PROTECTING YOUR BUSINESS


The Lesser-Known Capabilities of Fleet Tracking Systems


By Jill Odom


FLEET TRACKING SYSTEMS OFFER FAR MORE THAN JUST GPS TRACKING for your crews’ vehicles. This type of technology can improve efficiency, reduce costs and boost overall fleet safety.


“Companies without fleet tracking


are running at a disadvantage relative to adopters who are improving the safety and efficiency of their fleets,” Joe DiMartino, CEO of Fleetr. “The ROI on fleet tracking has proven very positive. It is a simple and economical investment worth making.” Whether you have two trucks or 200,


lawn and landscape companies of all sizes can benefit from investing in fleet- tracking software. “As the fleet size grows, managing multiple vehicles becomes more com- plex, making the benefits of tracking more significant in terms of efficiency and cost savings,” says Taylor Gould, chief marketing officer for SingleOps.


ROUTE DENSITY AND EFFICIENCIES One of the main benefits of fleet


tracking is the increased visibility of your team. “It’s like cloning yourself,” says Corey


Graphic: GPS Fleet Consulting


Fongemie, owner of GPS Fleet Consult- ing. “If you have 10 trucks, it’s like putting yourself into 10 trucks and monitoring


what’s going on on a daily basis. It’s a great management tool to get more eyes on the team essentially.” DiMartino says fleet tracking soft-


ware can create detailed trip history reports that you can analyze to tighten up your route density. Gould adds that geographically clustering jobs allow landscape companies to save fuel and complete more jobs in a day. “Idling is another behavior that is


monitored, and that is used to improve crew productivity and reduce fuel ex- penses,” DiMartino says. Fongemie says fleet tracking can also


help you manage your productivity and efficiency as you see where crews are during the day, how long their routes are taking and how long they are staying on specific properties. Gould says through their integra- tion with FleetSharp, SingleOps allows companies to use fleet tracking data to validate timesheet entries, ensuring accurate payroll and reducing discrep- ancies.


BILLING AND VALIDATION For the smaller fleets, Fongemie says they can utilize fleet tracking to aid in billing. “The fleet tracking will help them bill clients when they were last serviced,” Fongemie says. “Even with one truck, they’re on the road, and they’ll do the billing at the end of the week. It’s nice to be able to go back on the GPS system and say, ‘Alright, I hit these accounts on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.’ It’s just a verification of where you were and how long they were there for.” It can also provide proof of when


your crews were or weren’t in a specific location at a certain time. “Take spring cleanups or fall cleanups,”


Fongemie says. “For example, we’ve had customers call us and say they weren’t getting paid because one of their cus- tomers couldn’t believe they were there and so by proving they were there that one time, they’re going to get paid now.” Proving your vehicles weren’t some-


where can be just as important when establishing your company’s innocence in cases of hit-and-run or other damage disputes. “By offering precise location data and time stamps, companies can verify that their vehicles were not at the alleged incident location, protecting them from false claims and potential liability,” Gould says. Knowing the real-time location of your


crews can enhance customer satisfaction by sharing accurate ETAs. DiMartino adds you can use current vehicle locations to deploy the closest crew when a custom- er needs service.


SAFETY With increased fleet visibility, you can track unsafe driving behaviors, including speeding, harsh braking, rapid accelera- tion, and excessive idling. Gould says by monitoring these behaviors, companies can provide targeted training to driv- ers, promote safer driving habits


and reduce the risk of accidents. “Some of their employees are going to have heavier feet or tailgate


18 The Edge //July/August 2024


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