Some of the Ways GPS Tracking Technology Can Be Used to Maximize Business Efficiency and Reduce Costs
By Israel Ronn
With the current global financial crisis, companies large and small are looking for various ways to cut costs. Almost all businesses use some form of transportation, whether it is a company car for employees to use to get to appointments or a fleet of trucks to transport products. Especially for large fleet managers, monitoring dozens, hundreds or thousands, of trucks or other vehicles presents many challenges, fleet managers have to find methods to best meet the challenge at hand, and GPS-based tracking technology, used for a variety of functions in the industry, is a valuable tool.
What are some of the benefits of this tracking technology?
Tracking units installed inside the body of fleet vehicles, and sometimes integrated with the car computer, enable fleet managers to closely monitor a vehicle’s current location, fuel consumption, driving route efficiency, engine usage, among other options. With these tracking units, equipped with sensors (or CAN bus integrated) that send signals back to the management headquarters at a consistent frequency, managers have the capability to measure various aspects of a vehicle’s performance such as optimal speed, tire air pressure, and others that are influential on the use of gasoline.
Probably the most basic and most recognized ability of these tracking units enable managers to receive constant updates as to the exact location of their vehicles, at any given time. Knowledge of vehicular location can be used to assure that drivers are completing routes in the most direct and cost-efficient way, as well as to make sure goods and services are delivered on time.
Reducing fuel expenses is on every vehicular manager’s mind in unstable economic times. There are a number of variables that tracking units can easily track, that allow fleet managers to keep track of fuel use, and in turn enable them to make the proper adjustments. Monitoring optimal speed for fleet vehicles is one such method of reducing fuel expenses. Research has suggested that large trucks use less gasoline at lower speeds – this can be monitored closely leading to optimal fuel consumption.
Next, optimal air pressure in vehicle tiers has an influence on use of gasoline. Low air pressure causes a wider area of the tire to be in contact with the road. As a result, there is a higher resistance and an increased amount of required power needed to overcome that resistance – which of course means that more fuel is needed. Fleet Managers can consistently receive updates on the status of the air pressure in the tire, thereby allowing them to make changes accordingly.
Tracking units can also monitor temperatures of cargo to keep managers alert when they are transporting refrigerated items. The multi-million dollar industry for shipping refrigerated foods and other items benefits significantly from temperature sensors that enable fleet managers to receive constant updates as to the current temperature of their items, alerting them on any breached thresholds and any other application layer activities.
Finally, tracking technology serves as a valuable vehicle security tool. More advanced tracking systems have a security component that can control vehicles while stopped, including the power to disable a vehicle not in operation. As a result, cases of vehicle theft can be easily prevented. Furthermore, due to the technology that allows tracking units to locate a vehicle, or the cargo inside, at any given time, cooperation with law enforcement and security authorities is greatly maximized, and there have been many noted examples of stolen vehicles recovered due tracking technology.
How does this all work?
A multi-step process enables constant communication and monitoring between the vehicle (and of course the driver) and the fleet manager. The tracking unit’s sensor records a series of data about the vehicle, including the current vehicle location, vehicle speed, etc. At a predetermined frequency, the tracking unit in turn sends this information back to the fleet manager, all through an installed communications network that works over a cellular network. At the fleet management headquarters, the data is properly analyzed by using fleet management software with reporting and analysis capabilities, and the results can help determine the most effective ways to maximize vehicle performance and, as a result, reduce gasoline intake.
The current economic situation is very challenging for vehicle fleet managers. Telematics tracking technology can give fleet managers the ability to adapt at this time. Using what is available to them now, and as the technology develops further, tracking technology is clearly presenting continued options and methods to help managers best minimize expenses and increase performance.
Israel Ronn is General Manager of Cellocator, the Products Division of Pointer Telocation Ltd., (Nasdaq Capital Market: PNTR, Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange: PNTR) - a leading Automatic Vehicle Location solutions provider for fleet management, car and driver safety, public safety, roadside assistance, vehicle security and asset management. For more information, please visit http://www.pointer.com/.