GPS tracking is becoming more important in the fleet industry as safety issues become more prevalent and efficiency increases in importance with the competition. You may be left behind while other companies move forward if you are not currently using a GPS tracker in a fleet of cars or using outdated GPS technology. Don’t worry; Implementing and installing GPS trackers for your fleet is easier than it seems. This guide will cover how these trackers work, how to install them, and how they will benefit your fleet.
Everything you need to know about the GPS tracker in a car fleet today. We’ll go over four types of GPS trackers in this article, as they’re the ones a fleet might use in its day-to-day operations. Some of these types are more common than others, and each has advantages and disadvantages.
Cell-based GPS tracking
You may be familiar with installing GPS devices in a vehicle to track your drivers, but that’s only sometimes the route fleets take. To save money, fleets often track their drivers’ mobile phones. After all, the cell phone is often right next to the driver, and location data is already available to these smart devices. While this option is usually cheaper and easier, you can only sometimes be sure of its accuracy. What if a driver leaves their phone at home? What happens if the driver’s phone fails? These issues could easily arise but could significantly impact your fleet operations during the day.
Satellite-Based GPS Vehicle Tracking
This is the type of GPS tracking that you hear about the most. With this method, a device is installed in your vehicle that links to the fleet management software. You can then check where your vehicles are throughout the day. Although this method is initially more complicated than cell-based tracking, it works anywhere, even in areas without cell service. It is much more reliable if drivers still need their phones.
asset trackers
Asset trackers work much like GPS vehicle trackers; they only work for assets that may not necessarily be vehicles. You can use asset trackers on equipment such as:
- trailers
- shipping containers
- signs
- mobile storage units
- vehicles
- generators
- moving lights
- heavy equipment
How to install a GPS device
Since cell-based GPS devices do not require installation, we will discuss installing a standard satellite GPS device. Azuga offers a plug-and-play GPS device that installs in just seconds. Use your vehicle’s OBD port – most vehicles built after 1996 have one. All you need to do is plug your device into this port and wait for it to turn on. Once it’s turned on, it will automatically connect to your fleet management software.
GPS Benefits
The benefits of a GPS Car tracker in a fleet are immense. You can achieve anything once you have GPS tracking, as it supports all aspects of fleet management. Here are three significant benefits you’ll enjoy once you employ fleet tracking:
Maximum productivity. You’ll know where your fleet vehicles are at any time, so if your vehicles aren’t where you expect them to be, you can communicate with your drivers. Drivers who know they are being monitored are more likely to stay on the right track. Your team will be more productive when everything runs smoothly.
Effective operations. Asset trackers tell you when and how your assets are being used. If you can determine which assets aren’t used very often, it’s easy to move them to another location where they’ll be more useful to your team.
Theft prevention. You can use tracking tools like geofencing to set up a virtual perimeter around a specific area, so you never have to worry about vehicle theft again. If a thief targets one of your assets, he can immediately alert the police and tell them exactly where the vehicle is.