How Much Money Could Fleet Management Software Save You?
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Every business has its own jargon and fleet management and logistics is no exception. When you start to combine that with software that helps you to do the job, there are even more unfamiliar terms to deal with.
We thought that it would be a good idea to demystify some of the phrases we use all the time and we’ve started with our list of FAQs. If you have any more to add, let us know!
What is Fleet Management?
At its most basic level, fleet management involves managing your business vehicles to make sure your fleet operates efficiently. Of course, how that works in practice depends on the type of vehicles your business has and how you use them. You might have anything from company cars provided to your employees, to a fleet of HGVs carrying out deliveries. For some companies, fleet management even extends to trains, ships and planes.
Ultimately, effective fleet management means ensuring that you get the best from your investment.
What is Fleet Tracking?
Fleet tracking software allows you to monitor your fleet in real time. If there’s an issue with one of your vehicles you can identify it and take action straight away, rather than waiting for a call. Fleet tracking systems use GPS technology to identify a vehicle’s location, speed and direction of travel so it can be used to ensure that a driver is following the correct route and obeying the speed limit.
How Does Telematics work?
Telematics is another name for a fleet tracking system so it often uses GPS. Whilst its most commonly used to track vehicles it can also monitor other parts of the vehicle, for example to check the movement of an articulated lorry trailer. Whilst GPS is usually the most accurate method, some systems also use odometry which uses data from motion sensors on the vehicle.
Telematics insurance is also becoming increasingly popular, even in private vehicles. It allows insurers to monitor a driver’s performance and consider whether they’re driving safely, adjusting their premiums to suit.
How Does the Technology Help Drivers?
It’s easy to see the benefits of a fleet tracking system for a fleet manager, but drivers may feel that Big Brother is watching them. However, they can be confident that if any problems occurred on the road their vehicle tracker would allow the control centre to pinpoint their exact location and send assistance.
Our FleetIQ system allows you to plan an optimal route for drivers and also makes dealing with paperwork more straightforward.
Will the System Save Us Money?
We’ve found that using fleet tracking in combination with electronic paperwork saves our clients’ money. They can plan efficient delivery routes which lower fuel costs and also collect delivery data more efficiently. Following an audit, one of our clients found that they were losing approximately £1,000 every week because missing paperwork prevented them from invoicing for completed deliveries.
We hope that’s answered a few of your FAQs. If you’d like to find out more about how to get set up and whether FleetIQ could work for your business, please feel free to get in touch with us.
