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eTyres care about our customers. The
following article may be of interest.
GPS Tracking: An Executive Summary - Who,
What and Why
by Ken Sink
GPS vehicle tracking systems are a popular tool for
business owners; Original equipment manufacturers from
General Motors to Bobcat are including tracking systems
in their vehicles. Here's some background information to
help you.
Who uses GPS tracking? GPS tracking systems are used by
businesses in the service, transportation and
manufacturing industries. Businesses of all sizes, with
fleets of 1 to thousands of vehicles, rely upon their
tracking systems to add to their profitability.
Types of businesses using GPS tracking:
* Contractors who provide HVAC, plumbing or electrical
services
* Limousine and taxi companies
* Uniform / Linen Services
* Food and Beverage Distributors
* Street Sweepers
* Pest Management Services
* Snow Plow Services
* Car Carriers
* Landscaping and Irrigation contractors
* Cable Company Contractors
* Bulk and Route Delivery
* Fuel / Oil Haulers
* Hazmat and/or Chemical Haulers
* Produce / Perishable Delivery
* Utility companies
* City, county and state motor pool fleets
What is it? GPS tracking systems consist of a device
installed in the vehicle, a central server and software
for the owner to access the information.
All GPS tracking devices use data from the U.S.
Government's constellation of Global Positioning System
satellites to determine a vehicle's location, speed and
direction of travel.
The tracking device transmits data from GPS satellites
overhead to a central computer server via either a
communications satellite or, more often, via the local
cellular phone network. The vehicle data is updated
every 2 - 15 minutes, depending upon the owner's
preferences and manufacturer's settings.
The central server makes the tracking data available to
the system owner through the Internet. The owner logs
onto the tracking company's secure web server and sees
their vehicle data on a map and in text form. Some
tracking companies make the data available for download,
so the owner could archive it on their own computer.
Why do they use it? Users of GPS tracking systems have
many reasons why they've installed them:
1. Tracking systems reduce vehicle costs by targeting
speeding employees, who waste fuel, cause excessive
engine wear and ultimately, drive up insurance rates.
2. Using the system's automatic mileage reminder reduces
downtime and enhances vehicle resale values by
encouraging scheduled, preventative maintenance. Your
tracking system will remind you when it's time to rotate
tires, change oil or perform other scheduled
maintenance.
3. Many insurance companies offer discounts of up to 30%
for vehicles protected with tracking systems.
4. Productivity is improved by: a. documenting long
lunch hours, b. exposing unauthorized breaks, c.
comparing driver overtime requests with system reports
of driver activity, d. logging personal vehicle use
after hours or on weekends.
5. GPS tracking systems improve customer service by
showing you which employee is closest to the client who
just called. WOW your customers--give them precise
arrival or delivery estimates, based upon the actual
location of your vehicles at the moment they call.
6. Your system can tell you the exact time and date each
employee reached each customer. If a customer questions
when your employee arrived or left --prove it to them.
7. Is one employee more productive than another? --Check
the data. Is it time to add a vehicle? --Use your system
and there's no more guessing.
8. Use your system to correlate overtime performed with
your employees' overtime requests. See who is putting in
extra time.
9. Never make another phone call to find out where your
employees say they are.
10. Simplify asset management by displaying everything
on one computer screen. Make work easier for your
dispatcher.
11. Tracking systems work without any input from the
driver. No driver logs needed.
Purchasers of GPS vehicle tracking systems say they
recover their investment in an average of six - 12
months, by both reducing expenses and improving
productivity. While some users recoup their entire
investment at one time by recovering a stolen vehicle,
most users are repaid more gradually.
About the Author
Ken Sink, owner of My Vehicle WatchDog, is a veteran
with 20+ years of transportation experience, including
fleet management of over 800 vehicles. Visit
http://www.MyVehicleWatchDog.Info for more information
about GPS vehicle tracking systems from Fleet Management
Solutions, Networkfleet and Sprint/Nextel. Submit your
info for a quick, no-obligation system quote. Quantity
discounts for volume purchases. |
