Is Fleet Management Smarter with GPS Tracking
Successful Types of Fleet Management Systems
All fleet management systems need to have a certain set of characteristics and functions to work. The standards for fleet management systems have changed over the years since technology itself has changed. However, some aspects of fleet management have been consistent over the course of the past century.
Professionals must make sure that the vehicles within the fleet are getting maintained regularly. All vehicles will experience problems eventually, and vehicle repairs must be prioritized just as much as maintenance. Managers need to make sure that the repairs are not conducted at an overly slow pace, but the repairs still must be high-quality.
The value of all vehicles immediately decline the moment that those vehicles are initially purchased. However, that does not mean that automobiles cannot be sold again. Fleets periodically get new vehicles and sell their old ones, which means that passengers will always have access to vehicles that are high-quality and new.
This strategy is still cost-effective for the companies that own the fleets, because the older cars and trucks can be sold again. Fleet management professionals should have a network that allows them to maintain this balance. The vehicles in these fleets are maintained more effectively than the vehicles that many people own themselves, at least in many cases.
While plenty of individuals struggle to sell their own cars for more than a few hundred dollars, many people are not able to maintain the repair schedules in professional management systems. The companies that meet that standard will meet others, making it easier for them to sell used vehicles at auctions and employee automotive purchase programs.
Their network should also certainly include automotive manufacturers and dealers. Fleet management professionals can work alongside consultants to find ideal replacement vehicles. Ultimately, the process by which they use, maintain, resell, and replace the vehicles must be smooth, streamlined, and efficient. The fleets that have the networks in place to make this happen will be profitable. GPS tracking has already solved a lot of their other traditional problems.
GPS Tracking Is Improving Fleet Management
GPS tracking systems are known for being very easy to put into place. Installing systems that are this beneficial typically takes much more time and energy. However, this is user-friendly and compact technology. Fleet management professionals can add this technology and almost instantly get ahead without having to redesign anything.
The fact that it is now possible to keep track of every vehicle in the team without any time delays has truly revolutionized the industry. Now, fleet managers will know exactly where the vehicles are and what they are doing in real-time.
It is possible to add alerts to this system since it does operate in real-time. Drivers can receive alerts related to their start times, so they will be less likely to be late. They can also receive important alerts when they have gone over the speed limit or accidentally moved away from the correct route.
Before this technology was available, fleet managers had to call their drivers periodically to monitor their progress. Even then, vehicle monitoring on that level was only possible with both older and new cellphones.
Fleet managers had very little control over the cars and trucks in their fleets before cellular phones of any kind were available to professionals. It was essential for drivers to arrive at the right location on time, which is still the case today. However, if a driver is having a problem, it is possible to notify the manager and try to work around it.
It is still important for drivers to avoid getting lost or running into other issues on the road. However, in the past, companies would not even necessarily know what had happened to a driver who was experiencing a delay of some kind. Some drivers might have stopped to make calls using payphones, but it often was not worth it for them to pause everything to take the time to do so.
There was often no way of knowing whether a driver had gotten into an accident. Their delay could have been caused by a simple traffic jam, and yet fleet managers would not know for sure. They could analyze different traffic reports and make educated guesses, but the technology of the time forced these professionals to be purely reactive rather than efficiently flexible and proactive.
Fleet management was once largely an exercise in motivating drivers to reach different destinations on time without any interruptions, errors, or accidents. Drivers received financial incentives from their employers. They also received penalties to strongly motivate them to avoid making any mistakes. Work environments like this could be particularly stressful, and drivers already have potentially risky jobs.
While drivers still must meet very high standards within modern workplaces, it is possible for everyone involved to be at least slightly more flexible now. GPS tracking has given fleet management professionals more control and information, so drivers may not experience as much stress. They can be more effective at their jobs in the process.
Many alerts can genuinely help drivers. They will not accidentally take the wrong route since an alert will be issued when that happens. In the past, drivers had to rely entirely on their own navigational skills. Even the most talented and experienced drivers would make mistakes. They are less likely to have these problems today.
Fleet managers have access to a virtual high-tech road map that will help everyone. They can see what happens on the road as it happens. Drivers, clients, and everyone else will have more support. They have a system in place that will really help them.
The GPS tracking also gives professionals the chance to keep much more careful records than they ever could in the past. They will have accurate accounts of what happened on the road, along with any important events. Professionals will be able to evaluate an employee’s work performance more successfully as a result, while also avoiding some of the conflicts that can occur under these circumstances. This information is always available, even when the cars are still on the road.
GPS Technologies can continue to help organizations with the fundamental aspects of modern fleet management. These relatively simple technologies can solve several complex issues before they even truly begin.
Categorised in: ELD
This post was written by Malcolm Rosenfeld