Category: Vehicle Tracking

Before jumping into the fleet GPS tracker market, commercial trucking company will have questions involving costs relative to benefits, contractual obligations, customer support and long-term ease of use. To provide exceptional clarity before buying your next commercial GPS tracker unit, we’ve debunked many commercial management questions and myths. So, before purchasing the wrong units, ask yourself these questions, then gauge them against fleet GPS tracker technology services we provide.

Are provided features considerate of your ROI?

If your Fleet GPS Tracker Device is missing features, it essentially hurts your bottom line. When your bottom line is adversely affected, your business will suffer and you may have to sell-off your assets to make up the difference. Having essential tools, like geo-fences, wireless dispatching, segmented alerts and fuel economy tracking are essential in staying out of the ‘red’, and posting positive gains. Check thoroughly with your current company and see if the tools yield high ROI; then measure that against the diverse array of profit-generating and business-friendly services that we offer. We always have your business in mind.

How simple is the GPS tracker operation?

Unfortunately, many scalable and powerful systems are not user-friendly and are hard to operate. Anything that takes longer than 30 minutes to learn in GPS tracker nomenclature is way too long; many companies write their user manuals with technically-proficient people in mind. Not all commercial trucking companies will employ techies that are able to quickly navigate user manuals and explain flagship features of fleet GPS tracker devices. You must emphasize simplicity while providing flexible and feature-rich services fleet GPS trackers must have. The marketplace is ripe with fleet GPS trackers that are rather cumbersome and difficult to learn, whereas ours remains both scalable and simple.

How often is the vehicle position updated?

Being overwhelmed with too many updates could create driver chaos, or company confusion. Having updates spread too far apart could mean missing key pieces of vehicle or driver information which may cost you loads, excessive downtime or even poorly kept logbooks. Industry normal update times are roughly 120 seconds when vehicles are in motion, and 1 hour when vehicle is off. Most monthly-based companies that require long-term contracts will send updates 6-12 times per hour, and only when vehicle is in operation. Since this does nothing for productivity, make sure you stick with Fleet Tracking that is around the industry norm, which we offer to our commercial clients.

Are some other company’s GPS Tracker units being resold?

Commercial companies understand the difficulty of servicing products that do not fall within their scope and under their umbrella. Fleet GPS trackers may eventually need remote servicing, or live maintenance that secondary sellers cannot provide which, of course, impedes trucking company progress. Checking with sales representatives to make sure your chosen company brands their own fleet tracking apparatus would save loads of time, both in a presale setting and later down the road when maintenance is necessary. Moreover, going with direct manufacturers of these fleet GPS tracker devices may drive down costs whereas resellers will upcharge.

Will the system work when you’re not logged in online or near a computer?

Unless automatic updates or concurrent status alerts are provided through an app, a trucker’s Qualcomm or text messages are given, fleet GPS trackers require loads of personal attention. Managers have bigger fish to fry, and have little time to print daily reports. Your chosen GPS tracker should have automatic report scheduling, some method to receive frequent updates and have the capacity to run whether you’re there to oversee its actions or not. These updates should come at intervals you preset; where many systems fail, our fleet GPS tracker solutions are transparent in their ability to provide quick updates, useful information when it’s needed most and report scheduling at your convenience, not ours.

Is customer support able to answer my questions via telephone or chat?

With the economy in a whirlwind and wallets becoming empty, commercial companies are struggling to find fleet tracking customer service, literally, in any nook or cranny they can. Although it seems as though the well has run dry in the fleet tracking market, there are still fleet services available around the clock when you need them most. The most difficult job for most tech companies to handle is also one that is still in abundance: customer service. Dealing with an entire fleet of commercial delivery trucks is enough of a headache; your customer service personnel should add to those headaches. Besides, your equipment is essentially useless when nobody helps with troubleshooting; if any company tells you that every model is self-booting or comes with self-help features with minimal customer service, run. Run quickly. Then check out how our customer service works.

Will there be extensive contracts to enter into?

Fleet managers aren’t keen on being surprised; most fleet GPS tracker companies will slam commercial trucking outfits with ridiculous monthly fees, and then add unknown contract stipulations that hurt your prospects to grow. If you’re locked into an extended contract, the level of service diminishes over time. Clearly, in other words, there’s no incentive for the GPS tracker company to keep providing great products or generous customer service. No extended contracts, hidden fees or surprises will come from us.

Want to learn more or try GoFleet’s GPS trackers free for 30 days? Contact Us!

GPS Fleet Solution: Top 5 Features

Driver Coaching

GPS tracking systems have come a long way since being used to simply track your vehicles whereabouts. With the capabilities now available there are many different ways you can get a ROI while increasing the safety of your drivers and those they share the road with; driver coaching or audible alerts is something you definitely want to look for in your GPS solution. Driver coaching, which is also referred to as audible alerts, are alerts that occur inside the vehicle when drivers are driving in a way that wastes excessive fuel or put them at risk. These alerts are commonly used for speeding, hard braking or accelerating, harsh cornering and excessive idling. The driver coaching alerts usually work as a beeping function inside the vehicle in real-time so your drivers can correct the inappropriate behavior immediately.

Secure & Easy To Use

It is important that your software is reliable, secure, and can be customized to fit your fleet management requirements. You should be able to navigate around the software quickly and easily with very basic training. It’s important the software you choose does not require you to invest a ton of your time in learning how to use it but you also want to be able to learn to use it effectively to get the ROI you are looking for. You want to look for an easy to use system that is easy to install to avoid any downtime.

Customizations & Reporting

Data generated from any GPS fleet solution should contain meaningful insights to help make strong strategic decisions. Most applications provide practically unlimited data, but the way the data is analyzed can vary among different solutions. Along with basic reporting it is important to enable advance reporting to refine data based on your company’s preference and requirements. It is important to ensure that reports can be customized as well as accessible to compare multiple reports and measure performance.

Actually Real-Time

All solutions offer basic tracking; however it is important to differentiate among the type of tracking being offered. Real time tracking is the ability to view your entire fleet at a glance on a map, and the frequency of the data logged is a true reflection of how accurate the route is within the tracking software. Most applications are able to show you data but the route taken will not incorporate any turns, stops, detours etc. Instead it will record data from Point A to Point B; failing to take into account any important logs that occurred during the course of the route. Although an increase in logs may result in an increase of data usage, it is necessary to select a solution that is capable of providing accurate information without affecting data charges, helping to make necessary cuts & adjustments to improve efficiency.

Expandability

Advancements in technology require heavy investments in the long run. This means constant changes need to be made to keep up with industry requirements. Which is why, it is important to ensure that any solution chosen is scalable and capable of growing with your company’s needs. The device should have the capability of offering added flexibility and integration with third party providers. The IOX technology is a great place to start as it can: communicate with external serial devices, read digital ON-OFF signals and read analog signals, 0 to 30V. This way you can take advantage of powerful add-ons to future-proof your fleet.

For more information on the important features of GPS fleet tracking, and how it could help your business save thousands of dollars, contact one of our highly trained fleet consultants today!

GPS tracking devices have come a long way in a relatively short period of time. They are no longer simply used to ‘track’ your vehicles but are now known more as a fleet management system for your entire fleet. The capabilities available today can help decrease fuel consumption, increase the productivity and safety of your drivers, help manage maintenance, and the list goes on. Before installing a GPS fleet system in your fleet, it is important you find the right fit for your business.

These simple tips will help you choose the right GPS solution to fit your needs:

• Determine Your Unique Business Needs
  It is important to include the managers of all departments in the decision making process. Or, if you’re a small to mid-size business owner and you are the manager of multiple departments keep in mind all elements of your business you regularly deal with, when making the decision. GPS fleet systems can help in many areas outside of the fleet department. Does your business require help remembering vehicle maintenance or reading engine fault codes? Is payroll and/or paper time cards too time consuming and often inaccurate? You will better understand what to look for in a solution by considering all departments of your business.

• Features That Meet Your Needs
  Once you have determined all of your company’s needs and the benefits you expect from the system you can use that information to narrow down your options. For example: Do you struggle with high insurance costs due to the unsafe driving habits of your drivers? If so, you’ll want to look for a solution with real-time in vehicle driver feedback to correct poor behaviour and potentially bring down your insurance costs. You’ll also want access to safety reports within the GPS fleet system. Do you miss a lot of vehicle maintenance? This can cause more expensive repairs in the long run, look for a system that includes built in maintenance reminders with the ability to pull engine data straight from the vehicle.

• Choosing the Right Provider
  One of the hardest yet most important elements when adopting a GPS fleet system, is to make sure your provider will be there with customer support and account assistance whenever you need it. If you purchase a solution and never hear from your provider again, there is no way you can use the system to its full potential. You need training on how to use the software and how to properly utilize the reports to get the highest ROI, and tips for how to use the system to its full capabilities in a way that will benefit your business. GoFleet stands out in this area; by taking a partnership approach we get to know our customers needs and work with them to save them as much money as possible using the features of our system. We also offer weekly training sessions 3 times a week and one-on-one training if needed.

• Learning to Properly Utilize the System
  Installing a GPS fleet system can have a ton of benefits for your fleet, but those benefits don’t just happen overnight by plugging in the devices. It is crucial you learn to use the software effectively. This ties in to choosing the right provider; without choosing a provider who will train you properly on how to use the software, you won’t learn its full potential. Being well versed in the software translates into getting insight into your fleet and allows you to save money and really improve on your pain areas. If you simply install the units and never even look at the software, you will not achieve the savings and productivity increase you are looking for.

• Implementing the GPS Fleet System
  What many business owners often overlook is the importance of gaining a strong buy-in from employees. Fleet management systems can help increase the productivity of your employees by simply telling them you’re installing the devices. By sharing the benefits of the solution, investing in your employees and enhancing their knowledge about the solution, implementation should go smoothly. If any of your employees have a big issue with the installation of GPS devices, think to yourself: what are they hiding? Employees with nothing to hide should embrace the system with open arms.

Do your research. Don’t just sign up for the cheapest system or the first system you come across. If it’s the cheapest system, it’s probably lacking a large portion of the features you can use to optimize your business.

[email protected] | 1-888-998-1122

Vehicle Tracking Solutions Are Not All The Same

In general, most vehicle tracking solutions have the same basic components including a GPS device installed in the vehicles and a user interface that gathers, organizes and displays information. Even though they have the same basic components, all vehicle tracking solutions are not created equal.

Effective vehicle tracking solutions must provide more information than just vehicle locations and route histories. GPS fleet management systems have limitless business-enhancing potential for fleet management that require more than tracking dots on a map. After using the system regularly, most users uncover the full impact of vehicle tracking solutions.

Unfortunately, many providers only set up basic tracking capabilities and they do not commit to helping their customer leverage this extremely powerful technology to transform the way they conduct business. When you are evaluating vehicle tracking solutions providers, it is critical you determine how much interest the providers are showing in understanding your business, specific goals and requirements.

It is important to understand that while the technology is important, it is not the most important criteria when choosing your vehicle tracking solutions provider. The value truly lies in the relationship with your provider and level of support you receive once your system is implemented.

You also need to make sure that the vehicle tracking solution you choose will help you reach your fleet management goals. You need to make sure that the software is easy to use, the equipment is easy to install and the system capable of measuring and reporting your drivers’ performance, driver safety and fuel consumption.

GoFleet is an experienced and reputable provider that works with fleet managers to implement a GPS fleet management system seamlessly in fleet vehicles. The system interprets driving data so that it can be applied to improve a business’ operational efficiencies. The GoFleet team provides knowledgeable and easily accessible sales and technical support for their customers to cover all service issues. For more information, Contact Us.

Brief Overview of Our GPS Vehicle Tracking Device & Benefits

IOX Technology for Expansion
You want you company to grow in the future so it is important to choose a platform that can grow with you. With the IOX (a plug-in component allowing you to expand your GPS vehicle tracking device) you can add on RFID technology, Garmin navigation and messaging, satellite tracking, along with tons of other sensors and add-ons. The IOX’s can all be connected together and used simultaneously.

In-Vehicle Driver Coaching
Recording high quality information and making it simple to act upon and understand is what GoFleet is all about. Manage safe driving policies, like idling and speeding, by playing an audible alert (beeping function) to the driver. This will encourage safe driving as drivers will get immediate warnings.

Breakthrough Accident Notification & Detection
If a serious accident is detected you will get an email or another type of alert along with second-by-second data. You can dispatch for help immediately for help and manage all accidents from your location. The GPS vehicle tracking device can also detect vehicle collisions that occur in reverse.

Accurate Engine Diagnostics
Our device is the most comprehensive GPS vehicle tracking device in the world. The device is compatible with almost all vehicle types including electric vehicles, hybrids, delivery vans, and highway trucks.

High Quality Recording
Our industry leading engine connection extracts more valuable information on the running status and health of your vehicles so you are aware of any and all maintenance and service priorities. Recording VIN, seatbelt and odometer helps managers to audit vehicle usage and identify risky and safe driving habits.

Fastest Tracking Time
Even when parked indoors or underground, your vehicle can be found as it starts driving. You will have second-by-second accuracy of trip distance and time, ignition on, engine speed and idling. Also, you will have address of arrival, time, and accurate departure from locations visited during the day.

Plug & Play Installation
The GPS vehicle tracking devices from GoFleet is a very small device that quickly and easily plugs directly into your vehicles OBDII port. The installation process could not be easier, no special tools are required and there is no messy wiring.

To learn more about our GPS fleet tracking system & devices contact one of our fleet consultants: Call (toll-free) 1-888-998-1122 or email [email protected].

GPS Vehicle Tracking Management

It’s quite easy to argue the positive benefits of GPS vehicle tracking for fleet managers: reduced operating costs, more efficient logistics, increased safety and effective maintenance scheduling. Tracking driver behavior is also a positive benefit but can sometimes be a sensitive topic if the underlying objectives are not properly communicated to drivers.

Currently, GPS tracking technology can detect and monitor vehicle position, braking and speed at all given times. Sudden acceleration, cornering, deceleration, or swerving can also be measured in real-time. The more sophisticated systems, like the Geotab platform GoFleet provides, takes it one step further and can detect seat-belt usage, idling, reversing and usage of auxiliary devices.

In the commercial world, fleet managers can create a strategy including training, positive motivation and policy transparency to ease drivers into the concept of GPS vehicle tracking. The introduction of the GPS system is key, you want to start off on the right foot with your employees and make sure they understand exactly why you need GPS vehicle tracking. For the consumer, insurance companies are offering discount rates to customers choosing to use GPS vehicle tracking in their personal vehicles.

To ensure you are managing your drivers and vehicles, first consider following these steps:

1. Conduct an internal analysis to identify gaps
2. Create actionable and measurable objectives and goals
3. Implement the new program
4. Watch and monitor the results
5. Give your drivers constructive feedback

GoFleet does not simply want to provide you with GPS vehicle tracking, we want to provide you with a complete fleet management solution. To learn more about how GoFleet works with our customers to manage measurements and ensure a ROI, have one of our fleet consultants contact you today.

Download: How To Present GPS Vehicle Tracking To Your Team for tips on how to introduce the system to your team.