Category: GPS Tracking Benefits

Importance of Selecting the Right Telematics Harness

The right telematics harness matters; it helps maximize the richness of the telematics data, reduce your liabilities, and optimize installation time. This article touches on the three main benefits of choosing the right telematics harness and how it can make a difference.

Data Richness

GoFleet, in partner with Geotab, provides a “proprietary” data harness that gives end-users the most in-depth and detailed data possible. For example, it allows your GPS tracking device to tap into the manufacturers proprietary data bus which is where the information below is typically kept:

• Odometer
• Seatbelt
• Engine-hour data

Optimize Installation Time

Using the proper harness helps installers mount the GPS tracking unit in the optimal location when performing activities, such as following the best route path. Furthermore it is important to help avoid brake and gas pedals, steering columns and high traffic areas for obvious safety reasons. T type harnesses limit tampering, help avoid GPS monitoring detection and allow mechanics to scan vehicles directly.

Liability Reduction

GoFleet’s harnesses (by Geotab) simply work. There is no chance of mis-wiring, over-current, or reflection issues, which can happen when a harness is too long for the vehicles network. Improperly wired or designed harnesses can cause a host of mechanical and electrical issues which can seriously increase a company’s liability. It is important for end-users to work with a reliable organization that is committed to engineering innovation.

For more information on the GoFleet solution, in partner with Geotab, that powers some of the top fleets in North America (such as UPS), please fill out our contact form.

GoFleet is not just another GPS Fleet Tracking company, we are interested in optimizing the way you do business. We work with you to ensure you get a quick ROI from our solution and truly see all the benefits GPS tracking can offer.

Original Article Written by: John Kyes, Development at Geotab
https://www.geotab.com/blog/top-3-benefits-of-choosing-the-right-telematics-harness/

• • Save Fuel

Fuel gets wasted from poor driving behavior (like speeding), unnecessary idling and unnecessary miles driven that a GPS fleet tracking system can help identify. Our customers have reported anywhere from 12-30% savings on fuel after implementing our system.

• • Increase Productivity

Optimize driving routes; find the shortest routes with the least amount of traffic to get to destinations faster. Get to your customers on time and send the closest drivers to the closest call.

• • Improve Vehicle Maintenance

Without a fleet management system vehicles are usually either serviced at regular intervals or service is forgotten altogether. This can cause a few problems, either the vehicles are getting serviced when no maintenance is actually needed or vehicles are overdue on their maintenance. With our fleet management system you can set up alerts for maintenance and the system will alert you of any engine faults. You will no longer need to pay high priced mechanics to find out what is wrong, our software can tell you.

• • Reduce Labor Costs

Time is money and with our fleet management system get accurate records of driver hours. Eliminating manual time sheets will please your drivers and your administrative staff.

• • Increase Driver Safety

Eliminate speeding, rapid acceleration and harsh braking. Fleet managers will be able to access important data about driver behavior and can identify pain areas to discuss with their drivers. Our in-vehicle driver training ‘beeps’ will also alert drivers immediately of any poor behavior allowing them to correct the negative actions themselves.

• • Prevent Unauthorized Vehicle Use

Unauthorized and after-hour use of the company vehicles can be easily identified and controlled with real-time data and alerts from our fleet management system.

• • Plan Routes Efficiently

GPS tracking technology allows fleet dispatchers to use real-time location for time-sensitive dispatching. It enables dispatchers to identify any delivery/service route overlaps and difficult traffic areas to avoid.

• • Reduce Insurance Costs and Liability

Many insurance companies offer discounts to businesses taking advantage of GPS tracking technology. Also, fleet management systems can reduce liability from worker’s compensation costs and accident claims. GoFleet has a partnership with Mutual Liberty and can offer between a 10-40% discount for fleets of 20 or more.

• • Optimize Customer Service

Real time tracking makes serving your customers easier. Know which driver to send, where they are and when they will arrive to the destination. The GPS tracking data can be used to verify driver deliveries and the amount of time spent at each location. The system also removes all customer vs. driver disputes by providing the real facts.

GPS fleet tracking does much more than simply ‘tracking’. Of course this feature is great but with all the advanced reporting technology, driver coaching, and alerts that come along with it your company will realize a return on investment and overall business optimization in no time.

Telematics Benefits

The potential of telematics, also known as GPS fleet tracking, is huge. Think of it as a mobile phone for vehicles, it can tell you where it is and what it’s doing whenever the vehicle is running.

• You Can’t Manage What You Can’t Measure. With telematics you can determine a vehicles mileage, performance, location and speed and compare it to other similar vehicles or vehicles in your fleet to gauge performance. For fleet managers to properly understand and enhance their metrics, telematics is key.

• Competitive Edge. From limousine services to national delivery companies, if your business uses vehicles for day-to-day operations it can benefit from gps vehicle tracking. Telematics allows businesses to improve response time, plan routes to spend less time driving, and of course lower fuel and maintenance costs. Gain competitive edge over the competition with GPS fleet tracking.

• Cheaper Insurance. GoFleet has developed a partnership with Mutual Liberty and can offer a discount between 10-40% for fleets of 20 or more (US based customers). There are also many other insurance companies that will often offer discounts if you provide them with a snapshot of your drivers information. This way they are in a better position to offer competitive quotes for good driver behavior.

• Improved Dispatch and Customer Service. Telematics allows you to improve efficiency and response time. Make your customers happy and keep them coming back to you for future services. Enhance and improve your sales, lower costs and increase profits.

• Maintenance Management. With the help of telematics never miss another oil change or tire rotation again. You can set up maintenance reminders and alerts to be notified when maintenance needs to be done on each vehicle. Since the devices plug right into the vehicles computer (ECM), you will also be able to see the same messages the mechanic would see and get notified of any engine faults. You can fix any issues before they become something serious.

For more information on GPS tracking and telematics, contact us!

GPS Fleet Tracking Systems: Common Myths

GPS Tracking often gets a bad name. Many employees may feel uncomfortable with GPS fleet tracking systems being installed on their vehicle. Employers may feel it is simply too expensive and they will not have the time to make it beneficial. These are just a few of the myths that will be covered in this article. Fleet tracking is implemented to help everyone. Not just the employer, the employees, and business as a whole.

1. We Trust Our Employees Therefore Have No Need For GPS Fleet Tracking.

GPS fleet tracking systems are not intended to monitor your employees’ every little move. It is geared to reduce operating costs and inefficiencies in the field. GPS tracking systems have been proven to reduce maintenance and fuel costs, optimize dispatching and routing, increase response time and accuracy to customers, and provide safety and security for drivers.

• In general you know you can trust your employees, but without GPS tracking how can you be sure?
• Do you know how much your vehicles are being used for personal use?
• If company vehicles are being used for personal use then aren’t employees using your gas and creating wear on your vehicles? What is this costing your company?
• Are your employees doing work on the side, with your company’s vehicle?
• Is your company being put at risk by employees doing work on the side in your vehicle?
• Without a GPS tracking system, how much is this potentially costing your company in wasted fuel and wasted time?

2. GPS Fleet Tracking Systems Are Complicated to Use And Install.

As long as the tracking system you are interested in purchasing is plug and play, it’s easy to install. There is no messy wiring or complicated installation. When it comes to using the system, make sure your vendor is willing to work with you to learn the ins and outs of the software. This includes:

• Get you started and teach you the basics of the system
• Show you how to interpret data and apply it to save on fuel and operational costs
• Provide any support you need throughout the ENTIRE time the service is provided to you NOT just when the system is first implemented
• Have available technical and sales support to cover any issues you may be having

3. Our Drivers Will Quit if we Install GPS Fleet Tracking.

Our personal experience with a vast customer base proves this theory untrue. You would be surprised at how much some employees depend on GPS tracking for time card verification, routing information, roadside assistance and verification between any customer and driver disputes. GPS fleet tracking systems often eliminate annoying and time-consuming paper work for drivers and provide extra security.

GPS Tracking aims to benefit the company as a whole, it is not used to get drivers in trouble. It can help:

• Verify and possibly reward good behavior
• Proof of delivery and length of service calls. For example: verify employees word when held against customer word
• Increase driver safety
• Provide proof of meeting performance goals

4. GPS Fleet Tracking Systems Are Not Affordable

Of course cost is an understandable concern to have. GPS tracking systems normally require a monthly fee and an investment in hardware for each vehicle. Even though these costs may not seem like a necessary expense the system will not only preform necessary tracking of your vehicles but will also identify bad practices that cost companies up to thousands of dollars every month. These expenses include: Excess idling, poor driving habits (reckless driving), excess overtime, vehicle maintenance, inefficient routing, side trips and more. The costs of these monthly reoccurring inefficiencies quite often exceed the monthly investment of a GPS tracking system. Return on investment happens as early as the first couple months for some companies.

• Many companies can’t afford NOT to implement a GPS tracking system.
• ROI usually happens within one to three months of investment
• Only the first month payment is considered capital outlay. The system then becomes an operating expense rather than a capital cost and often businesses can receive a tax deduction.
• Without implementing the system, how much is wasted time and fuel costing your company?

5. All GPS Systems Are The Same.

Many business owners may think that GPS tracking alone (knowing where their vehicles are at all times) is good enough. If you are only utilizing GPS fleet tracking systems to track your vehicles you are missing out on all the other great features. The business optimizing potential of the system is huge and goes well beyond just simple tracking.

Many GPS tracking providers will only set up the basic tracking capabilities and refuse to make the commitment in helping customers to use this technology to its full potential. When choosing GPS fleet tracking for your business make sure your future provider has an interest in learning about your business, the goals you hope to achieve, and the money you want to save through the system.

There is some truth to the myth of all GPS fleet tracking systems being the same; many providers may sell a similar technology but the true value comes in the relationship you build with that provider over time. A Fleet Coordinator states:

“Not only did I find that we were overpaying for an antiquated technology from our previous provider, but also that we were way behind in ease of installation, functionality, and reporting options. It wasn’t long before we saw what fleet tracking could really do for us thanks to GoFleet. The ease of plug & play technology, custom reporting that goes beyond “the norm”, and perhaps my favorite part, talking to the same person every time I call!”

6. GPS Fleet Tracking Systems Are Not a Necessity

Fleet managers and business owners often think they can track their drivers well enough through cell phone communication.

A cell phone may be a valuable tool but it cannot provide anywhere near the amount of useful information a tracking system can such as: engine status, real-time vehicle location, history of stops, stop times, and many other valuable metrics including fuel consumption, mileage and speeding.

If you think cell phones can track your drivers well enough, ask yourself these questions:

• Do some drivers give you the answers you want to hear, instead of their actual location?
• What about those drivers who don’t even know where they are?
• How much of your own time is wasted asking your drivers for their location?
• How much is your company wasting on time and fuel?

7. We Are All Too Busy To Use GPS Fleet Tracking Systems

If you relate to this statement then it is a warning sign your business is no longer under control. Instead of you running your business, it is now running you.

Are you currently paying supervisors to watch over the workers? Can you afford to pay employees to watch over other employees? GPS will automatically monitor employees and can send you up to date alerts automatically. GPS fleet tracking systems are easy to get set up and running, right away.

For more information on GPS tracking, pricing, or to sign up for a free 30 day trial, please email [email protected].

Reduce Breakdowns and Improve Maintenance Management with Fleet Tracking Software

Regular breakdown maintenance reduces costs in the long run by guarding against preventable damage through wear and tear. Vehicles that are regularly serviced are also more fuel efficient. Fleet Tracking Software takes the guess work out of maintenance ensuring all maintenance is kept up to date and done on time.

However, it is vital to ensure you have control of your maintenance costs and our GPS fleet tracking software helps you be in control. If your fleet is made up of new vehicles, put a clear process in place to claim back costs through manufacturer warranties where this is applicable.

An educational program for drivers highlighting the need to make repairs early can also generate cost savings. It is more cost effective to repair a small chip in a windscreen or a small scratch on bodywork than it is to replace the entire windscreen or repair a scratch that has been allowed to become rusty. This also protects against end of life recharges from your leasing company as well.

Action Steps:

Itemize a priority list of maintenance reminders for your fleet and date/odometer of the last maintenance event for each vehicle.

Major Reminders Include:

• Oil Changes & Filters
• Tire Services
• Winterization
• Surface/Electrical/Hose Inspections
• License & Certification Renewals

Setup these reminders for vehicles with our fleet tracking software, MyGeotab: Video Tutorial to Setup Fleet Maintenance Reminders.

Setup Scheduled Maintenance Reminders / Vehicle Diagnostic Reports for maintenance persons (or drivers if they are responsible for maintaining their vehicles) on a weekly/monthly basis.

Have reminders updated in MyGeotab as service and reminders are completed.

ENHANCED MAINTENANCE ADD-ON: Running a large fleet with maintenance staff? Need to get organized? Get an enhanced integrated maintenance management system with GoFleet using FIIX CMMS. This add-on allows you to complete work orders, manage parts and inventory and also integrates with odometer/engine hour data directly from MyGeotab. Email [email protected] for more information.

GPS Tracking Benefits For Your Business

GPS Tracking is a system of which an increasing number of businesses are choosing to take advantage. The benefits are plentiful and varied and the following are just a few examples of the way in which you can expect GPS tracking to improve your business.

Reduction in costs

As all businesses will be aware, one of the most important aspects is to keep the costs down whenever possible. A GPS tracking system will help to achieve through a number of ways including the driver scorecard that ensures efficient use of fuel and the GPS tracking system that ensures that all vehicles are located where they should be.

Improved customer service

Through keeping all drivers on track and on route, businesses have found a significant increase in productivity and therefore a more efficient customer service.

Safer driving environment

Drivers are alerted by beeps when they are speeding and are provided with engine diagnostics to increase their safety.

Improved performance

Using GPS tracking to record data from your drivers and to pin point the location of all vehicles on the road offer all of these different benefits, which ultimately results in an improved overall business performance.

Still in the process of deciding on a GPS tracking service provider? This article can help: Choosing GPS Fleet Tracking

Who can benefit from Plug and Play GPS?

Plug and Play GPS refers to a form of tracking system that allows assets such as vehicles to be tracked, so that the exact location is known in real time. As the name suggests plug and play, is incredibly easy to use and offers very simple installation.You literally plug it in and it’s more or less up and running. Technical knowledge is not a necessity and there is no hard ware or wiring to worry about before you can get started. The simplicity and ease of use that is offered by plug and play GPS is obviously its primary benefits and one that comes in very useful to just about anyone.

Those people that are going to most benefit from plug and play GPS include both individual drivers and also whole companies or businesses. As far as the driver is concerned there is no need to worry about learning how to use some complicated software or the installation of the device into his vehicle. Most of the data that is recorded and the functions that are integrated run automatically and there is minimal activity required from the driver. As far as the business as a whole is concerned, with the use of plug and play all vehicles or assets can be equipped with a plug and play device very quickly and easily allowing them to see the data and reap the benefits immediately.

For more information on Plug and Play GPS & Employee GPS Tracking contact [email protected].