The development of vehicle tracking systems began in the 1960s. Today, vehicle tracking gives fleet managers and businesses greater control over their fleets. The trucking, taxi, logistics and automotive service industries rely on vehicle tracking systems to operate efficiently. However, vehicle tracking is more than just determining the exact geographic location of a vehicle. Let's discover what else there is to vehicle tracking.
Why do vehicles need tracking systems?
As the name suggests, vehicle tracking systems allow you to track the geolocation of your vehicle instantly. Thanks to innovation, vehicle tracking systems now go beyond determining the exact location of a vehicle at any given time, but instead collect data and provide information about driver behavior, vehiclemaintain, vehicle trip history and even detailed reports on vehicle fuel consumption and management.
For vehicle tracking to work properly, a GPS tracking device is required. This is a small, portable device that is mounted on a vehicle (or even an asset used for tracking), allowing you to track the exact location of a vehicle or asset and receive information on when, where and how the vehicle is being used.
Sounds similar to a car navigation system, right? But there are clear differences. On the one hand, a GPS navigation system displays your location on a digital map and gives you directions from point A to point B. On the other hand, GPS tracking devices use remote information processing technology to determine the vehicle’s exact geographical location and trip history, and further store this data in a computer, smartphone or tablet.
Let’s take a deeper look at how this smart device works?
How GPS Vehicle Tracking Systems Work
GPS stands for Global Positioning System and is a satellite constellation that supports high-precision positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) measurements around the world. GPS tracking systems use the positions of three or more satellites from the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) to determine an exact geographic location.
GPS vehicle tracking systems can work in different ways. Active or commercial tracking systems provide a real-time view of a vehicle's geographic location, while passive tracking systems or GPS loggers do not provide real-time tracking. Instead, they simply collect and store a vehicle's GPS location and trip data based on specific events for later review.
Although active and passive vehicle trackers are the same GPS device, they have different functions. Fleet managers use active tracking systems to monitor a driver's immediate location and driver behavior. Passive tracking systems provide fleet managers with data and information about fleet vehicle geolocation, driver behavior and other vehicle insights wherever they need to access the information and data.
How to use the vehicle tracking system?
Since there are differentvehicle tracking device, so different vehicle tracking systems should be adopted. Let’s explore the different scenarios where a vehicle tracking system can be used:
- to trackFleet: You are a fleet manager and want to know the exact location of your drivers and fleet. Even worse, customers are dissatisfied with a business's service; complaints include late or non-delivery and lost or damaged assets. If that's not enough, you have piles of paperwork to deal with, including lost and unsigned proofs of delivery (PODs).In this case, fleet managers often use GPS tracking to monitor the whereabouts of their vehicles. With vehicle tracking, fleet managers have a streamlined and easy way to manage and oversee vehicles. Fleet managers receive information about where drivers and vehicles are at any given moment, where drivers are traveling throughout the day, completed deliveries, and electronic PODs.
- Keep an eye on your car: You are the owner and need to rest assured that you will be found where you park your caryour car. You want to have fun, live your life, shop and have lunch with friends without having to worry about the safety of your vehicle every second.You can use GPS tracking to know the exact geographical location of your vehicle at any given time, in Doubt EngineidlingReceive notifications if your vehicle is stolenTrack and recover it.
- To access data and information when needed, do the following: you are afleet manager, you are looking for an affordable tracking system that will provide you with the information and data you need to increase productivity, increase customer service, and effectively manage and maintain your vehicles.In this case, vehicle tracking is used to monitor vehicle mileage for fleet operations, accessing data and information that can help improve driver behavior and reduce vehicle abuse.
3 Fleet Management Challenges Solved with Fleet Tracking
Fleet tracking is designed to useremote information processingThe technology collects data about the fleet. Fleet managers can use fleet tracking to help solve fleet management challenges. Here are three common fleet management problems that can be solved with fleet tracking:
- Driver Responsibilities:Accountability can be defined as the willingness to take responsibility or clarify one's actions. Fleet managers need to be able to confirm that drivers completed their tasks as expected when and where they were assigned. Instant GPS tracking is the solution to this problem. Fleet tracking helps fleet managers set clear expectations for drivers and allows them to focus on achieving goals and tasks.
- Customer expectations are high:With efficient delivery options such as a week, a day or even the same day, customer expectations have been rising over the years and so have competitors. However, vehicle tracking systems make it easier to meet high customer expectations. With vehicle tracking, fleet managers can optimize routes for drivers, ensure on-time deliveries, andtrack fromAssets dispatched to delivery.
- High operating costs: From fuel usage to vehicle maintenance, vehicle theft, and even time, the operating costs associated with a fleet can be very high. Vehicle tracking provides fleet managers with the information they need to monitor fleet operating costs and effectively manage their fleet to reduce operating costs.
9 benefits of vehicle tracking
The obvious benefit of vehicle tracking is that it provides real-time tracking of the vehicle, which is an essential feature that paves the way for more benefits of vehicle tracking. There are many more reasons why your business will benefit from vehicle tracking, here are nine:
- Full transparency of drivers, fleets and assets:Previously, fleet managers had no way of knowing the exact geographic location of their fleet or even the completion rate of deliveries. GPS tracking systems now allow fleet managers to create, assign and monitor driver tasks on one platform. The ability to oversee your entire fleet operations gives you control over productivity, service delivery, and costs.
- Reduce operating costs and increase profits: Whether it’s reducing money or time, GPS tracking provides actionable insights into how your fleet business is using time, money, and resources. This way, fleet managers can analyze operating expenses and reduce unnecessary costs, wasted time and increase profits.
- Reduce vehicle downtime:Fleet vehicles are either on the road every day (either long or short distances) or, in some cases, are not used for long periods of time. Whatever the situation, vehicles cannot curb the need for regular maintenance or they will suffer damage such as wear and tear and engine failure.With vehicle tracking, fleet managers receive diagnostics and alerts to ensure potential vehicle damage is identified and vehicles are maintained regularly. This information reduces vehicle downtime and the risk of the vehicle breaking down while drivers complete tasks and deliveries.
- Improve customer satisfaction: Vehicle tracking not only improves productivity through clear task assignments and task progress tracking, it also enhances the customer experience by keeping customers involved every step of the way. With vehicle tracking, customers can track their shipments from dispatch to delivery in real time. This allows both fleet managers and customers to communicate and stay informed of any emergency changes to deliveries. Customers can further effectively sign the electronic POD and receive a confirmation email.
- Anti-theft:Another reason fleet businesses benefit from vehicle tracking is the ability it provides to retrieve stolen vehicles. Vehicle tracking systems help reduce vehicle theft-related crimes by keeping track of a vehicle's whereabouts with ease and ease of access, saving the financial and resource losses that vehicle theft can cause.
- Seamless fleet management:With vehicle tracking, fleet managers not only gain an instant bird’s-eye view of their entire fleet operations;Seamlessly create, assign and track tasks. The ability to easily assign and track tasks can increase productivity, reduce errors or late deliveries, and reduce operating costs.A game-changing benefit of vehicle tracking for fleet management is the ability to communicate effectively during emergencies. When an unexpected situation occurs, fleet managers can communicate changes to drivers and quickly decide which vehicles to send where, or decide on the best alternative route for drivers.
- Minimize paperwork and administration: Managing handwritten paperwork can be stressful and time-consuming. With vehicle tracking, there's no need to manually create schedules, create receipts to record payments, or fill out and search through piles of paperwork. Vehicle tracking allows fleet managers to manage their operations by assigning tasks, tracking drivers and fleet, and storing electric PODs in one placeEase managementburden.Reducing paperwork and administrative work increases employee productivity because it relieves employees of the paperwork and administrative burden, allowing them to focus entirely on completing tasks.
- Improve driver responsibility: The ability to seamlessly create, assign and track tasks ensures clear expectations around tasks and work ethics. With access to information and data about a vehicle’s precise geolocation, vehicle history and driver behavior, every employee can be held accountable for their own work ethics, whether good or bad. In this way, vehicle tracking fosters a culture of accountability, integrity, and honesty and reduces internal and external conflicts.
- Improve driver safety:Driver safety should be a major priority for fleet operations because the success of the business depends on the ability of drivers to complete their tasks efficiently and safely. Road safety risks, on the other hand, can lead to accidents, driver injuries, legal problems, and financial losses.
Vehicle tracking can improve driver safety in a variety of ways. Some of these methods include route optimization, which allows fleet managers to create the most cost-effective, time-saving and safe routes for drivers, regardless of fleet business size, and camera solutions that monitor driver behavior and assist drivers in emergency situations. Vehicle tracking tools also allow fleet managers to monitor drivers for adverse behavior, such as speeding, hard braking, and acceleration.
Why your car needs a tracking device
Whether you're a fleet manager or fleet business owner, getvehicle tracking deviceare beneficial because it allows you to personally monitor your car's geolocation at any given time.
Here are some reasons why you should buy a vehicle tracking device for your car:
- Always keep your car safe.
- Get alerts if your car has been tampered with or stolen.
- Remotely disable your car's ignition to prevent theft.
- When your car is stolenhourGet quick instructions.
- Stolen vehicle recovery.
- Receive reports on maintenance, driver behavior and vehicle journeys.
This may sound like a lot of admin, but it's not. All the above operations can be used on smartphonesCartrack appCompleted remotely.
Boost your business with Cartrack GPS functionality
CartrackProvides an easy-to-use platform that allows fleet managers to oversee their entire fleet operations in one place. Cartrack functionality ensures fleet managers run their fleets in the best possible way at the lowest cost, ensuring returns for your business.
The following isoneCartrackFeatures that allow fleet managers to monitor fleet vehicles, driver behavior, fuel usage patterns and more:
- MiFleet: With MiFleet, fleet managers can effectively manage their fleets, drivers and fleet-related costs. MiFleet is easy-to-use software that allows fleet managers to monitor fuel transactions, alert about fuel risks, learn about possible fraud, investigate ways to save fuel and money, and reduce administration.
- Geofencing: Geofencing uses precise GPS positioning to set boundaries in certain areas that are restricted to vehicles. With this Cartrack feature, fleet managers can monitor when vehicles enter or leave preset geographical boundaries by receiving notifications via text messages and emails.
- Artificial Intelligence Lenses: Cartrack’s easy-to-use in-vehicle lenses provide fleet managers with real-time visibility into their fleet, assets and drivers. With this AI-driven streaming footage technology, fleet managers have access to incident records as well as information and data that provide critical insights to improve driver behavior and productivity.
- Routes: This is a feature of Cartrack that allows fleet managers to easily set up, optimize and manage predefined routes for fleet vehicles to reduce wasted operating costs. In the event of route deviation, fleet managers receive instant alerts. This way, fleet managers can ensure drivers stick to their tasks.
Get 24/7 vehicle tracking with Cartrack
Cartrack offers fleet businesses and vehicle owners a variety of packages with various vehicle tracking features. This way, you can find the package that best suits you based on your personal or business needs.
Contact us today!