A Q&A with Santa, and Fleet Manager Mrs Claus, of North Pole Inc
In the final weeks before Christmas, many Americans are busy shopping for presents, holiday decorations, and the fixings for feasts. More goods change hands over the holiday season than almost any other time during the year and, with apologies to Santa Claus, none of those items arrive in stores or on doorsteps by magic. December is one of the busiest months for the shipping industry, not just for the many home deliveries, but also for retailers and distribution centers. It’s important to stay on schedule as Christmas Eve looms and pressure for on time delivery increases.
Not surprisingly, long-haul and local delivery fleets alike do whatever they can to make sure every load and every package arrives on location and on time. Even some of the larger retailers are getting into the act--Amazon, for example, has bought its own fleet of trailers to simplify the loading process, though they still rely on their shipping partners to pick up and haul the trailers.
GPS fleet tracking contributes to the holiday effort in all the expected ways—making sure new drivers do not get lost, helping fleet managers identify and reward their best drivers (or poor performing drivers who need additional training), and providing a kind of safety net in case of accident or theft. But the technology also has a special role to play given the importance of timing during this season, especially if the system includes advanced features, such as Teletrac’s Delivery Performance by Vehicle Report, which includes notifications designed specifically to meet the needs of local delivery fleets.
For a local delivery fleet, knowing exactly where each truck is, in real time, means that last-minute pick-ups and deliveries can be made efficiently, with the extra assignments going to those drivers who are already in the right area. New drivers and new routes can be worked into the pattern, without the risk of duplicating or neglecting part of the territory. When customers call and ask the status of a package, the fleet manager can provide a specific answer, including accurate estimates of arrival time. And since the system records exactly when deliveries are made, claims are easier to investigate, which provides an additional protection feature for drivers.
For businesses, the holiday season is all about competition. And those companies that can deliver their cargo on time, un-damaged, and communicate clearly with customers, will be able to stay ahead of the competition. And GPS fleet tracking software can help keep fleets ahead of the game.