What Data Does a Fleet GPS Tracker Collect?
GPS tracking technology has a wide range of uses and there is no doubt that any company which runs a fleet of vehicles should be using this tech.
Fleet tracking technology offers so many benefits to businesses, from increasing safety of the drivers; helping with cost saving; increasing efficiency; improving productivity and so much more. At the core of how tracking is able to provide these benefits, is the wealth of data which the tracker is able to produce. This is the kind of data which your company can expect when it invests in fleet tracking.
Location Tracking
The one aspect of GPS fleet tracking which we all know about is its ability to detect the location of the tracker, and this helps us in a number of ways. This real time location can help mapping software give us the quickest route between two points for example. We can also use this location to ensure that our drivers are safe, and there is also a security aspect to this too, should the vehicle be stolen. Real time location data can also be passed onto a customer who can then anticipate their delivery.
Speed of Vehicle
Built in to the GPS tracking device is something called an accelerometer, which is used to measure the vehicles movement. To put it in simpler terms, if you have a pedometer on your phone or a watch which measures steps, they use this technology to measure the movement of your body. The tracker does the same thing for a car, and this is how it can measure both the speed of a vehicle, and the acceleration. This is critical in helping us to better manage our drivers, so that they are taking good care of the vehicle at all times. This is also helpful in measuring when the vehicle requires maintenance.
Braking Harshness
That same accelerometer which measures how quickly a car speeds up, is also able to measure the speed at which a car slows down. Once again this is a great tool for measuring how harshly our drivers are jumping on the brakes. The harsher they brake, the more wear and tear we have on the break pads and calipers, which can cause damage to the vehicle over time. Using this data we can educate our drivers and monitor their performance going forward.
Idle Time
Whilst GPS fleet tracking software helps us monitor the movements and behaviors of the driver, we can also monitor idle time. This data can be cross referenced with mapping technology to see if there is heavy traffic, and this helps us to get a better picture of what our drivers are actually doing.There are many reasons for idle time which are perfectly acceptable, if however the driver is idle for another reason, this results in lost money and productivity for the business.
GPS tracking is known for helping businesses to find the quickest route between two points, but as you can see, there is far more to this technology and its uses than just that.