Keeping tabs on company vehicles using a fleet tracking service is becoming an industry standard, if not a necessity. Save for the smallest of businesses, the cost benefit is without question. Improvements in employee and customer relations, reducing fuel and repair costs, as well as increased productivity make vehicle tracking a budgetary necessity.

Two basic vehicle tracking systems are currently in use; global positioning satellite (GPS) technology and VHF radio frequencies. Using a GPS system is far superior to VHF radio signal systems as it can give real-time information and more accurate locations than VHF technology. Older units that use data logging technology are less expensive, since they don’t require a contract for monitoring, but information can only be retrieved at company headquarters, eliminating many of the benefits. GPS cell phone tracking is not a viable option, since monitoring cannot be done in-house. Cell phone companies now offer tracking; however, most cell phones do not allow access to the GPS data directly. The wireless network is required for accurate location information, and typically the GPS data is transmitted only if a 911 emergency call is made. GPS Fleet tracking services currently offer the most comprehensive benefits.

Vehicle monitoring not only gives the user real-time locations of automobiles and in which direction the employee is traveling, the computer software allows the user to redirect the employee depending on business variables, including last minute appointment changes or traffic congestion, and can alert the user quickly if the employee becomes lost, allowing re-routing by the dispatcher. This technology allows for quicker response times for service trucks, and allows the dispatcher to accurately give out estimated times of arrival. Customer claims that the company did not arrive or arrived late, as well as the length of stay at a job site, can be easily verified. This develops trust between the customer, the employee and management. Some systems include devices that plug in to the vehicles’ on-board diagnostic port, which can read engine error codes, temperature readings, RPM and timing and allows the company to reset dashboard warning lights. Traffic violations can be recreated, and may hold up in a court of law as a reliable source for the company and the employee’s defense.

The initial cost of these GPS systems are typically recovered within a short period when used properly to reduce down time and enhance customer service. Showing customers the company fleet on a computerized, real-time two-dimensional map instills confidence. Having control over this aspect in the daily operations of the company makes good business sense.