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GPS Tracking Solutions

GPS Tracking Solutions: The Building Block for Better Fleet Management

Today, Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking is essentially ubiquitous across fleets. Fleet services that refuse to embrace the technology are far more likely to go out of business than grow it. That’s because GPS tracking solutions completely transform fleet management processes by providing the information needed to track vehicles, streamline, and enhance operations, protect and reward drivers, and improve customer service.

In this blog, we drill down into how GPS tracking works and explore the top ways service organizations can see a benefit for their fleet.

GPS Tracking Dashboard Metrics

What Is GPS Tracking & How Does It Work?

Simply put, GPS tracking technology is an effective fleet management system that uses tracking devices, or “tags,” to monitor vehicle activity. These tracking devices communicate with orbiting satellites to triangulate the position of a GPS tag and—when combined with mapping and cellular technology—provides exact, real-time vehicle location.

GPS tracking is the backbone of fleet telematics and a core tool in collecting additional critical data needed to manage a growing fleet, such as vehicle routing and mapping data, vehicle idling, speeding and use analytics, traffic violation, accident information, and more.

There are currently three main vehicle tracking device options for commercial and government fleets:

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Plug-and-play (PNP) devices that connect directly to the diagnostic port

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Devices directly hardwired into the vehicle
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Solar-powered devices
GPS Tracking Devices 2022

PNP devices remain the go-to for most vehicles made after 2008. An easy-to-connect PNP device gets fleets up and running with GPS tracking without any time lost to complex wiring or installation. In most cases, PNP devices can automatically pull diagnostic information from the engine and interpret and report information through the vehicle’s motion. PNPs also allow drivers using their personal vehicles for work to easily install them at the start of the day, then remove them when it’s time to go home.

While most vehicles can use PNP devices to pull GPS tracking and diagnostic information, certain situations call for hardwired vehicle tracking devices. For example, vehicles that don’t have an OBDII port will require a hardwired device, as will heavily modified or customized vehicles that can’t supply reliable diagnostic and ignition data. Vehicles that use add-ons such as lifts or booms will also need hardwire-capable devices to monitor those inputs.

Solar-powered GPS tracking devices are ideal for pieces of equipment that don’t have a power source, such as trailers, bins, containers, or other pieces of equipment that are often left in one place for a long period of time. With solar-powered devices, the primary goal is to keep tabs on the asset’s location and ensure it isn’t moved or stolen.

GPS Tracking Benefits

GPS tracking solutions are the building blocks for better fleet management. Here are four ways effective GPS fleet management technology can energize your fleet:

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Maximize Efficiency and Drive Savings

GPS tracking decreases fleet operating costs, which drives better profits. By automating reports like timesheets and fuel receipts, GPS tracking solutions require less paperwork to be filled out or turned in by mobile workers and less to sort through for the back-office staff. This allows the mobile workers to spend more time performing their job responsibilities and less time filling out paperwork.

For emergency fleets, time is of the essence. Every moment spent scrambling to communicate with techs to determine who is closest is added stress for everyone—the dispatcher, the tech, and the client. GPS tracking software speeds up dispatching, eliminates this wheel-spinning, and lets your team arrive on-site and ready to save the day. Fleet managers know precisely where each vehicle is located and have access to detailed maps, making this step far more efficient.

2.
Put the Brakes on Theft

Your vehicles and equipment are essential assets. But what happens if someone steals the vehicle? Or what if your large container that’s been on a jobsite for a year suddenly turns up missing? GPS tracking devices can help fleets quickly recover lost or stolen vehicles or equipment and provide valuable information to help you work with employees and police to quickly track down a stolen vehicle. That’s serious peace of mind for anyone entrusted with an expensive company asset.

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Protect and Reward Fleet Drivers

Driver safety is a huge benefit of GPS tracking. GPS data and insights allow fleet managers to pinpoint behaviors that endanger drivers and the community–such as hard braking, speeding, and G-force events. Fleet managers can identify and coach drivers on these behaviors, which can increase the safety of both your employees and other drivers on the road.

Video telematics further enhance safety efforts, with powerful AI-equipped smart cameras providing information on target behaviors like rolling through stop signs/red lights, tailgating, cell phone use, and seat belt use. Smart dash cameras can also detect positive driving behaviors, like allowing vehicles to merge safely or braking to avoid a collision, so you can also identify and reward good driving habits as well.

If a community citizen calls to complain that they saw your employee speeding in a local neighborhood, GPS tracking allows you to refer back to the historic data and confirm if that was the case. If one of your employees gets a citation, GPS tracking and video telematics can both be reliable witnesses to find out what happened, which can lead to your driver being exonerated. For example, with video telematics, fleet managers can see for themselves whether another driver is responsible for an accident, such as cutting in front of your driver.

Just as importantly, this technology simply helps drivers do their job more efficiently and effectively. GPS tracking allows improved routing that reduces time spent getting to job, allowing drivers to complete work more quickly, which leads to more completed jobs…and more cash flow for your business.

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Strengthen Customer Service

GPS tracking can help fleet managers prove their drivers showed up at the job site and how long they were there. This is helpful for your employee when it is the customer’s word against his/hers. It can also help you respond to service calls more quickly and reach your customers on time. And it’s no secret that better customer service means better customer retention…and better business outcomes overall. 

GPS tracking technology is key to managing a successful fleet. These innovative solutions provide the data and analytics to improve overall efficiency, deliver cost savings, reduce theft, protect, motivate drivers and increase customer satisfaction. For more information on how the right GPS solution can help elevate your fleet, contact us.

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