Keeping track of vehicles, driver behavior, and fuel consumption is important for transportation and distribution companies, as their revenue depends heavily on these vehicles. A challenge that fleet managers face is that these responsibilities can be overwhelming. This challenge can be solved by employing a vehicle tracking system, which gives a complete picture of their fleet and comprehensive monitoring of vehicle and driver locations.
These systems use telematics technology and tools consisting of GPS trackers that relay the vehicle’s location and data in real-time. In addition to location tracking, this article explores how these systems work and what benefits they can provide for businesses.
Understanding Vehicle Tracking Systems
A vehicle tracking system, sometimes known as a fleet management system, is a software system usually used by transport companies to locate their vehicles. By employing GPS, a satellite-based radio navigation system that includes ground stations, receivers, and satellites, the system can determine the vehicle’s location. This data includes:
- Distance traveled by a vehicle
- Live location of the vehicle
- Time and direction in which the vehicle traveled
- Speed of the vehicle
By using a cellular or wireless network, this information is transmitted to a centralized platform where fleet managers can monitor the vehicle performance.
Benefits of a Vehicle Tracking System
This type of technology is mainly used for the safety of vehicles, to reduce expenses and fuel consumption, and to help companies and fleet managers keep drivers accountable for their risky behaviors, like harsh braking or speeding. Vehicle tracking systems like Quartix provide numerous benefits. You can track your vehicles with Quartix vehicle tracking to streamline fleet operations. Some of the benefits include:
1. Improves Fleet Management
GPS tracking systems are reliable and very beneficial in improving overall fleet management. The following factors play a role in making fleet management more efficient.
- Task allocation: Having precise data about the vehicles’ location allows fleet managers to assign the right task to the right vehicle. This leads to efficient and informed decision-making, optimizing vehicle utilization.
- Route optimization: To avoid wasting time and resources on unnecessary detours, tracking lets you plot out the most efficient routes for drivers, reducing delivery time and fuel consumption.
- Environmental cost: Besides reducing cost, GPS tracking helps contribute to a greener and more sustainable fleet operation by optimizing routes and cutting unnecessary mileage.
2. Improves Safety and Driver Accountability
When drivers are being monitored, they tend to drive more safely. The accelerometer in the GPS can detect how they are driving the vehicles and alert the managers in case of overspeeding or harsh braking.
They further help with the safety of vehicles and drivers in case of a theft or an accident. These systems include geofencing, which lets you form virtual boundaries. If they move a vehicle outside those predefined boundaries, managers are alerted about unauthorized access.
If a vehicle does get stolen, the real-time data provided by the system helps you keep an eye on its movements, which makes it easier and quicker to track and recover it. Live location and data provided by the tracking system help with gaining quick response and assistance when an accident occurs.
Endnote
Businesses and companies can overcome the challenges of on-road operations by using the right software. Tracking systems’ valuable insights about drivers and vehicles really help streamline operations and ensure the safety of both the vehicles and the drivers.
