GPS Asset Trackers – Everything You Need To Know!

 What is your biggest capital expenditures for your business? Facilities, raw materials, fuel and equipment will likely top the list. But keeping track of company vehicles can also be a frustrating task because when a business owner is in the shop, company cars, trucks and vans are in the field. With so much time and labor being dedicated to keep drivers moving efficiently and operations moving smoothly, what is the answer to keeping track of employees who are working in the field? The answer comes in GPS tracking technology.

 

A key solution to mobile asset management is to utilize GPS tracking technology whether that be in the form of a wireless GPS tracker or front and rear dual dash cam. With these vehicle management systems in place, countless businesses have cut costs, boosted workforce morale and pleased customers with their timely service.

 

Brief History Of GPS Trackers For Businesses

 

In the early to mid-1990s, GPS units first appeared in the market for business use. The first portable GPS trackers were bulky, slow to update, and generally required an external antenna. Needless to say, the large companies that were the first to embrace mobile asset management technology didn’t have access to the mini GPS vehicle tracking systems of today that can easily be hidden on a car and update as fast as every 3 seconds. At that time, GPS car trackers were too pricey for small and medium-sized businesses. Upper management at even the largest of corporations had to think long and hard about mobile asset management systems because one of the most important rules of business success is Return on Investment (ROI). And honestly, the high cost of GPS fleet trackers and complicated online software didn’t result in companies investing in GPS fleet management systems.

 

Fortunately, before the decade passed, car tracking devices became much smaller, more sophisticated and with that, more cost-effective and user-friendly. The marketplace shifted, and businesses began seeing real time GPS as a necessity versus a luxury. Today, businesses of all sizes, including Fortune 500 companies, the Mom and Pop flower shop, and the independent salesman, call upon GPS asset trackers to manage company vehicles, protect equipment, and document milage.

 

 

Passive GPS Tracking

Real-Time GPS Tracking

 

Fleet managers no longer have to guess where their mobile assets are located, or wait and hope for their drivers to call in a progress report. Satellites in space send GPS signals to a GPS receiver that is located in the vehicle. Not only do GPS tracking systems report where that vehicle is from moment to moment, they also note direction, mileage, altitude and speed. The addresses of stops, arrival times, departure times and other information are also available. For example, an OBD2 GPS tracker can provide vehicle maintenance records, diagnostic information, vehicle idling data, and harsh braking.

 

GPS fleet management incorporate either passive (data logger) or active (real time GPS) tracking devices. In the case of GPS data loggers, GPS data is recorded on the device itself and the viewer downloads it to PC once the vehicle reports back to home base. ON the other hand, real time GPS trackers combine satellite GPS tracking with a cellular communications system. The online GPS tracking location data is captured by the receiver in the vehicle, then it is transmitted through a wireless network to be viewed on a remote computer, and increasingly, on a cell phone with Internet capability. What does all the mean? That the user can watch the vehicle as it progresses on its route. This makes it easy to recovery a stolen vehicle, track a teen driver, or keep a senior safe via personal GPS tracking application.

 

Both real time GPS and passive vehicle tracking systems are used by businesses for mobile asset fleet management. They help a company run leaner. Each tracking system has unique benefits and manufacturers are regularly introducing new GPS tracking applications. Whether this is a GPS tracker with magnet, GPS tracker with starter disable, or ELD mandate tracking system.

 

How GPS Data Loggers Help Mobile Asset Management

 

Passive GPS data loggers help managers route drivers and schedule stops. They can reduce the overlap or repetition of trips and control downtime. Drivers can be monitored for doing personal errands on work time, or exceeding their daily driving limits. Human errors and mechanical failures can be avoided. Passive vehicle tracking systems are an accurate and dependable method of mobile asset management. At one time, a long-haul trucker would have to keep a hand-written record of his mileage and deliveries. A passive GPS tracking system gives a much more accurate accounting of the same information. The reports can be used for financial audits, tax preparation, payroll and billing. Detailed GPS tracking reports can save time and labor when calculating profit margins and preparing budgets.

 

Live GPS trackers can also send speed alerts and geofence alerts, features that can increase safe driving behaviors that will reduce potential liabilities.

 

 

Vehicle tracking reports are valuable in the garage as well as the front office. Trucking companies, car rental agencies, taxi firms and other businesses with large fleets use passive GPS tracking to calculate when vehicles require preventative maintenance. Rotating tires, changing oil, checking belts and doing other tasks on a regular basis extend a vehicle’s life. The best part? GPS data loggers require no subscription fees or activation fees!

 

Because no monthly fee GPS trackers report speeding and other poor driving habits, business owners could try to get drivers to correct those habits and therefore lower insurance rates.

 

How Real Time GPS Trackers Help GPS Fleet Tracking

 

Active or real-time GPS car trackers have an undeniable benefit to the business owner: recovering stolen vehicles. Mobile asset management with active vehicle tracking greatly reduces the chances of vehicle theft. Many insurance companies offer lower rates when such systems are installed. However, a GPS vehicle tracker can provide more than an extra layer of security when it comes to anti-theft recovery.

 

With vehicle trackers equipped on assets, fleet managers can view all equipment and vehicles  at the same time on the map on computer. This makes it easy for dispatchers to assign service calls to the nearest driver and be more accurate with delivery times. This can be especially helpful for HVAC businesses and other service-based companies. With real time GPS tracking, any vehicle that strays from its route can be reassigned, with a minimum reduction in service. When the delivery of products and services is streamlined, both customer satisfaction and worker productivity can be increased.

 

 

1. Everlast GPS Tracker by Tracking System Direct
2. SpaceHawk by GPS Tracker Shop
3. SpyTec GL300
4. Vyncs GPS Tracker
5. Spark Nano 7 by Brickhouse Security
6. LandAirSea GPS 54
7. Trackport OBDii GPS

 

So who are some of the businesses that call upon GPS asset tracking devices for fleet management? One business is natural gas utility company SEMCO Energy who uses real time GPS vehicle trackers for its mobile asset management. The company has about 250,000 gas customers in the state of Michigan. Its hardwired GPS trackers are used to route logistics drivers to suppliers and customers; and the company monitors employees in real time as they go about their repairs and deliveries.

 

Another Fortune 500 company is wholesale distributor of beer and ale American Eagle Distributing Company chose passive trackers and dual dash cams. The Loveland, CO company uses GPS monitoring to document when deliveries were made and to make sure their drivers are working at optimum efficiency. The truck GPS trackers can also be used if a driver is ever involved in a motor vehicle accident where the GPS data can be used to show a driver was not speeding.

 

The proper GPS tracking system can help businesses of any size save money. Company vehicles are a big-ticket item, but managing employees is even more important. GPS fleet management allows a business owner to monitor his field vehicles at any time, even when they are separated by a distance. This is something all companies, founders, and fleet managers should do more research on.