Vehicle Tracking

Monitor your business' fleet when vehicles are on the road

By Eleena de Lisser

If your small business has a fleet of cars, trucks or vans to deliver your product or service, tracking vehicles' movements when they are away from home base is essential. But vehicle tracking is not only about monitoring the activity of your drivers and workers. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, excessive idling can waste up to 800 gallons of fuel yearly for the average truck. Speeding vehicles can waste another 200 gallons, according to Navtrak, a vehicle tracking firm.

When done properly, a good tracking system can help:

Lower fuel expenses and become more efficient in delivering your product or service.
Monitor employees' billing time and location. Document start and stop times, as well as the number of stops by address.
Verify gas charges and assist with maintenance of the fleet.

Buy GPS equipment

If you have only a couple of vehicles to track or you are not ready to commit to a customized commercial global positioning system (GPS), buy GPS equipment off the shelf. Look for portable GPS monitors that include preprogrammed data such as points of interest and live traffic reports.
Try: The GPS Store sells new and remanufactured models of popular brands Garmin, Magellan and TomTom. Rent GPS units for 10-day increments from BrickHouse Security.

Get the right software

Monitoring your business vehicle activity with software gives clear data on where your business can cut costs or increase revenues on delivery and service routes.
Try: ManagerPlus offers an asset management software called Fleet + Transportation which detects early signs of vehicle problems, and monitors fuel and oil consumption. GPS Fleet Solutions sells eight solutions scaled for different reporting needs.

Customize your system

Having your GPS tracking system custom designed ensures the right type of vehicle tracking for your business. When employed properly, a customized GPS tracking system can give your employees more information that could result in increased sales.
Try: Navtrak combines GPS, the Internet and wireless technology. @Road specializes in "mobile resource management," which includes GPS tracking and monitoring.

Check the quality of the GPS navigation monitor. The color screen should be easy to view in both bright sunlight and low light conditions.
The better systems will offer multiple ways to arrive at a destination.
Live traffic reporting should be included.
Review the capability of a system to quickly upload and update data.