You’ve heard of the benefits of GPS fleet tracking systems – improved productivity, boosted bottom line, safer drivers – and you want to benefit from all that too. But, where do you start? How do you figure out what you need when choosing a commercial vehicle GPS tracking system?
Smaller companies that offer a commercial vehicle GPS tracking system can offer a sense of personalized care but fall short on capacity. Larger firms claim big, bold capabilities but often leave customers stranded when assistance is needed. It’s the locally based, medium-to-large sized outfits that most often provide stellar customer support – and the bandwidth necessary to back it up.
So start there. Look local, and then look customizable.
Look for a Commercial Vehicle GPS Tracking System That Is Customizable
One of the first things to look for is a company that understands a one-size-fits-all mindset doesn’t cut it, a company that will work with you to figure out what hardware and beacon types are best for what you need.
For instance, if your commercial vehicles are mobile with limited power such as detachable trailers, you don’t need comprehensive tracking abilities. A specialized GPS beacon with a long battery life and the ability to go dormant would be a choice that makes more sense. Think about your commercial vehicles. Can they occasionally recharge or are they almost always on? Do they stay within a cellular network, move in and out or never within reach? You want a company that explores the options, isn’t tied to one supplier, and can work with various telematics networks to find the optimal tracking solution for you.
What Features Do You Want in Your Commercial Vehicle GPS Tracking System?
GPS fleet management systems offer a plethora of features and services; some of those below are most common. But, just because they’re popular doesn’t mean you need them all. Work with a provider who listens to your needs and can put together what works for you.
- Mobile applications: Do you need mobile applications? You do if you’re on the go and still want to manage your vehicles.
- Real-time alerts: If you rarely sit in front of your desktop computer, but you still need to know where your vehicles are, what they’re doing, and how to maximize their efficiency, you’ll want a GPS tracking system that will send real-time alerts to your mobile phone and email.
- Fuel-card integration: If you need to monitor fuel expense and potential misuse of fuel cards, you’ll want your tracking system to provide fuel-card integration.
- Driver-behavior monitoring: If you want to encourage safe driver behavior and save unnecessary wear and tear to a vehicle, get a commercial GPS tracking system that monitors speed, acceleration, braking and idling time.
- PTO monitoring: If your vehicles help power other equipment, consider power take off monitoring so you know when a switch was engaged and can track the instances on a map.
- Temperature monitoring: If your vehicles transport temperature-sensitive items, you might want the availability of a temperature probe in the cargo space to monitor the temperature and alert you of any problem.
Choose the right GPS fleet tracking system for your fleet’s specific needs.
What Reporting Features Do You Need from a Commercial Vehicle GPS Tracking System?
Most GPS fleet tracking providers offer a standard set of historical reports that can show you where your vehicle was at a specific time. But sometimes you want to know a broader pattern of fleet activity that isn’t so easily defined. If that’s the case, you want a provider who goes beyond the standard and gives you access to specialized reports that capture data beyond the basic date and time input approach.
Think about reports like those outlined below.
- Congregation Report: Are all your assets hanging out together? Should they be? A congregation report allows you to enter a broad time range and then the computer determines where any of your vehicles may have been congregating. You can adjust the time and distance to suit your definition of congregation. Use this report to monitor fleet productivity and make sure drivers aren’t hanging out together when they shouldn’t be.
- Popular Stop Report: This report uses a heat map to give you a generalized idea of where your vehicles are stopping. You can use this information to then hone in on more specific areas.
- Proximity Report: No need to choose a specific vehicle with this report. Just key in an area and a time period. The system then lets you know if any of your vehicles were in that area during that time.
- Landmark Summary: This report allows you to see if any of your assets have visited saved addresses known as “Landmarks” during a certain time period. It lets you know when and for how long an asset was at a specific location.
Choose Nero Global for Your GPS Fleet Tracking
At Nero Global, we work with you to discover the functionality you need from your GPS fleet management. Then we train you and help you adjust particular parameters to get the results you want. We also maintain and update your system and resolve any technical issues quickly. That way, you can focus on the benefits of a commercial vehicle GPS tracking system rather than figuring out how it works. Contact us today and discover how we can provide you with the perfect GPS fleet tracking solution for your business.
