In short, by fleet management we mean – managing and organizing a business fleet. Think for example of passenger cars, vans, trucks with or without trailers, but also agricultural machines or construction machines.Managing a fleet properly is complicated and requires effort and time. More and more fleet managers are therefore using a GPS fleet management system to optimally register, monitor and secure their equipment.
Without a good GPS management system, the fleet manager or lessor misses important information. Within the company, this involves routine matters that are recorded in a weekly or annual planner, such as the maintenance and rental preparation of vehicles, the planning of equipment and personnel, the sending of invoices and collection of invoices.
A GPS fleet management system is a modern way of managing that goes further. It’s all about improving safety and logistics and limiting risks and claims with only one goal; grow the business and make a profit!
The GPS system provides the fleet manager with relevant data that gives him insights in such a way that he can optimally manage the fleet. For example, the exact location of equipment and the driving behavior of the driver can easily be monitored and the maintenance status of a vehicle can be tracked.
With each exceedance, the fleet manager or lessor receives a notification of the risk filters that he / she has set. Think of; exceeding the maximum permitted speed or mileage limit, but also improper rough driving or signals indicating improper use of equipment for illegal purposes.
In short; GPS and fleet management go hand in hand for the modern fleet manager because measuring is knowing. This allows the fleet manager to act in time instead of having to see the consequences and solve the problems later!
For which problems does a GPS management system offer the solution?
A good fleet manager is aware of the most common problems that increase the risks or damage costs within the company. He can act on this at an early stage.
The most common problems that occur within the different industries are;
- Loss & theft
- Defaults & missed payments
- Damage, too intensive or unsafe or rough use and abuse
- Lack of optimal deployment of personnel or equipment
- Incorrect: route, trip & mileage administration
- Annoying disputes & contract violations
- High fuel costs & high mileage
- Rising insurance premiums or cancellation due to insurance
A choice or a must?
It is understandable that a small company with limited risks and few claims costs chooses not to invest in this. When they weigh the costs and the benefits, the choice is quickly made! Should the company grow in the future, it is certainly worth a reconsideration.
Unfortunately, nowadays we still see plenty of companies that think they can get out of this modern technology while it is the solution for them! Monitoring their fleet by means of a GPS fleet management system seems too time-consuming to them and/or they want to postpone or avoid an investment in such a system for as long as possible. In practice, however, it appears that they have too little insight into the risks and damage costs of their company.
They continue to lag behind the facts instead of focusing on the core business! It ultimately costs these companies more time, money and energy. Many of these hard-working companies ultimately do not seem to be able to maintain their growth of years that have continued. Some of them appear to be losing so much that they decide to throw in the towel. A shame and not necessary!
Fortunately, with the arrival of GPS in particular, many rental companies or companies with their own fleet have been able to make a huge leap forward and have become very profitable.
What's stopping you?
This new development naturally requires commitment and some knowledge and skill from you and staff. Our advice to companies that are somewhat conservative or reluctant is to first provide only part of the equipment with track & trace. This gives the fleet manager and the team some time to familiarize themselves with the GPS system. Our experience is that companies are quickly convinced of and are familiar with our system and still make the step to expansion in no time.
To make it easier, we have developed a very user-friendly portal. On our website you will find various instructional videos that quickly and easily explain how you can perform a certain action in the portal.
Furthermore, we also hear that companies are afraid of being tied to a long-term contract. For the doubters, we have good news; Rental Tracker does not bind customers by means of (long-term) contracts but works with customer-friendly monthly cancelable subscriptions. Easy come, easy go!
In our next blog we will explain everything about what a GPS system must meet and how to find the right GPS system for your industry and your equipment! In short: what should you pay attention to when purchasing such a system?
