What is Vehicle Tracking?
A vehicle tracker is an electronic device that is placed inside a vehicle for the purpose of tracking the location of the vehicle as well as monitoring and collecting various other pieces of information regarding the status of the vehicle. It is used most commonly by businesses which use fleets of vehicles like delivery companies, couriers, breakdown recovery companies and mini cab firms. Vehicle trackers are popular because they can significantly improve the profitability and efficiency of a business.
Each device is linked to a base unit by means of special software that can be downloaded onto a PC or similar remote device, from which the status of the vehicles being tracked can be monitored. The kinds of things that can be monitored using tracking include; how fast the vehicle is travelling, the amount of fuel being used, mechanical faults, if the engine is running, insurance renewal dates etc. It is one of the fastest growing sectors in the mobile communications industry and is worth an estimated £2 billion a year worldwide.
Finding a System and Comparison Sites
The vehicle tracking sector is a rapidly growing industry and there are many manufacturers and suppliers of vehicle tracking systems on the market. Many people who use vehicle tracking find that renting their devices on short-term contracts works out as the most cost-effective approach. Having a short-term contract means that if you want to upgrade your system or change suppliers for any reason you are not locked into a long contract that you can't get out of. Some suppliers will offer upgrades as part of their deal but you have to check this with the supplier.
Repairs and maintenance also come as part of your contract, but this would not be the case if you were to buy them outright. Another disadvantage to buying outright is that if you decided you wanted to change service providers, you would not be able to transfer your devices over to the new provider and would have to buy a new system.
A contract for a system capable of accommodating a small to medium sized fleet (ten to thirty vehicles) might cost from £15 to £25 a month. A one-off installation charge of £60-£70 will usually be charged as well.
If you need help finding the right system then it might be a good idea to use a specialist vehicle tracking comparison site. They save you a lot of time because they allow you to compare all the available devices at a glance without having to approach each supplier separately. Also, as they are not acting on behalf of any supplier in particular, you can trust that the information they provide is impartial.
Van Tracking Systems
A typical van tracking system will come with software that can be downloaded on to a PC which can then act as a base unit for the whole system. The devices themselves are surreptitiously placed inside each vehicle that you want to track.
In addition to being able to track each of your vehicles form your PC, you can receive alerts regarding the status of your vehicles by email and SMS message.
Tracking systems can be tailored according to the size and requirements of your particular fleet and can accommodate one or as many as a thousand vehicles. Also, because they use GPS technology, your fleet can be tracked theoretically from anywhere on the planet.
Environmental Benefits
A company can improve its 'green' image by using vehicle tracking. This is due to the increased efficiency that vehicle tracking brings. You waste less fuel through speeding less, cutting out 'idling' (leaving the engine running while stationary) and taking quicker routes to destinations. This all results in much less harmful emissions, reducing your carbon footprint.
Tracking can also help a company to fulfil its legal obligations to its employees as stated under the terms of the Health and Safety At Work act 1974 which requires employers to ensure the safety of their drivers at all times as well as ensuring that members of the public are not put at risk by their drivers' work-related driving activities. Tracking enables them to do this as they are able to effectively monitor their driving habits at all times and ensure that they do not slip into any bad habits that could put themselves and members of the public at risk.
Other Considerations
There are some potential drawbacks to using vehicle tracking. One possible drawback is that it could cause your workforce to become over-reliant on the technology, meaning that if the system was to malfunction for any reason they may find themselves unable to carry out their duties as efficiently as they need to, resulting in delays to customer deliveries and such-like that could potentially cause your business all kinds of problems. It could also possibly breed resentment among your workers who might feel that they are being spied on by their employers. But having said that, the potential downsides are comparatively insignificant compared to the long-term benefits that vehicle tracking can bring to a business of any size.
