Vehicle Tracking
What is vehicle tracking and how can it help my business? This is probably the question in the minds of many business owners or managers that have heard something about vehicle tracking. The implication of vehicle tracking in businesses today is really impressive. Vehicle tracking allows you to see where your vehicles are at all times. It also allows you to know the routes taken by the drivers. An employee using a business vehicle that has a GPS tracking device can never lie to you about his location or the route he has taken at any given time since you can see everything on a map.
What is vehicle tracking and how does it work?
Vehicle tracking involves placing a GPS device in a vehicle. This device gathers information about the location of a vehicle and sends it to a central location. A person at the center location can monitor the information to know the exact location of a vehicle at a given time. The route followed by the vehicle can also be known. GPS tracking is utilized today not only in business but in many other applications.
Here are some reasons why vehicle tracking is good for your business;
1. Helps you to keep an eye on all your vehicles and employees
When you have all your vehicles tracked, you will have their location and that of employees using them on a map at all times. In addition, you can also know how long a vehicle stays in a given location. Therefore, when an employee takes a vehicle to a location that it is not supposed to be or stays in one location for longer than expected, you will know right away. Also, if a driver follows another route other than the one he should, you will know. This prevents any driver from engaging in personal errands that waste your business’ resources. This also helps to significantly increase productivity by reducing idle time.
2. Helps you to find stolen vehicle
Losing a vehicle to thieves is very expensive to your business. This is because when you lose a vehicle, you also lose the inventory it was transporting. You can also lose the trust of your customers when the goods that were being transported to them get lost on the way. However, if the vehicle can be tracked, you can act quickly and communicate with the relevant authorities to recover the stolen vehicle.
3. Helps you to know your inventory’s exact location
An efficient business should track inventory from one location to another. This can help you tell the customers waiting for given products exactly when they should expect their arrival. Knowing the location of the goods can also help you to communicate with the receiving or shipping crew, or the receiving customer more effectively.
4. You will pay less insurance premiums
Insurance is a big cost for any business that owns vehicles (especially if it is a large fleet). Many insurers provide discount to vehicle owners who install vehicle tracking systems. The discount on premiums may actually pay for the cost you incurred when installing the GPS vehicle tracking system. Hence, if you want to reduce the cost of running your business, start by installing a GPS vehicle tracking system to all your vehicles.
5. Helps to improve employee safety
If you are running a responsible business, you have to value the safety of your employees. Through tracking, you significantly improve the safety of your employees. This is because a tracking system allows you to locate them in the field when you lose communication. In case of an emergency, your employees will be able to get the help they need in good time.
6. Helps to reduce fuel consumption
If the vehicles used in your business consume a lot of fuel on a daily basis, then it is very wise to have a vehicle tracking system installed. It will significantly help to reduce the amount of fuel consumed by each vehicle. This is because a tracking system will force the driver to operate the vehicles more responsibly. They will not go to places they should not go and will drive the vehicle at reasonable speeds. Some tracking systems send an email or text message notification to you every time a driver breaks the rules and regulations of the business.
7. Allows you to monitor the speed of your vehicles
Some driver can really misbehave on the road when they are not being monitored. They can drive recklessly and cause accident that hurt them or hurt other road users. The inventory being transported can also be lost or damaged when a vehicle is involved in an accident. A vehicle tracking system will help you ensure that all vehicles are driven within the recommended speed limits.
8. Vehicle tracking will help you compete more effectively
You customers will view you as a reliable business if you can tell them the exact time they should expect the products they have bought from you will reach them. Being unsure about time is unacceptable in today’s market. Customers will always choose to buy from business that gives them accurate information concerning the location and delivery of goods. When everything else is the same, the fact that you are using a tracking system will give you a competitive advantage.
9. Improved vehicle maintenance
Tracking devices can be plugged into vehicle analytics to keep accurate records of vehicle usage. This can make it easy to follow maintenance schedules. Vehicle tracking also gives you the power to look at the locations of a vehicle and verify whether it was taken to a service station or not. Improved maintenance helps to prolong the life of the vehicles. It also helps to prevent delays that may be caused when the vehicles break down.
Today, vehicle tracking is not as expensive as it used to be in the past. It is now an inexpensive endeavour for any business that wants to operate more efficiently. The set up cost and service fee are worth it if you want to maximize profits. This is why vehicle tracking is considered as one of the best practices by the largest and most profitable companies on the world.
