What GPS Tracking Solution Is Right For Your Business?

Choosing a GPS tracking provider is not as simple as finding the best one, because not all providers serve exactly the same niche. Some focus on serving very large fleets, presenting huge amounts of information quickly and at a glance. Others go more for smaller and mid-size fleets whose managers need a lot of detailed, in-depth data. Some offer full-service packages with a lot of support, while others are simpler platforms that users can customize themselves. Some bundle telematics with other services, such as roadside assistance, while others do not.

The key, then, is not only to identify the provider who does a good job, but the one who does a good job at the particular service the business needs.  And if your fleet hasn’t used telematics before, figuring out what those needs are can be difficult.

There are a few core features in a GPS fleet tracking solution that go beyond easier navigation for drivers and asset locations for fleet managers. These other features are important to consider when choosing a provider that can make your fleet more competitive, no matter the size:

Driver Training

Managers can’t be out on the road with drivers all of the time. So managers need actionable data that can show them a magnified view into their fleet activity. With vehicle analytics data, users can view maps and graphs of events where speeding occurred, harsh braking, stop sign violations, and more. Companies can detect particular drivers practicing poor driving habits so that they can train and coach those drivers to improve their performance.

Reduce Fuel Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Regardless of the size of your fleet, smarter driving habits combined with advanced tools can reduce carbon emissions and promote environmentally friendly fleets. With a GPS tracking and fleet management product, managers can select geo-fence alerts to notify them when an asset in their fleet is traveling after-hours, in unauthorized zones, or sitting idle for long periods of time and burning unnecessary fuel.  

Customizable Reporting Capabilities

Managers need to stay up-to-date with their fleets through reports so that they can track inefficiencies and improve performance. Advanced GPS tracking solutions should provide options that correlate with specific business needs including, mileage data, speeding events, idle time, and fuel consumption.

Lastly, it’s important to think about the future. A company that has five vehicles this year could possibly have fifty next, and five hundred the year after that—or not. If growth is in the business plan, then the telematics solution has to be scalable, able to grow with the company.

For more information about leading GPS fleet tracking software features and vendors, check out Business-Software.com's 2015 edition of Top 10 GPS Fleet Tracking Software Report, showcasing in-depth comparisons of vendors and their services.