The fact is this: By coaching your drivers to operate using better driving habits is not only safe, it boosts your overall fleet productivity and profitability. But did you know that the answer to this lies in a simple GPS unit? This technology provides what you need to accomplish your goals.
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GPS can help you improve fleet performance by providing you with a way to control your costs and vastly improve productivity, and you can do it all without causing an undue burden on your drivers. In fact, there are a number of ways in which truck drivers benefit and advocate for GPS use. Wireless management systems provide benefits for both the fleet and the operator.
By using a telematics solution like GPS vehicle tracking you can impact everything from truck driver safety to unnecessary idling and vehicle utilization. You’ll likely see gains in customer service and productivity, as well.
Using GPS data effectively and in a positive way allows you to motivate, coach and reward your drivers when they are exhibiting safe driving habits. Worried about buy-in? The best way to get them on board is to involve them in the process, straight from the beginning. Make sure you tell them straight from the start that you are not installing the tool to micromanage their job.
Usually, once your truck drivers begin using the system, they will realize that they can rely on it for important aspects of their job, from getting roadside assistance to verifying work time. GPS systems provide you with a way to improve behavior while providing you with a real return on your investment.
Impacts on Safety
Obviously, truck driver safety is likely the top priority for your fleet. And yet things like excessive speeding or other careless driving behaviors put that focus on safety at risk, day-in and day-out. When you have access to GPS tracking data, you can coach your people to driver safer.
One way you can do this is through speeding alerts. They can notify you or your truck driver in real-time when the vehicle is traveling in excessive speed. They can also give you specific data like location and time of day. You can be sent a text or e-mail when a speeding incident takes place.
You can also use speeding reports to get detailed data on any speed-related problems. You can have this information delivered daily, weekly or monthly, depending on your fleet’s individual needs. Trend reports and other levels of analysis are usually available, as well.
Beyond speeding, utilize GPS tracking to mitigate hard breaking, fast acceleration and more. Policies can be put in place to coach, train and motivate workers to practice safe behaviors on the road.
Cutting Idle Time
When one of your vehicles is sitting idle, it’s not only burning away money, it’s increasing engine wear and spewing out pollution for new reason. Did you know that it is estimated that medium-duty vehicles consume close to 2.5 billion gallons of fuel per year when sitting at idle? This amounts to around 67 percent of the entire amount of gas these vehicles consume to begin with. That’s a staggering number.
While your fleet can’t cut out idling time altogether, you can utilize GPS and remote monitoring technologies to make a serious dent in how much time your truck drivers idle. Some ways these systems can assist you in cutting idle time is through setting thresholds to determine which of your vehicles are going over preset idle times.
You can also set up customized alerts and utilize reports to control idle times. When you are able to compare idle time with fuel consumption, you can identify specific truck drivers or vehicles who may need training or maintenance.
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In the end, providing your truck drivers with data and coaching on reducing idle times can only be good for both your bottom line and the environment. Join us in Part II of our series when we take a look at how you can reduce unauthorized vehicle use, increase driver productivity and actively manage fuel use and performance through the use of GPS devices and advanced telematics systems.