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Deciding to invest in new technology for your company can be daunting. Many business management tools promise significant savings but are unable to deliver results, leaving business owners and fleet managers at a loss both financially and in terms of productivity.
By reducing fuel usage and maintenance costs and contributing to loss prevention strategies, GPS trackers provide an average ROI of 17:1. The data collected by GPS devices grants business owners and fleet managers insights into driver behavior that enable them to evaluate aspects of their fleet’s operations, in turn allowing them to make changes that will lead to stronger performance and more efficient operations.
Two of the most powerful benefits of GPS trackers are increased revenue and decreased operating costs. Let’s take a look at 6 ways it accomplishes this:
- Decreasing fuel usage
Did you know that GPS tracking can save you up to eight gallons of fuel per vehicle each month? Many businesses are able to reduce their fuel usage by up to 20% simply by tracking their vehicles.
Being able to monitor your fleet with idle reports, harsh braking, and speeding alerts means you can help your drivers reduce wasteful, unnecessary behaviors. Sharing these reports with employees makes them conscious of driving habits they may not be aware of, which in turn makes them more accountable and affords them the opportunity to become better, more mindful drivers.
Patrick Ailster, owner of Tri-County Sweeping in Atlanta, GA, reduced his fleet’s fuel usage using speeding alerts provided by his GPS tracking devices:
“Speeding alerts cut down on potential accidents and tickets, but they also save me in fuel costs. My trucks run with a full tank of 22 gallons per night. Sometimes trucks would run out of fuel before the end of the night because of excessive speeding. When I installed [GPS tracking devices], that stopped happening.”
Fleet managers can also use their GPS tracking devices to eliminate unauthorized use and create shorter routes between job sites, resulting in more time spent on customers and less time (and fuel) spent on the road.
- Automating scheduled maintenance
Emergency repairs are a costly, time-consuming problem that can – more often than not – be easily avoided. The most effective GPS tracking systems can help you save money by preventing unexpected repairs using an automated maintenance schedule. By using GPS trackers to automate your maintenance schedule, you can increase the ROI of your preventive maintenance routine by up to 545%.
All you have to do is input your fleet’s maintenance schedule and your GPS fleet tracking software will do the rest by providing reminders for any routine maintenance, including:
- Oil changes
- Tire rotations
- License renewals
- Preventative maintenance, and more.
- Increased productivity
GPS fleet tracking devices offer insights that help optimize driving routes, allowing you to identify areas where drivers can cut down on time and distance and ensure they are traveling the fastest, most efficient route between job sites.
Live traffic updates also make it possible to quickly spot problem areas, so you can see when the closest vehicle to a service call may get caught in traffic and dispatch a more convenient vehicle instead. This ensures that drivers arrive at calls faster, meaning they can answer more service calls and visit more customers every day – and that means more revenue.
- Accurate billing
GPS tracking saves you and your fleet time that would otherwise be spent manually logging and recording time worked. Asset tracking devices provide exact records of equipment use, while fleet trackers report how long each worker spends at a job site. Instead of estimating billable hours, these tools make it easy to accurately track time and ensure you capture maximum revenue.
GPS tracking also protects you from customer disputes over billable hours by providing you with detailed records of arrival and departure times. Earl Salandanan, founder of CSI-Absolute Clean Inc. in Chicago, IL, has used his GPS tracking data to settle multiple customer disputes:
“If there is a client dispute, and they say we were an hour late, how do I verify that? It’s got to be indisputable. One client wanted a discount because she said we were an hour late. Using [GPS tracking], I was able to check and tell her that we actually arrived 10 minutes early.”
Some GPS tracking devices are even capable of notifying both customers and fleet managers when a job is completed, so you can ensure accurate billing.
- Verifying actual work hours
With GPS vehicle trackers, you can accurately monitor your employees’ work hours and pay them accordingly. Tracking your fleet vehicles means you can see exactly when a vehicle arrives at and departs from a job site, allowing you to verify how much time has actually been spent on the job and helping you to virtually eliminate overtime fraud.
- More satisfied customers
All of these improvements mean one important thing: your business will operate more smoothly, which means that you can deliver better, faster service to your customers.
Being able to provide accurate ETAs and timely service makes your customers happy, encourages repeat business, and also demonstrates your value and commitment to customer satisfaction to prospective clients.
Information is Power
With so many tools and apps available, it can be hard to decide which technology is right for your company. Make sure you choose something that will deliver results for your fleet and a return on your investment. GPS tracking devices have been tried and tested. They are discreet and simple to install, easy to use, and start providing you with valuable insights right away.
Article by: Steven Adamski, Agilis Systems, 314.732.4925, sadamski@agilissystems.com
About Linxup
Linxup is a leading provider of GPS fleet tracking solutions across the United States. Linxup GPS tracking devices are designed for small or medium-sized fleet-based businesses in any industry. Headquartered in Chesterfield, MO., Linxup is a division of Agilis Systems, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) company specializing in providing corporate fleet and mobile workforce management solutions. Currently Linxup serves more than 24,000 clients every day. For more information visit the Linxup GPS tracking website.
