Author: Devin Johnson

Electronic Tracking Devices Benefit Maintenance Companies

Posted on | by Devin Johnson

Maintenance Companies Find Benefits From Electronic Tracking Devices

Maintenance companies find many benefits from using GoFleet’s electronic tracking devices including fuel savings, improved customer service and employee management.

Fuel Savings

Businesses with fleet operations usually have huge fuel costs to consider. Fuel is often the largest fleet expense for maintenance because they spend so much tome in the field. GoFleet’s electronic tracking devices improve route selection, reduce idling times, optimize dispatching and allow managers to reduce the fuel costs dramatically.

Improved Customer Service

When a maintenance company uses GoFleet’s electronic tracking device lets you quickly respond to all of your customers’ needs. Great customer service is a critical part of your long-term success. Since you know where all of your vehicles are located, you are able to reduce the amount of time it takes to respond to your customers. You can provide short service windows, accurate times of arrivals, improved customer dispute resolution and improved efficiency when you service your maintenance customers. Your drivers will arrive on time with efficient routings and you drivers will have a reduced chance of getting lost with turn-by-turn driving directions. In addition, your employee accountability will be improved.

Employee Management

GoFleet’s electronic tracking devices really help your fleet managers manage your drivers easily. Your fleet managers will know the location of your drivers all times. Time will no longer have to be wasted for your drivers to check in. In addition, fleet managers will be able to reduce speeding, improve driver safety and improve driver behaviors will accurate reports for each driver and convenient alerts. These alerts can be set up to be sent if your drivers speed, idle excessively, drive aggressively or deviate from the provided route. Furthermore, your fleet manager can use these tools to improve your fuel efficiency and reduce your liability because the chance of your vehicles being in an accident will be reduced.

For more information about how GoFleet’s electronic tracking devices can help your maintenance company, Contact Us.

Customers Benefit From Global Positioning System Technology

Posted on | by Devin Johnson

Global Positioning System Technology Benefits Customers

Companies are finding that Global Positioning System technology does not just benefit fleet management, it also benefits their customers. Many of these companies did not expect their customers to have more customer satisfaction or a better overall reputation.

When a company implements a GPS fleet management solution, they are able to provide more accurate time of arrivals, short time windows, quick dispute resolution, and they are able to take care of their customers in a more efficiently. In addition, the GPS technology helps them serve more customers each day while letting their employees get home as fast as possible.

Accurate Arrival Times

Customers really appreciate being given accurate estimated times of arrival. They will learn that they can trust the time you tell them your employee will arrive at the job site. Unlike many of your competitors, your customers will not be stuck waiting all day for your employee to show up at their location.

Short Time Windows

Since you will know exactly where all your vehicles are at all time, you will be able to provide your customers with short time windows. Instead of telling your customer that your driver will arrive sometime between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., you will be able to provide a 30 minute service window. You will have your routes conveniently planned out before your drivers leave for the day.

Quick Dispute Resolution

Your dispatchers will be able to closely monitor all of your drivers’ whereabouts which will enable a fast customer dispute resolution. It can be difficult to resolve disputes without the proper documentation of when your employees were on site. With GPS technology, you will have accurate records of all your service calls.

Efficiency

GPS technology allows you to serve your customers more efficiently. Your dispatchers will be able to send the closest driver to your customer’s location. If your customer calls with an emergency service call, you will be able to get a driver right out to them.

How To Improve Employee Retention

Posted on | by Devin Johnson

Employee Retention: How To Improve It

Retaining your good employees does not only save you money, it is good for business. Customers like to deal with the same people when they do business with your company. When you have to hire new employees, you will have to train them, give them time to get accustomed to the job and have them build new relationships with your customers, all which can be costly to your company.

Do you know what your employees think of your company? If you do not, you should take time to find out what they think. Monitoring social media is a good way to see how your employee morale is stacking up.

The most important thing you need to do is be clear about your job expectations. Employees need to know what you expect from them with regard to responsibilities, work hours and pay. You should have written policies and procedures for your employees to refer to. If any policies or procedures change, make sure all employees are notified of the change via memorandum or email.

All of your employees need to be properly trained for their position. For example, all drivers should be required to attend a basic driving skills course in addition to any specific training for their position. This will improve driver safety and job performance, as well as improve the drivers’ skills.

Keep the lines of communication open with all of your employees throughout their employment. Make sure your employees know that they can come to you with any problems or concerns.

Improving employee retention simply boils down to identifying your employee’s perceptions of your company and their personal experiences while at your company. Creating a great customer experience entails providing clear job expectations, implementing policies and procedures, proper training, and keeping the lines of communication open. This process will create opportunities for your employees that will align with your business goals, improve employee retention and reduce high employee turn-over.

Fleet Managers Survival Guide Part 2

Posted on | by Devin Johnson

Part 2 – Fleet Managers Survival Guide

Last week, we addressed some survival tips for fleet managers in the Fleet Managers Survival Guide. In the Fleet Managers Survival Guide Part 2, we will address some additional tips to help fleet managers look for an upside in this down economy and help them manage stress.

With fewer resources available and greater responsibilities, it can be easy for a fleet manager to get overwhelmed and get stressed. This can lead to burnout, health issues and diminished job performance.

Develop Your Leadership Skills

Remember, you are not just managing vehicles, you are managing people. In order to succeed, you must be able to properly lead your team. Fleet managers must become master motivators and team builders. When you are working with fewer resources including staff, funding or equipment, you need to be able to communicate with your team to keep the morale up.

Manage Your Stress

It can be extremely overwhelming when you look at everything you need to get done each day. The best way to approach your tasks is to determine what has to be done right now and just focus on that task. You can only do one thing at a time. If you approach your work in this manner, you can check items off your task list one at a time.

No matter how busy you are, make sure that you make time to exercise and do other activities that make you happy. If you have a family, make sure you find time to spend with them, have dinner at home and attend children’s events. It is important you have a work-life balance. If you do, your mind will be fresh to tackle the challenges you face with your fleet.

Take Advantage Of The Down Economy

Although there are many challenges in a down economy, there are also many upsides. For example, the cost of obtaining funding is historically low. This means that financing and leasing rates are lower, making acquiring new vehicles cheaper.

You just need to be on the lookout for ways to take advantage of the economy. It might be time to refinance your fleet vehicles or short cycle your vehicles to take advantage of the low financing and leasing rates. Make sure you do the proper analysis before you make any decisions to determine what would be the cheapest for your cash flow.

While there may be greater pressure for fleet managers to do more with less, they are not powerless. Fleet managers can take steps to increase their knowledge about the industry, develop their leadership skills, uncover savings that can add profit to their company and reduce stress.

GPS Fleet Tracker Offers Many Unexpected Benefits

Posted on | by Devin Johnson

Many Unexpected Benefits Offered By GoFleet’s GPS Fleet Tracker

Companies are not just using GoFleet’s GPS fleet tracker to locate their vehicles, they are using the system to manage the drivers, make their fleet more efficient and reduce costs. Once the system is installed these companies realize that there are so many additional unexpected benefits.

Businesses face issues such as excessive fuel usage, vehicle preventative maintenance, stolen assets, and inaccurate labor costs. After a GoFleet GPS fleet tracker is installed, routing and dispatching is simplified and many of these issues can easily be addressed.

Excessive Fuel Usage

When a business uses a GoFleet’S GPS fleet tracker, they can increase fuel efficiency and reduce excessive fuel usage. Alerts can be sent directly to the fleet manager if a diver idles excessively so the issue can be addressed immediately. In addition, reports can be created for each driver to determine their fuel usage and idling times.

Vehicle Preventative Maintenance

Scheduling preventative maintenance can be a difficult and labor intensive with many fleet vehicles. It is easy to miss a preventative maintenance activity. With GoFleet’s GPS fleet tracker, vehicle preventative is easy and fleet managers will never forget when their vehicles are due for maintenance. Easy reminders can be set up for all maintenance activities based on mileage, time, or engine hours.

Stolen Assets

If a vehicle is stolen, GoFleet’s GPS fleet tracker can help recover the vehicle quickly. This will prevent unnecessary down time for the driver and the vehicle. Information about the vehicle’s location can be used by the police to recover the vehicle.

Inaccurate Labor Costs

Many fleet managers are shocked to find out how much they were paying in inaccurate labor costs after they install the GoFleet GPS tracker. Once the system is set up, the GPS fleet tracker can be used as an automatic time clock for the drivers. The drivers will not be able to increase their hours or claim unworked overtime. Many businesses find that they save money as soon as the system is implemented on inaccurate labor costs.

Customers Are Demanding Quality Customer Service

Posted on | by Devin Johnson

Quality Customer Service Is In Demand

All companies can benefit from providing excellent customer support. The key to a great customer relationship is actually very simple. You just need to provide a customer service level that shows the customer how important their business is to your company. The line of communication needs to be open and high quality support needs to be available to help address any issues that may arise.

Companies that use GPS fleet tracking systems can use this information to provide the customers with better service in addition to managing drivers and locating vehicles. Customers can be given short service windows and accurate times of arrival. If a driver is late, the GPS tracking system can be used to find out the drivers location and the customer can be informed of a delay before they call in to complain the driver has not shown up.

Your customer service team needs to go the extra mile to provide each customer with telephone assistance and a higher quality of customer service. Depending on the type of business you are running, customers need to be able to easily call your office to track deliveries or service time. The customers will really appreciate having quick access to this information. It shows that you value their relationship.

The company should check in with their customers regularly to make sure they are satisfied with the service they are receiving from your company. They should be updated regularly on current jobs. Furthermore, follow up with the customer to ensure that every issue they have is resolved quickly.

Providing high quality customer service should be a main focus for everyone in the company not just the customer service team. This is a key element that demonstrates the importance of supporting your customers concerns and issues, and your willingness to help resolve them. It shows that you are dedicated to your clients. Following these simple guidelines will help improve your customer service and give your company the competitive advantage you need to get ahead. Remember, you should value your customers because where would your business be without them.

How to Change Drivers’ Behaviors

Posted on | by Devin Johnson

Change Drivers’ Behaviors: The How To Guide

Now that you have a GPS fleet tracking system implemented, you want to start changing your drivers’ behaviors. One of the best ways to encourage good driving practices is to use peer competition. Peer competition can play a huge role in changing your fleet drivers’ behaviors. Data from GPS fleet tracking system can be used to promote open communication and friendly competition. One company reports speeding alerts over 15 miles per hour have decreased by 50% and speeding alerts under 15 miles per hour have decrease by approximately 25%. Reducing speeding and improving other drivers’ behaviors does not only increase safety, it improves fuel efficiency, decreases liability risk, and improves productivity.

Encourage Healthy Competition

Run monthly or weekly reports about various driving behaviors such as speeding, excessive idling, aggressive driving and route deviation. Post the reports in a place all of the drivers can see their performance and compare it to the performance of their co-workers. This form of open reporting will encourage healthy competition among your drivers.

Put Money On It

If you are really serious about changing your drivers’ behaviors, consider providing a small cash prize each month to the driver with the smallest percentage of driving alerts per 100 miles driven. Using the smallest percentage of alerts instead of just the lowest amount of driving alerts levels the playing field. That way a driver who works part-time does not get rewarded just because they have less driving alerts than a driver who puts in 10 hours each day on the road.

Use A Two Tier Speeding System

Create two types of speeding alerts, regular speed alerts (up to 15 miles per hour over the speed limit) and severe speed alerts (over 15 miles per hour over the speed limit). All speeding is not considered equal. Regular speed alerts can act like warnings to the drivers. Whereas severe speed alerts are a more serious infraction and should have consequences.

The key to encouraging healthy competition and changing drivers’ behaviors is to create an environment of safe and efficient driving practices. Even the managements driving alerts should be posted. It is important that management sets the tone from the top and exemplifies safe driving practices. The workers will follow suit.

Live GPS Tracking Device Used To Make HVAC Companies More Efficient

Posted on | by Devin Johnson

HVAC Companies Use Live GPS Tracking Device to Help Make Them More Efficient

Heating ventilation and air conditioning companies can use GoFleet’s live GPS tracking device to manage their trucks. If your workers are scattered all over the region tending to your clients, you need to keep track of your employees and equipment without having to add additional field managers.

GoFleet’s live GPS tracking device for HVAC tracking will allow you to know exactly when your employees arrive and depart the job site. It will also decrease your business expenses while it increases your bottom line.

Using GoFleet’s GPS tracking device for your HVAC company will reduce unauthorized use. When you know exactly where your equipment and trucks are located, you can eliminate any unauthorized use. You can set up as many alerts as you would like to let you know if your trucks are where they are supposed to be at a given time.

In addition to reducing unauthorized use of your equipment, using GoFleet’s live GPS tracking device will also help you save on fuel costs. There are real-time alerts that can be sent to you by email and/or SMS text message. You can be alerted if your vehicle is in an unauthorized area. You can also set up alerts to let you know if your drivers are speeding or excessively idling for climate control. Additionally, you will be able to provide your drivers with the fastest and most efficient route to get to their job sites.

When you use GoFleet’s live GPS tracking device, you will be able to keep your crew on schedule. Customers will receive better service because your drivers will arrive on time and you will be able to give them a realistic time of arrival. The efficiencies you will gain using GoFleet’s live GPS tracking device will help you obtain more clients and provide a faster service.

Software Management Tools For The Transportation Industry

Posted on | by Devin Johnson

Transportation Industry Software Management Tools

The transportation industry is able to take advantage of virtually all software management tools that GPS fleet tracking systems have to offer. The benefits are not just for large transportation corporations; small transportation companies can take advantage of all of the software management tools too.

– Reduce operating costs: Software management tools can reduce many unnecessary overhead expenses by eliminating unauthorized usage of vehicles, unnecessary overtime, billing discrepancies and excessive fuel consumption.

– Improve customer service: The software management tools allows transportation companies to provide first class customer service with accurate times of arrival, exact vehicle locations and shorter service windows.

– Superior routing and dispatching: GPS fleet tracking systems provide efficient route planning with predictable scheduling which reduces driving time between destination points. The system also improves dispatching by preventing inaccuracies. It also improves communication between dispatchers and drivers.

– Maintenance management: Software management tools allows fleet managers to organize and stay on top of preventative maintenance schedules. Fleet managers can also set up reminders for all maintenance activities based on engine hours, mileage, engine hours or time.

– Improve driver safety: Enhance driver security and safety by monitoring driver behavior, tracking vehicle activity, and providing direct support and assistance to the driver.

– Competitive advantage: Transportation companies can gain a competitive advantage by implementing a GPS fleet tracking system with software management tools. The company will provide better service, reduce costs and increase the bottom line.

– Vehicle real-time tracking and location information. When a transportation company uses software management tools, they will always know where their vehicles and drivers are. In addition, they will be able to locate vehicles in the event they are lost or stolen with exact vehicle location details.

GoFleet offers a wide range of software management tools for transportation companies of all sizes. For more information about how your transportation company can benefit from a GoFleet fleet tracking system, Contact Us.

Survival Guide For Fleet Managers

Posted on | by Devin Johnson

Fleet Managers’ Survival Guide

In today’s tough economic economy, fleet managers face many stressful challenges from budgets being slashed to a greater demand on their drivers and fleet vehicles. For fleet managers to survive, they need to try to look for an upside in the down economy and learn to manage their stress.

Stress must be managed because it is extremely easy to become overwhelmed with fewer resources and greater responsibilities. If stress is not managed, it can lead to health issues, burnout and diminished job performance.

Lean On Your Vendors

Many vendors such as fleet management companies, specialty equipment manufactures and OEM representatives can provide additional assistance and knowledge that can make a fleet manager’s job a little easier. Often times there is no extra charge for the assistance these vendors provide.

Demonstrate The Value Of Your Fleet

Senior management often view their fleet department as a necessary cost center that doesn’t create a tangible value for the business. This misconception results in their fleet department becoming the primary target when budget cuts roll around

Fleet managers can help prevent this initial impulse by making the fleet department more visible to the business’ senior management. A good way to do this is to provide a regular report to management demonstrating the fleet’s impact on the business. Include important factors such as total vehicles, miles driven, cost per mile, fuel usage and the amount of money saved on fuel and operating cost.

Develop Expertise

Fleet managers must be knowledgeable and effective in many areas including contract negotiation, effective communication, crisis management, staff motivation, policy development and cost reduction. Fleet managers must be competent in all areas; however, it is helpful for them to specialize and become an expert in two or three areas.

Leverage Your Technology

Technology can be a fleet manager’s “best friend” when leveraged properly. Many fleet managers lean heavily on mobile devices such as laptops, iPhones, tablets or smartphones. These devices allow fleet managers to work from anywhere, manage drivers, and stay connected

In addition, GPS fleet management systems can really be a valuable tool for all fleet managers. These systems can be used to make fleet operations more visible, reduce fleet operating costs, manage driver behavior, organize fleet preventative maintenance, improve productivity and measure performance