Tracking technology is all about optimizing the efficiency of your business. There are many benefits to equipping your vehicles with GPS tracking devices, but by far one of the most interesting is the savings you can make with regard to fuel consumption. Fuel accounts for around 30% of your total operating costs when you manage a business dependent of vehicles, so it is only natural that managers are looking to save in this area of their business’ expenses.
Many companies across the country are turning to GPS tracking software to save money on fuel in their business. The return on investment (ROI) with a GPS tracking system makes the investment well worth it. GPS tracking uses a fuel sensor to monitor the usage of fuel in real time, allowing you to make adjustments where necessary and reduce your overall fuel consumption over time.
Decreased Fuel Consumption
For any business that uses vehicles on its operation, fuel consumption is one of the biggest expenses after payroll. Therefore, it is understandable that companies want to monitor their fuel usage and see where they can reduce it. Vehicle management systems allow us to do just this, potentially saving us thousands of dollars every year.
The use of GPS tracking devices is not just for larger businesses. Even companies with one or two vehicles can reap the benefits of vehicle tracking systems. Here are some of the ways GPS tracking systems can help you reduce your company’s’ fuel consumption, saving you money at the same time as saving the planet:
Reports
One of the highlights of installing a GPS tracking system is that these can generate a series of reports. Within these, you can find information about driver operations, inefficiencies, and driver safety concerns. Not only this, but you can print or download them as PDFs or spreadsheets, providing you with tangible material to make changes that can save your business a lot of time.
Customize a geofence and receive alerts when a vehicle enters or exits your digitally prescribed boundary, so you know where your vehicles are and when. These systems also help you to discover unauthorized vehicle use, so you can cut out any undesired behaviors and analyze where your vehicles are doing right, to further incentivize your drivers.
Turn Off the Engine
Another way that GPS tracking technology helps you to economize on fuel is by alerting the driver and the system when the vehicle is idling, allowing us to bring this bad habit to light and work to break it. Idling uses up to half a gallon of fuel per hour.
While most drivers will turn off the engine when still for longer periods of time, GPS technology can flag when drivers are idling for minutes, prompting them to switch off the engine even for short intervals – over the course of time, this fuel-conscious habit can help increase savings, reduce outgoings on maintenance and is a sure win for the sustainability movement.
GPS tracking software can highlight how often drivers idle their vehicles so you can see where the numbers are adding up. The software collects and provides data which you can use to train your drivers in conscientious habits, such as turning off the engine when idle for any length of time. It is a myth that turning off and restarting the engine uses more fuel – just thirty seconds of idling uses more fuel than stopping and restarting.
Put The Brakes on Hard Braking
Gas mileage can be improved by as much as 10% when hard braking is avoided. Aggressive driving habits lead to more fuel consumption and cost small businesses money. The way GPS tracking software counteracts this is by registering the behaviors of your drivers, pinging the system when drivers accelerate quickly or brake abruptly.
It can’t always be avoided, of course. But when the system flags harsh braking as a regular occurrence rather than a necessity, it is an opportunity for small businesses to take the data accrued by their GPS tracking system and turn it into a learning point for their team. Not only can you save your company money on fuel consumption, but you also reduce the risk of rear-end collisions, so often caused by sudden braking.
Take it Slow
The nature of GPS tracking software is more than keeping tags on drivers, it is a way to essentially be in the vehicle with them and monitor safe and efficient driving behaviors. With regard to speed, fuel efficiency doesn’t really even begin until you reach speeds of around 60 mph, at which point you are already driving at the optimal speed for fuel economy.
How smoothly you drive affects fuel consumption much more than speed itself – constant acceleration and deceleration is a lot more draining on your fuel consumption than driving consistently at 70mph. GPS tracking devices allow you to oversee the speeds at which your team drives, and intervene if necessary.
With tracking technology, the speed at which your drivers work is recorded on the customized reports, so you can see over time how this is affecting your overall fuel economy.
Save Fuel, Save Dollars
GPS tracking software grants small business owners the possibility to monitor the driving habits of their teams, however small. By planning routes more efficiently and registering the driving behaviors of your team, you can save thousands of dollars per year – much more than the initial investment required to equip your fleet with the technology.
Aside from GPS tracking, remember to carry out regular maintenance on your vehicles to ensure they are in optimum conditions for fuel economization – badly-inflated tires and suboptimal air-conditioning units are regular culprits for unnecessary loss of fuel.
Additionally, using the wrong engine oil, and poor fuel quality can also have an impact on fuel consumption, so it is wise to be aware of your purchasing choices in this regard. As GPS tracking technology advances, more and more alerts are becoming available to ensure we use our vehicles correctly and economize on fuel, helping us, as small businesses, reduce one of our biggest overheads – fuel consumption.
Learn more about how Satrack can help smaller field service fleets optimize operations, improve driver behaviors and lower risk, deliver services on time, and reduce operating costs. Click here to schedule a call!
Sources:
https://www.fleetowner.com/technology/article/21684303/fleets-online-effective-routing
https://blog.bigroad.com/blog/3-operating-costs-to-track-while-maintaining-your-fleet#:~:text=Fuel%20takes%20up%2030%25%20of%20your%20total%20fleet%20operating%20costs.&text=This%20is%20a%20major%20outgoing,keep%20an%20eye%20on%20it.
https://scdhec.gov/sites/default/files/Library/CR-010109.pdf
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/6-myths-about-gas-mileage/
https://vocal.media/journal/top-9-industries-that-use-gps-tracking
https://www.tyrepower.com.au/news/how-does-tyre-pressure-influence-your-fuel-economy#:~:text=Under%20inflated%20tyres%20increase%20your%20vehicle’s%20drag%2C%20which%20increases%20fuel%20consumption.&text=With%20tyre%20pressure%20at%2040
There are currently 1,305,155 delivery drivers in the USA, serving our communities daily. Logistics companies, trucking and transportation companies and delivery companies including landscaping businesses, flower shops, bakeries, plumbing firms, all depend on an effective fleet of vehicles in order to keep business running as usual. With such a demand for delivery drivers across many sectors, there is an important demographic whose health and safety cannot and should not be ignored.
Road Safety
With over a million delivery drivers hitting the streets daily, and more so since the onset of the pandemic, heavy traffic has become inevitable. Motorists must take precautions to ensure they are keeping not only themselves safe on the road, but also other road-users, including pedestrians.
GPS tracking technology can encourage drivers and employers to abide by restrictions that are put in place to protect road-users. Fatigued driving is a main cause of traffic accidents. In fact, one startling statistic claims that 6,400 people died annually in crashes where drowsy driving was the cause, according to the National Sleep Foundation. GPS tracking can ensure drivers take breaks to rest when necessary, impacting the health of drivers positively.
Those restrictions are as follows: The FMCSA states that drivers must take a 30-minute break by law when they have been driving for eight consecutive hours. Without such a break, as a bare minimum, drivers are prone to cognitive impairment which can affect their health, and that of other road-users.
Cognitive impairment is a combination of reduced coordination, judgment, and reaction times, and is a principal cause of fatalities on US roads. But how can we help reduce these figures? The answer is, of course, technology. GPS tracking software has become more than a means of keeping tags on drivers – it is now a necessity that ensures the safety of all road-users, especially our drivers.
How GPS Tracking Works
The GPS tracking device sends real-time information through the cellular network which can then be analyzed by servers, so you can see the location, driving habits, and speed at which a driver is traveling at any given time. Some of these devices are professionally installed in the vehicle, some are plug and play, and others can be set up via a mobile app.
By tracking driving habits, incentives can be offered to more responsible drivers thus motivating them. Additionally, companies can use the information obtained through the GPS tracking software to develop education and training programs, to further incentivize their drivers to act diligently on the roads.
How GPS Fleet Tracking Benefits the Health of Drivers
A common misconception about GPS tracking software is that companies use it to keep tabs on their drivers and to catch them out. Companies based on trust and those who look after their teams, find this belief outdated, and instead use GPS tracking in a way that positively affects drivers’ health and wellbeing.
- GPS tracking allows us to know the whereabouts of our drivers. If they get lost, the tracker can inform us of their location and assist them more effectively. In the worst-case scenario, if there is an accident, the software indicates the exact location of our drivers in order to provide emergency care in the shortest time possible. GPS tracking has the potential to be life-saving.
- GPS tracking also ensures drivers take the breaks they need to drive in optimal conditions and avoid cognitive impairment – one of the leading causes of traffic accidents in the US.
- GPS software helps alleviate some of the stress that drivers feel, whether it’s through pressure to find and arrive at a certain location at a predetermined time, or avoiding traffic jams. This technology enables drivers to plan their route more conveniently and reduces the levels of stress that come hand-in-hand with driving jobs.
Stress, and more importantly, repeated stress episodes, are known to contribute to more serious and adverse health problems if left ignored – it can cause and worsen cancer, heart diseases, hypertension, aging, depression, fatigue and rage.
Based on the assumption that drivers are where they are supposed to be, when they are supposed to be, GPS software gives them an additional tool to reduce stress – it proves that they are where they say they are, minimizing the occurrence of disputes between drivers and customers.
Why GPS Fleet Tracking Benefits All Road-Users
GPS Fleet Tracking not only positively impacts the health and wellbeing of our drivers – optimal working conditions can greatly alleviate symptoms of stress – but also fleet management software can reduce the overall risk of traffic-related accidents.
As it stands, you are three times more likely to be involved in a traffic accident when you are fatigued. This alarming statistic brings to light the importance of diligent driving, because of the effects not only on the driver but on other road-users. GPS fleet tracking software can assist in lowering this figure, as drivers are obliged to take necessary breaks and stick within the rules for the number of hours they can drive.
How Your Small Business Can Benefit From GPS Fleet Tracking
By providing your fleet with software that improves the mental and physical health of drivers, you can ensure a better service from well-rested, well-cared for employees. In turn, a more effective service means happier customers, which is good for business.
The added benefits of improved communication can save your business valuable time and money – you know at the click of a button where your drivers are. Add to that the ease of route planning, which means your driver gets to their destination faster, all the while with less stress on the driver themselves.
GPS Technology – A Step Forward For The Health of Drivers
The clear advantage to bestowing your fleet with GPS tracking software lies in the health and safety of road-users. Our drivers are the pillar of our companies, without them, there is nobody to supply our customers, so it is paramount we have their best interest at heart.
GPS software is often leveraged for route planning and orienteering, but the health and wellbeing of our employees are also enhanced, as the data collected from GPS tracking technology ensures we comply with government specifications for road safety. This is why GPS fleet tracking is raising the bar in the delivery world.
Learn more about how Satrack can help smaller field service fleets optimize operations, improve driver behaviors and lower risk, deliver services on time, and reduce operating costs. Click here to schedule a call!
Sources:
- https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/hours-service/summary-hours-service-regulations#:~:text=Drivers%20must%20take%20a%2030,combination%20of%20these%20taken%20consecutively).
- https://www.nsc.org/road-safety/safety-topics/fatigued-driving#:~:text=The%20National%20Highway%20Traffic%20Safety,fatalities%20and%20about%2050%2C000%20injuries.&text=The%20researchers%20suggest%20the%20prevalence,than%20350%25%20greater%20than%20reported.
- https://www.zippia.com/delivery-driver-jobs/demographics/
- https://www.acorninsure.co.uk/health-and-safety-for-delivery-drivers/
