No matter what business you’re in, chances are good there are a lot of operational expenses, including fuel, manpower and maintenance.
Since being introduced into automobiles in 1996, GPS has changed the way drivers navigate on the road. Drivers use GPS for directions and it can also be used to track a person’s whereabouts.
While navigation is one of the biggest uses of GPS, it can be used in other ways too. When it comes to the trucking industry, GPS and tracking equipment can help trucking companies run their businesses more efficiently. GPS can track the locations of various trucks in the fleet and can also keep drivers safe.
But there are other benefits too, including:
- Lower fuel and maintenance costs: Maintenance costs associated with idling trucks can average about $2 a day for diesel, normally aspirated engines; $2.20 a day for turbo-charged diesel engines and about $2.30 a day for gasoline engines. Added up over time, that leads to a lot of wasted money and wasted fuel. In fact, a truck idling for just two hours a day wastes about $800 a year per truck.
Losing a lot of money and fuel can create numerous headaches for trucking companies. That’s where tracking equipment can help. A trucking company that equips its fleet with tracking equipment can save 25 miles a week worth of fuel for each truck it equips. Added up, that’s a lot of savings and better use of company funds. - Better productivity: Tracking equipment monitors driver behavior as well as speed and can send alerts whenever a driver is going too fast. If the average driver knows that tracking equipment is in his or her truck, they are more likely to follow the rules of the road and do all they can to avoid accidents.
When a truck runs faster, that means it’s burning more fuel and increasing the amount of wear on the tires. Following the rules of the road and driving safer ultimately saves a trucking company time and money. - Easier Logistics: For many years, trucking companies kept track of hours and tasks completed with manual logs filled out by drivers. Tracking equipment and web based GPS tracking makes all of that so much easier. Having a digital log allows a company to see how many hours each driver has worked, the stops that are made and what their driving habits are. This will hopefully keep drivers honest and it allows companies to keep easier track of which employees may be underperforming.
- Better service: A trucking company’s top priority is to make deliveries on top. With tracking equipment, trucking companies are able to deliver loads on time and provide better customer service. Tracking equipment will update a driver on traffic conditions, enabling them to change course if they need to.
GPS equipment will also be able to map out the most efficient route for an individual driver, so that deliveries are made on time. If something comes up and a driver must change course, companies will be alerted and customers can be easily notified of any changes in delivery status. - Fraud protection: Many trucking companies have fallen victim to unsubstantiated claims of fraud by customers in the past. Tracking equipment provides companies with another layer of protection since it records all kinds of data including stops made, routes taken, deliveries made and times of excessive speeding. Armed with this sort of data, trucking companies will be better protected against allegations of fraud.
There are many ways in which tracking equipment and GPS fleet tracking can help a trucking company run more efficiently. With the ability to improve logistics, improve driving habits of individual drivers and improve customer service, trucking companies can perform to their highest potential with the right tools.