If you’re in the trucking business, you know there’s a lot to keep track of when it comes to operational expenses whether you’re talking about paying for manpower, paying for maintenance or paying for fuel among other things.
If you’re looking for something to help keep those operation expenses in line, GPS tracking systems can be just what you’re looking for. Since it was first introduced in automobiles in 1996, GPS tracking systems and GPS tracking businesses have revolutionized the way everyday drivers and those who drive for a living navigate the roads.
Some of the benefits of GPS are obvious. You can navigate from Point A to Point B without having to bury your nose in a road map. But it can also be used in other useful ways. In the trucking business, GPS can help with navigation, it can track drivers and helping trucking businesses run more efficiently.
For trucking companies, the benefits of GPS and tracking systems include:
- Better productivity: Tracking equipment like a GPS helps truck driving agencies monitor driver behavior. That includes how fast they drive, where they drive and they’re driving patterns. If a driver is aware that their truck is equipped with tracking equipment, they’re more apt to be more productive and follow the rules of the road. Following the rules of the road and being a safe driver helps a company save time, money and get work done.
- Easier Logistics: For years and years, trucking companies the world over used manual log books to keep track of completed jobs and hours worked. One of the benefits of working with a GPS tracking business is that logistics are made a lot easier. Digital logs allow trucking companies to see how many hours each driver has worked, the stops made and a pattern of their driving habits, all in quick order. This is another way to help keep drivers honest and it allows companies to keep easier track of employees. The data that can be mined digital logs may be used by companies to monitor job performance and which drivers may be underperforming.
- Lower fuel and maintenance costs: As anyone who works for a trucking companies knows, fuel and maintenance costs can add up quickly when you’re managing a fleet of trucks. Maintenance costs associated with idling trucks can add up quickly 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. In fact, a truck idling for just two hours a day wastes about $800 a year per truck.
Anyway you add the numbers up, the loss of money and fuel can be a constant source of stress for any trucking company. A GPS tracking businesses can make things easier by equipping a fleet with tracking equipment that can save 25 miles a week worth of fuel for each truck it equips. - Better service: Any trucking company’s top priority is to make deliveries safely and on time. With a GPS vehicle tracking device, trucking companies are better able to deliver loads on time and provide better customer service across their wide networks. Tracking equipment installed by a GPS tracking business can help keep drivers updated on traffic conditions, enabling them to make changes to their routes in the case of traffic or construction.
GPS equipment can map out the most efficient routes to allow for timely deliveries. If a driver does change course, companies can be alerted and customers can be easily notified of any changes in their delivery status. - Fraud protection: For many years, trucking companies have been victims of unsubstantiated claims of fraud. With GPS tracking, companies will be better protected. GPS systems record all kinds of data, which can later be used by companies to push back against any allegations. Just one GPS can check stops made, routes taken, deliveries made and times where a driver was speeding.
There are a multitude of ways that tracking equipment such as trucking dispatch software can help a trucking company run more efficiently and make business a lot less stressful. A GPS can improve driving habits, help provide better customer service and help improve a trucking company’s logistics. truck