The modern fleet tracking system for vehicles was envisioned for the shipping industry originally to track the exact location of their vehicles at any given time by businesses and companies. This led to the need of keeping tabs on fleet vehicles, also known as a global positioning system (GPS), used for tracking and monitoring the fleet vehicles. When the GPS fleet management system devices are installed, they start recording valuable vehicle data that helps the owners of the fleet to improve driving habits for implementing cost-saving methods and enhance employee productivity by revamping routine activities. Thus, GPS fleet tracking software acts as a personal fleet manager who sits on the passenger seat for monitoring the vehicles and drivers.

Your personal fleet manager – GPS vehicle tracking system

The GPS vehicle tracking systems make fleet management very easy and improve workflow by potentially raising the productivity of the fleet and vehicle utilization while reducing fuel consumption, idle time, miles are driven, and overtime. Using features like accident tracking, roadside assistance, attendance tracking, anti-theft services, and setting up time clock, operations can be improved considerably. Online taxi booking apps are also making use of GPS vehicle tracking technology to manage their fleet.

Vehicle telematics technology

GPS vehicle tracking is an integral part of the ingenious vehicle telematics technology. The telematics technology is a black box that converts wireless information into useful data. Apart from GPS, the telematics technology includes cellular data modem, backup battery, and connection to sensors, making telematics digitalized. This is what makes it apt for smart fleet management systems of today.

Easy scalability

Scalability is not an issue with GPS vehicle tracking systems as they can deliver results for all sizes and types of fleets. Your service business may range from 10 to 10,000 vehicles; or you may be running a state-wide public agency still more cars, trucks, or/ and in-field assets; or may be something in between, but GPS vehicle tracking helps you manage the costs and operate the entire fleet more efficiently.

Smart fleet management systems

Telematics that form smart fleet management system of today includes not only GPS, but also cloud storage, computing, IoT devices, sensors, engine diagnostic tools (OBD), and 4th generation data networks.

By leveraging on telematics from each fleet vehicle, GPS vehicle tracking empowers smart fleet management systems that improve driver safety by monitoring speed, hard brakes, or other risky driving habits. It also provides roadside assistance for routing drivers more efficiently and helping in on-time deliveries and improved customer services. Smart fleet management systems also facilitate a reduction in greenhouse emissions and achievement of other environmental goals. Attendance can be tracked, and time clock can be set using these systems. Moreover, this technology prevents theft and increases revenues by bringing in more business without any need for more drivers or vehicles and gain a competitive advantage by improving overall fleet efficiency.

These smart fleet management systems have given birth to many applications, the most popular being the real-time vehicle tracking.

Real-time vehicle tracking

The location-based information of the vehicle is tracked in the form of its geometrical coordinates, speed, and other performance metrics, using an onboard GPS unit in combination with a compatible adapter fixed under the seat of the driver. Real-time movement of vehicles can then be tracked on a map by any person who has access to that cloud using a mobile or web app. You receive mobile alerts when the car starts and can spot the car as it moves on the map. However, it is difficult to spot an over-speeding driver on a large map. You can also opt for receiving push notifications as vehicle and performance alerts.

Asset tracking – GPS and IoT devices

In any logistic business, tracking the assets a vehicle is carrying is as important as tracking the location of the vehicle. Real-time location tracking of assets in the field or on the road is important. Logistic companies can thus use GPS, IoT devices, and sensors that may be installed in the assets that may be fixed or mobile. These include large equipment, generators, trailers, etc.

Performance tracking – GPS and OBD

Real-time tracking and reporting of fuel usage, emissions, along with other vehicle and engine performance metrics are possible with the everyday data GPS units. The fleet operator can alter routes based on the above metrics to save fuel decrease emissions, or to make maximum use of metrics obtained., thus increasing the overall efficiency of the fleet.

Data analytics

Apart from the real-time data, fleet management systems store a lot of data locally in the vehicles and in cloud storage. This data may be ignored as it is in raw form but can provide interesting insights into the operation of the fleet in tabulated form and interactive graphs, that can be read by analytics software. This can give valuable comparative information related to the progress or decline of your operations.

‘Big Data’ analytics

The presumed raw, useless data collected over the years from vehicle telematics may span 100s of TB or even PB in volume. Using Big Data techniques, you can obtain a bigger picture overview of the performance of your fleet using the robust reporting capabilities of the GPS vehicle tracking systems. Many built-in reports within the fleet management system provide detailed data on fleet activity, emissions, gas usage to idle time, instances of over speeding, and much more. You can perform advanced analysis and frame policies using these reports.

Fleet administrators can manage data in ways that meet fleet management requirements like filtering reports of any vehicle, asset, or performance parameter; scheduling daily, weekly, or monthly reports; setting report parameters; viewing comprehensive reports on discrete vehicle performance metrics and inclusive reports for evaluating trends and categorizing prospects of improvement of total fleet performance.

Real-time notifications, emails, and SMS alerts

GPS vehicle tracking systems offer real-time alerts to improve the crucial view of fleet vehicles and those driving it. These alerts may be channelled to customers, drivers, supervisors, or the management team. This facilitates right information at right time to help the management team take quick and apt decisions. This unparalleled control makes the management team make calculated moves for achieving operation efficiency, decreased costs, and high productivity.

Transformation in fleet management

In daily fleet operations, fuel and salaries alone account for more than half of the expenses and the remaining half is accounted by cover, repairs, maintenance, emissions inspections, and additional operational expenses. Productivity and efficiency are greatly enhanced with the use of telematics system in fleet management. Fleet management companies can increase outputs and prevent wastage more efficiently with a fleet of the same size and make their drivers happy and more vigilant. The amount spent by the fleet company on predictive maintenance tasks and repairs is reduced, and they need to pay a lower insurance premium.

With their GPS vehicle tracking solution, Android app developers in Dublin have enabled many fleets to accomplish this result on a daily basis. Eventually, all fleet owners and managers will opt for the smart fleet management system to enhance productivity and efficiency.