GPS fleet tracking systems are comprised of hardware that is installed on vehicles to track locations, monitor driver behavior, and to generate vehicle diagnostics. They also include software that the data is relayed to in real-time via satellite. The system allows fleet owners or operators to track the location of their vehicles such as delivery trucks, observe driver behavior, manage routes, issue status reports, and to comply with legal requirements. They also save on costs such as fuel and labor and allow for timely delivery and easy communication between the driver and office.
Here are some factors to consider when choosing a GPS fleet tracking system:
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The needs of your business
The needs of the business are paramount and should guide your choice of a fleet tracking system. A good starting point is to ask each department what information about the fleet they need to get from the system. You also need to identify the problems related to your fleet that you want the system to help you tackle. You and your team should ask yourselves, “Why do we need GPS? What are our goals?” After having answered those questions, you should choose a system that helps your business solve the problems or meet its goal, whether it is saving on fuel costs, improving fleet safety, making timely deliveries and giving better customer service, and so on.
Whatever your business needs are, you can get the best GPS fleet tracking systems from reliable vendors like Eyerideonline, who have great expertise and experience.
GPS costs and contracts
Of course, GPS tracking systems come at a cost, and the prices vary from one system to another. You could opt for a one-size-fits-all approach where the costs are driven by the size of your fleet and the features that you need in your system. Most GPS vendors price their services on a month-to-month basis. Some vendors may provide free hardware while others charge on a per-user basis. You could also look into pay-as-you-go plans or vendors who charge annual subscriptions. You should go for a GPS that is within your budget and meets your company needs. It is also worth noting that although some services do not require long-term contracts, some may require annual or multi-year contracts.
Customizable dashboard
With GPS fleet tracking systems monitoring several things, your dashboard could easily get cluttered, so go for a system that has a customizable dashboard so you only have the necessary metrics when you log in. Some of the key metrics include the location, speed, emergencies, action items, and any others that you deem necessary. Some service providers let users choose the data they need and how detailed they want it, so you can choose such systems and customize it to meet your needs.
Signal and uptime
GPS data is transmitted via satellite, so it is critical to choose a provider whose signal and uptime are reliable. Information like the area of coverage and uptime can be found on the vendors’ website, but you need to do independent research by asking for reports on any technical outages and downtimes.
Mobile access
Since you may not always be at your desk, look for providers who have mobile apps and web-based services for their GPS fleet tracking systems so that you can monitor your vehicles or communicate with the drivers on the go.
Conclusion
You may also need to consider other factors like customer support of your provider so you can work with the one with the best support. The ease of integration of the system with third-party systems is also important so that you can integrate the GPS with preexisting systems in your company to work seamlessly together.
