Every business fleet manager nowadays has a whole host of tools at their disposal that make their work easier, making it even more efficient than before. One of them is GPS monitoring.
Car monitoring, although based on GPS transmitters, is much more than just a way to determine the location of individual vehicles. After all, this is not the only information that can be obtained with its help. Advanced monitoring systems collect data not only about the location of the vehicle, but also about the parameters of its engine and operation. They can automatically detect all anomalies and – depending on the settings – inform the driver, the fleet manager or both.
With more information and a wider range of data collected, GPS monitoring not only fulfills the function of driver supervision, but also helps to effectively manage the fleet.
Fleets are all about the safety of drivers, vehicles and the cargo they carry. Monitoring their position allows you to respond immediately in case of unforeseen events – for example, when the car changes direction or leaves the zone in which it was supposed to move. Knowing the route and the time of each car’s journey also makes it easier to plan future transports – the use of empirical data translates into greater precision.
This benefits both companies, which avoid unexpected stoppages, and customers, who will be more accurately informed about the time of expected delivery.
Advanced monitoring system works also preventively – noticing potential anomalies, it informs about them the fleet manager. An appropriate message will be sent, for example, if a car is idling for a suspiciously long time, if it is started outside the designated hours, or if a large amount of fuel suddenly disappears from its tank. The system will also notify the supervisor when the GPS signal is jammed.
Operating costs and repairs are a significant item in the budget of each company’s fleet. Vehicles wear out, there is no way to prevent that. However, you can limit unnecessary acceleration of this process. How? GPS monitoring can be used to condemn aggressive driving or speeding by individual drivers. You can also act as an incentive – for example, set monthly bonuses for drivers who drive the most economically. This will translate into lower fuel expenses and less frequent visits to the service center – so the bonuses will be more than returned to the employer.
GPS monitoring also makes it easier to keep records of vehicle usage, which is especially important for cars used not only for business purposes, but also for private purposes. Data from the monitoring are accurate, and most importantly, downloaded automatically – you don’t have to remember about recording the meter status each time. This makes it easier to make settlements with the Tax Office, and to assert your rights in case of any doubts.
Even in case of few cars manual gathering information about each of them can be tiresome. But what about in a situation where there are several dozen, several hundred or even – in the largest fleets – several thousand vehicles? Automation is absolutely necessary. A system that will remind you of upcoming vehicle inspections (which depend not only on the time, but also on the mileage, so it is impossible to plan all of them explicitly in advance), faults that more or less urgently require repair, and operational issues, such as oil changes or topping up fluids.
These are issues that every car owner must remember. However, an average driver takes care of a single car. Fleet manager has many times more – that’s why an efficient GPS monitoring system is indispensable. Precisely because of the safety, financial benefits and convenience it provides, monitoring effectively helps to keep the fleet in optimal condition.
