Introduced in 1973 and fully operational by 1994, the Global Positioning System, or GPS, was developed by the US Department of Defense for military purposes. GPS, has since outgrown its origins, and is now in a wide range uses from golf carts to personal vehicles. GPS technology was also used to develop fleet tracking system, which are used by truck and car fleet operators. These systems use satellites to track the location of vehicles. It is also useful for monitoring route efficiency, safety, and gas usage.
Companies are realizing significant savings with GPS technology. These savings are allowing the companies to pay for the systems in less than a year. Increases in route and fuel efficiency, improved driver productivity, and decreased overtime costs add up to sizable cost savings and increasing the amount of service calls in a day. Maintenance crews are able to react quickly to vehicle breakdowns, getting them back on the road faster. And, loss due to vehicle theft has dropped thanks to the ability to track the location of the vehicles.
With several different types of systems to choose from, a vehicle manager cans custom design a system to meet the company's needs. Active systems allow managers to know exactly where their vehicles are and what they are doing at all times. Passive systems employ microchip technology to collect vehicle data, which is then downloaded in to the company's computer system and analyzed. Hybrid systems use both active and passive technologies together. And real time tracking uses internet technology to give managers up to the minute information on the company's vehicles.
One of the most substantial benefits of these systems is route efficiency. Tracker devices monitor speed, idle time, direction, and location. This allows a central office to review the efficiency of a route and either coach the driver or make changes to the route.
Other considerable savings are being seen in fuel efficiency and insurance costs. Monitoring speed and idle time has greatly improved vehicle fuel consumption. Insurance companies are offering substantial premium savings, some as much as 35%, to fleets that uses a GPS tracker system.
Privacy advocates have voiced some concern about what they perceive as the intrusiveness of tracker systems. However, GPS advocates argue that the systems are beneficial to employees because they allow for more accurate job evaluation and more effective coaching.
Fleet tracking systems have changed fleet operations forever. Companies can chose from and mix several types of systems to meet their own needs, and the systems are paying for themselves. Increased efficiency is improving driver productivity and increasing revenue. And, fleet operators are noticing big savings in fuel and insurance costs; savings that are paying for the systems quickly. Companies are seeing a substantial improvement in route and fuel efficiency, a reduction in vehicle theft, and a big reduction in insurance premiums. Managers are also finding that they can better develop their drivers because of the data provided by these systems. The cost of installing these systems is much less than the savings.
Companies are realizing significant savings with GPS technology. These savings are allowing the companies to pay for the systems in less than a year. Increases in route and fuel efficiency, improved driver productivity, and decreased overtime costs add up to sizable cost savings and increasing the amount of service calls in a day. Maintenance crews are able to react quickly to vehicle breakdowns, getting them back on the road faster. And, loss due to vehicle theft has dropped thanks to the ability to track the location of the vehicles.
With several different types of systems to choose from, a vehicle manager cans custom design a system to meet the company's needs. Active systems allow managers to know exactly where their vehicles are and what they are doing at all times. Passive systems employ microchip technology to collect vehicle data, which is then downloaded in to the company's computer system and analyzed. Hybrid systems use both active and passive technologies together. And real time tracking uses internet technology to give managers up to the minute information on the company's vehicles.
One of the most substantial benefits of these systems is route efficiency. Tracker devices monitor speed, idle time, direction, and location. This allows a central office to review the efficiency of a route and either coach the driver or make changes to the route.
Other considerable savings are being seen in fuel efficiency and insurance costs. Monitoring speed and idle time has greatly improved vehicle fuel consumption. Insurance companies are offering substantial premium savings, some as much as 35%, to fleets that uses a GPS tracker system.
Privacy advocates have voiced some concern about what they perceive as the intrusiveness of tracker systems. However, GPS advocates argue that the systems are beneficial to employees because they allow for more accurate job evaluation and more effective coaching.
Fleet tracking systems have changed fleet operations forever. Companies can chose from and mix several types of systems to meet their own needs, and the systems are paying for themselves. Increased efficiency is improving driver productivity and increasing revenue. And, fleet operators are noticing big savings in fuel and insurance costs; savings that are paying for the systems quickly. Companies are seeing a substantial improvement in route and fuel efficiency, a reduction in vehicle theft, and a big reduction in insurance premiums. Managers are also finding that they can better develop their drivers because of the data provided by these systems. The cost of installing these systems is much less than the savings.
About the Author:
A comprehensive fleet management system not only saves you time, it can help to improve your sales. When you use a fleet tracking system to monitor delivery times, customers are happy.