A good fleet tracking system can help to achieve real-world improvements in several areas, including fuel efficiency, and with fuel costs seemingly on an uphill trajectory, this is something every business should look at.
One question which usually arises is the issue of the costs involved in fitting out a fleet of vehicles with tracking devices but the solution to this could be to consider Magnetic GPS Trackers. These budget-friendly devices require no wiring or permanent siting so can be moved from vehicle to vehicle – a useful idea if you don’t need more than one vehicle on the road.
However there are a range of GPS tracking devices available including dedicated fleet trackers. Choosing a company leading the way in the supply of fleet trackers is a great way to make sure you can get the right solution. Experts at such firms can provide help and advice for businesses looking to reduce costs and increase the fuel efficiency of their fleet.
Here’s how fleet tracking can help.
Real-time Monitoring
Fleet tracking systems provide real-time data on vehicle location, speed and idle time and you can log in from any computer or other device 24/7. Remote global monitoring is an option. You can also use tracking to monitor your drivers’ behaviour behind the wheel which could be costing you more than it should, such as excessive speed, harsh braking and hard acceleration. By identifying and addressing these behaviours, through re-training if necessary, you can improve fuel efficiency and reduce excessive wear and tear of your vehicles.
Route Optimisation
Fleet tracking allows you to analyse data to identify the most fuel-efficient routes for your vehicles by quickly alerting drivers to delays caused by roadworks or road closures or excess traffic.
By knowing where your vehicles are at any given time night or day you can confidently re-route drivers where necessary to avoid traffic hold-ups. You can also maximise your profits by accepting additional work, even when your vehicles are still on the road. Another great advantage is that fleet tracking allows you to improve customer satisfaction by being able to provide accurate delivery/arrival times.
Fuel Consumption Monitoring
Some fleet tracking systems can be integrated with on-board fuel monitoring sensors to track fuel consumption in real-time. By monitoring fuel usage patterns, you can quickly identify where savings can be made through identifying issues such as inefficient driving practices or fuel theft.
You can also utilise performance metrics provided by the tracking system to set fuel efficiency targets for your drivers, and regularly review performance reports to provide feedback to drivers on their fuel efficiency performance.
Additionally, you can also use the data collected by the fleet tracking system to provide targeted training to drivers on fuel efficient driving techniques where necessary and perhaps include incentive programs to reward drivers who consistently achieve high levels of fuel efficiency.
Maintenance Alerts
Fleet managers must juggle so many components when it comes to running a fleet including timesheets, driver behaviour, time on and off site and to add to this, service scheduling is a vital part of ensuring your fleet spends as little downtime as possible. A fleet tracking system automatically organises all these issues. Regular maintenance tasks such as tyre checks and rotations are important as they can contribute to increased fuel efficiency. OBD tracking systems can monitor vehicle diagnostics to alert you when maintenance is needed, helping to ensure that your vehicles are operating at maximum efficiency.
Vehicle Utilisation
Some top tips on vehicle utilisation include analysing data on vehicle usage and idle time to ensure that your fleet is being utilised efficiently. Identifying under used units and excessive idle time can assist you in optimising your fleet size and so reduce unnecessary fuel consumption.
By having full control and visibility of your fleet and using the full capabilities of fleet tracking data you can make informed decisions on improving fuel efficiency and reducing operating costs.
Also Read: Maximize Fleet ROI with GPS Tracking
