Last week we took a closer look at how you can utilize advanced telematics and GPS technologies to improve your fleet’s performance. Whether you are looking at safety measured, truck driver performance or fuel savings, GPS can make a big impact on your bottom line.
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Today we will dig into other aspects of GPS utilization to drive fleet performance. First up is how to mitigate or completely prevent unauthorized vehicle use.
Tracking Your Vehicles
The fact is, when your fleet’s vehicles are being used unauthorized, it eats up fuel costs and can cause maintenance and longevity issues down the road. By using GPS telematics, a wise fleet manager has access to a number of tools used to monitor after-hours vehicle usage.
First, you can use an odd hours report, which identifies when your vehicles are being driven on weekends or during other times when they shouldn’t be on the road. By setting up alerts, you can instantly be notified once a vehicle is put into motion.
Finally, when your truck drivers know this system is in place, it acts as a deterrent. When these systems are put into place, unauthorized vehicle usage declines.
Productivity to the Rescue
There are a number of ways you can use advances technologies to increase your fleet’s productivity levels. You can do things like tracking vehicle start and stop times and alert necessary parties when the systems reveal behaviors that don’t comply with company policy.
Increase your levels of customer service engagement through improving on-time arrivals. These systems allow your drivers to deliver their loads more efficiently. They can do more jobs without causing you to have to spend more money. Better routing also improves operational efficiency.
Your bottom line benefits because when your people are more efficient, you increase revenues. Through service-call and on-time delivery improvement you will satisfy more customers and deliver on a more agile and responsive level of service.
Getting More Out of Fuel
One of the things most on the mind of today’s fleet manager is fuel usage. This is one of the most important ways to keep carrier costs in check. But are you ensuring a focus on fuel is a company-wide endeavor?
By utilizing telematics and GPS systems you can give yourself the information you need to improve fuel efficiency. Things like excessive speed or idle time both uselessly drain fuel and add costs to your bottom line.
Some advanced systems even include a partnership with a national fuel card option. This gives you the power you need to maintain control over your truck drivers’ fuel purchases. You can both verify transactions and usage details in real-time and through reports.
How Coaching Helps
Are you coaching your people? If not, you may not be getting the most out of their performance. When you are trying to change truck driver behavior you need to do things like set goals, educate and coach them. Finally, they must be rewarded for good performance.
When you bring on new systems, you need to make sure your drivers embrace its use. Because of this, you must emphasize the positive aspects that this new technology brings to the table. Create procedures that clearly outline how the technology will be used and in what ways it will impact your people’s performance.
While you want to make it clear that noncompliance won’t be tolerated, make the primary focus of the program how the truck drivers can be rewarded for good performance and exemplary driving habits. Whether you give them a gift card, time off or something else, these types of systems can be used to motivate drivers and create better habits among your fleet.
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In the end, through the use of a GPS or network telematics solution, you can do everything from cut costs to increase operational efficiency and process effectiveness. When everyone understands how these systems impact fleet performance, the whole team benefits.