables, such as when to change a vehicle's oil based on mileage. AI models get increasingly smarter and accurate over time as they gather more data.

AI-based recommendations can help fleet managers, drivers, and mechanics make better decisions that improve the efficiency and performance of fleets. It is also assistive technology, so drivers maintain their autonomy but benefit from warnings for events such as speeding, fatigue, and distracted driving.

AI-integrated software comprises several devices and applications such as IoT, predictive data analysis, machine learning systems, HD cameras and sensors, communication and display systems, and WiFi. This technology is beneficial for fleets since the amount of data generated by drivers and vehicles increases daily as fleets upgrade their technology and use the latest advanced driver-assistance systems.

It's these smart capabilities that bring the advantages of using a GPS tracking system into focus.

What Are the Business Benefits of GPS Fleet Tracking?

GPS fleet tracking systems give your fleet advantages that go beyond knowing the location of your vehicles. Although geolocation is one of the key advantages of GPS tracking devices, the benefits go much further when combined with telematics software.

Below are the top five business benefits of GPS tracking for fleet management.

Reduce Operational Costs

Getting real-time data about your business allows you to make informed decisions that can help reduce your operating costs. You can identify issues before they become problems. By taking quick action, you can prevent costs from escalating.

One of the advantages of GPS trackers is that they can digitize processes and make collecting data more manageable. The information you need will be collected and stored in a central location accessible to all team members who need it.

Improves Productivity

Improving productivity will save your business money. A GPS tracking system lets you monitor time spent on the road, at job sites, and other tasks to help drivers work more efficiently and improve productivity. This includes optimizing routes to send the nearest vehicle to a job, eliminating wasted fuel and time.

A vital advantage of a GPS tracking system is the ability to digitize workflows to increase productivity. With data captured by GPS trackers, fleets can streamline inventory, billing, payroll, and administrative tasks.

Improves Overall Fleet Safety

Fleet safety starts with drivers, and ensuring their safety is a top priority. Keeping fleet vehicles well-maintained and monitoring driver behavior are key components of fleet safety.

GPS fleet management systems let you create maintenance schedules and automatic alerts based on mileage. In addition, you can set up digital processes that let your driver and mechanics report faults and issues that can be immediately taken care of. This not only improves fleet safety but keeps your fleet on the road.

Another advantage of GPS trackers that benefits fleets is alerting managers and drivers about poor driving behaviors like harsh acceleration, braking, cornering, and speeding events. When equipped with AI-enabled dash cams, you can get even more visibility into distracted driving, running red lights, and tailgating.

You can use this information to create reward and recognition programs that call out the best driver and encourage other drivers to improve.

Help Control Fuel Costs

Fuel costs are a significant expense and can seem impossible to control. While you cannot control the fuel prices, with GPS tracking, you can understand how your vehicles are being operated and how poor driving decreases fuel efficiency and increases fuel costs. You can also identify instances of unauthorized vehicle use and its effect on fuel costs.

With a GPS tracking system, you can optimize your routes to be more efficient and reduce fuel usage. With route planning and dispatching tools, you can ensure that your driver's routes enhance efficient fuel usage.

Theft Recovery

Your fleet vehicles and equipment are valuable assets for your business. Protecting them from theft and ensuring their quick recovery is one of the main benefits of a GPS tracking device. You can easily monitor the location of your vehicles and other assets and quickly identify unauthorized or unusual use.

You can set up geofencing and get alerts when one of your assets moves out of its designated area or is being used outside of its normal hours of operation. If a fleet vehicle is stolen, GPS location tracking often helps authorities quickly recover the asset, saving you the replacement cost and reducing insurance costs.

What Factors Should You Consider before Buying a Fleet Tracking Solution

These days, there are many fleet management systems that use GPS trackers available. Choosing the right one for your fleet can be a challenge. Here are some things to consider when deciding on a fleet management system.

What Does Your Fleet Need?

Deciding what your fleet needs is the first step in choosing the right GPS tracking and telematics solution. After all, your fleet may not have the same business requirements as another fleet. In addition, your fleet may not have the same strengths and weaknesses as other fleets.

To determine the best software fit for your fleet and your business's needs, identify the pain points in your fleet operations, whether safety, fuel usage, asset tracking, or another metric key to your business.

After assessing your fleet's pain points and needs, it's time to review different software features. Look at several software solutions with your fleet's pain points in mind. It's easy to lose sight of what your fleet needs when presented with different features offered by different fleet management software.

How Complex a Solution Does Your Fleet Need?

It's easy to get carried away when you see all the features different fleet software solutions offer. Keep your fleet's requirements in mind to avoid choosing a more complex solution than you need. However, it is also a bad idea to choose fleet management software with two few features. Prioritize software that is user-friendly with a carefully constructed UX.

Is It Scalable and Upgradeable?

While you want to assess what your fleet needs now, you also don't want to outgrow your GPS tracking solution. Choose a solution that will be useful for several years. Changing solutions every couple of years can get expensive. Check to ensure the software's features can be upgraded or downgraded as your business expands and contracts.

And keep in mind that a fleet management solution is only scalable if it can be updated regularly to stay abreast of industry standards. Check whether the provider has a reliable track record of evolving and responding to the needs of this fast-paced business environment.

How Is Their Customer Support?

It's very rare that a software rollout goes off without a hitch. It's best to choose a fleet management software provider that provides 24/7 customer support to help your fleet resolve any issues with the rollout.

What Are the Most Important Features to Look for in a GPS Tracking System?

The advantages of using GPS tracking devices and telematics software for fleet management will significantly affect the fleet's efficiency. The software will help you manage drivers and vehicles and optimize their routes. It can also identify factors that lead to excess costs, such as driver behavior, vehicle maintenance, and more. Look for the feature below that can help you do your job better.

Real-time GPS Tracking

A GPS tracking device is one of the most important features to look for in a fleet management system. Once installed in your fleet's vehicle, the device can send real-time location and movement updates. This lets you know where your fleet vehicles are what is happening so you can take swift action when required.

AI & Machine Learning

The ability to capture as much data as possible is one of the key advantages of GPS tracking devices. But that also means that there is so much more data — both granular and macro — to process. That's where AI and machine learning come in. Telematics software with AI applies algorithms and identifies critical areas of improvement. With this information, you can make critical decisions to increase fleet efficiency.

Fuel Management

Fuel cost is a constant thorn in a fleet manager's side. It is hard to control since you have no control over fuel prices. You do, however, have control over behavior that increases or decreases fuel consumption. GPS tracking and fleet management software lets you monitor fuel consumption, driving behavior, and fuel theft to improve your fleet's overall fuel consumption and lower your fuel costs.

Driver Behavior Metrics

Monitoring and measuring driver behavior is another important feature to look for. This lets you analyze your drivers' behavior, such as harsh braking, speeding, acceleration, and over idling. You can share your analysis with drivers and help them prevent accidents and lowering fuel costs. In addition, the software can also handle calculating driver earnings and scheduling.

Alerts & Customization

Alerts that let you and your drivers know when their behavior is risky or outside the accepted parameters are a crucial advantage of a GPS tracking system. In-cab alerts give your drivers a chance to change their behavior in real-time and build better driving habits. Alerts also let you know if there is an emergency situation so you can take quick action to remedy it. The ability to customize alerts enables you to define the actions that are key to your business.

Geo-fencing & Route Optimization

Efficient and accurate routes can save your fleet a lot of money. For this reason, it is vital that the fleet management software you choose helps with route planning. Look for customizable software and lets you make a decision based on a number of parameters and constraints.

Knowing where your fleet vehicles are located is important, and knowing when they stray from their planned route is essential. With geofencing, you can set parameters for your fleet and be alerted when they stray from them.

Scalability & Future Proofing

Your fleet doesn't stay the same, so neither should your fleet management software solution. Fleets can grow and contract depending on various factors such as seasonality, changing consumer needs and demands, and more. Look for a GPS tracking system that is flexible enough to adapt to business needs. If you have seasonal requirements, a software solution that offers a driver tracking app will help you scale your fleet up or down as needed. It gives seasonal fleet drivers the advantages of a GPS vehicle tracking system without installing a tracking device.

When combined with AI and machine learning, these systems not only make your fleet efficient on a day-to-day basis, but they continue that efficiency into the future. This is a key advantage of a GPS tracking system for fleet management. If you are interested in leveraging the advantages of a GPS tracking system, contact MiX by Powerfleet today.