GPS fleet tracking solutions

Whether you manage five vehicles or hundreds, it can be difficult to keep track of them once they're driven off the lot. With GPS fleet tracking solutions, you can pinpoint exactly were your vehicles and field workers are at any time, learn how long it takes them to travel between job sites, and find out if they’re using their time efficiently.

What is GPS fleet tracking?
Global positioning systems (or GPS) have become a reliable and often necessary feature in commercial and personal vehicles. They provide turn-by-turn directions to a destination and communicate accident or traffic information to the driver. GPS fleet tracking solutions employ this technology to quickly get workers to job sites, but also to let fleet managers, owners, and dispatchers know where vehicles are.

In a fleet tracking system, GPS data is transmitted over a wireless connection to a central PC where you can view the information and use it to create different reports for gauging fleet and worker efficiency. With a GPS fleet tracking solution in place, you can help improve productivity, accountability, and profitability.

Fleet tracking benefits
A GPS tracking solution can offer many benefits to your business:

• Reduce fleet management costs
• Keep customers happy by getting field reps to jobs quicker
• Eliminate paper recordkeeping
• Shorten driver downtime
• Review employee time-tracking information
• Collect reliable data for how long a job takes
• Monitor drivers’ speeding habits
• Ensure efficient use of company vehicles
• Lower gas costs by providing direct routes to a jobsite
• Provide insurance discounts
• Allow drivers to maintain focus on the road rather than destination routes

Types of GPS fleet tracking solutions
You’ll find two main types of GPS fleet tracking solutions available: real-time and passive (or historical) systems.

Passive tracking uses a data logger in the vehicle that provides a history of where each vehicle goes. This provides the most specific data and is best if you just want an overall summary of the driver’s daily activities. Passive GPS tracking systems allow you to store a certain amount of data depending on the number of days tracked or miles logged, and the data never expires.

Use passive tracking when you want:

• The least expensive solution
• No recurring monthly fees (included in the cost of the equipment)
• To know where vehicles are throughout the day

Real-time GPS tracking is best when you need to know a driver’s exact whereabouts. Using a wireless cellular system or satellite connection, a real-time GPS sends vehicle information direct to your PC whenever you need it. Real-time GPS fleet tracking systems can store an unlimited amount of data, but only maintain the data for 30 to 90 days.

A real-time GPS tracking solution provides the most comprehensive tracking and is best for communicating with remote devices like laptops or PDAs. However, the equipment is more expensive and you’ll have to pay monthly fees for wireless data communication.

What to look for in a fleet tracking system
Before you shop for a GPS tracking solution, there are many important details to consider about your purchase:

• What details do you want to track?
• Which is most important to you: frequent tracking updates or total daily activity?
• How large of a tracking area do you need?
• Do you prefer cellular or satellite communication?
• What type of mapping platforms do you want (basic free software or fee-based, customizable software)?
• Do you want fixed installation or magnet-mounted portable systems?
• How will you track data (PC, laptop, or PDA?)
• Do you need remote access to fleet tracking data?

Once you answer these questions, you should meet with several reputable GPS fleet tracking dealers. Submit a free BuyerZone request for GPS Fleet Tracking Solutions quotes, and get matched to multiple dealers that will review your requirements and suggest the best system to fit your needs.

Tracking solution pricing
Pricing for GPS fleet tracking equipment and installation is similar for both passive systems and real-time systems. The key difference is most of the cost of passive GPS comes in the first year of ownership while real-time GPS costs are spread over two years. You’ll also pay monthly fees for transmitting data over a real-time system.

Passive systems cost $6,000 to $10,000 for the equipment and installation in 10 vehicles ($600 to $1,000 per vehicle). You’ll pay an additional $800 to $1,200 for to set up your PC for tracking. There may also be a nominal fee for activation.

With real-time systems, expect to pay about $3,000 to $12,000 for devices and installation in 10 vehicles during the first year ($250 to $900 per vehicle for hardware; $75 to $300 per vehicle for installation) and $0 to $7,000 in the second year. Your expenses over two years will vary based on how fast the real-time GPS updates data – the fastest speeds will cost the most up front, but little to nothing in year two.

For real-time systems, make sure to factor in monthly data transmission fees of $8 to $35 for each vehicle.

Mapping software to help drivers plan quicker routes to job sites can cost several thousand dollars. You could use a free solution like Google Maps, but you won’t have as many customization options or access to customer service.