subject: Using Gps Trackers To Aid In Fleet Vehicle Management [print this page] Many businesses, as well as state agencies such as the post office, use what are called fleet vehicles to perform their deliveries and do other work. Such vehicles include mail trucks, taxi cabs, vans, and eighteen- wheelers. A single fleet may consist of hundreds or even thousands of vehicles, which may be involved in an accident, damaged, or stolen. Such risks, however, can be minimized through effective fleet management, a large part - and the most basic component - of which involves vehicle tracking.
GPS trackers are among the most common methods of automatic vehicle tracking. (Incidentally, it is also commonly used by private citizens to avoid getting lost as well as locating their vehicles if stolen.) The tracking device is installed into the vehicle, and uses signals sent from satellites to capture its present location coordinates.
A higher-end GPS can be linked to the on board diagnostics and can obtain and transmit information about fuel levels, tire pressure, engine temperature, battery power remaining, idling time, whether the ignition is on or off, the altitude, RPM, and more. All of these things are sent at fixed intervals to a centrally- located server, where it is securely stored and can be accessed by the user at any time. The GPS tracking system also includes a user interface, which determines how the information will be accessed and used. Reverse geocoding, in which the code ID of a location is converted into an address, is another GPS tracking function.
Using the software that forms part of the tracking system, the operator can enter the license plate number, GPS ID, and state of vehicle (active or inactive). The motion of the vehicle (which can be tracked either individually or as part of a fleet) can then be viewed on a virtual map.
The use of GPS trackers goes beyond protecting fleet vehicles against theft. They also enable the manager to make sure that the operators of his vehicles remain on schedule and are not using them for personal or illegal purposes, and to monitor their driving behavior. In the case of intercity buses, GPS trackers can also perform a host of other functions: triggering changes on the destination indicator, sending out messages for customers regarding when and where the bus is destined to make a stop, the arrival time of the next bus, and other things. Passengers can enter the stop number (each stop is assigned a unique identification number) in an appropriate place on the website of the transit system, or into an automatic telephone system. In short, efficient fleet management reduces the amount of waste and inefficiency caused by moonlighting, employees being late for work, misrepresented time sheets, and dangerous driving habits. Managing the routes efficiently saves money on gasoline and on tire and car wear.
One of the biggest advantages of using GPS tracking for fleet management is that the manager needs only a smartphone to track his fleet vehicles. Another is lower insurance premiums: Most vehicular insurance companies will reduce their prices on cars or trucks that have GPS trackers installed on them. Still another is the reduced amount of space taken up by paper maps. The saying "You can't manage what you don't measure" holds especially true when it comes to fleet vehicle management.
