Do you already have a vehicle tracking system? Perhaps you purchased the system ten years ago and you need to upgrade your features? There are companies who got on the vehicle tracking bus a little earlier than their competition. This is not a bad thing. In fact it is a good. The downside to having any earlier system is that in the last year or so new features have been created. For fleet companies with older systems you could be missing out on some top benefits.
To look at the advanced features of vehicle tracking keep reading. If you do have an older system you may be able to upgrade with very little problems. The company you are with may reconfigure your old contract with the new features increasing the cost a small amount. Unfortunately some of the older systems may require hardware and software upgrades, which can be costly.
So consider what you will obtain and decide if these features are worth the change in plan. At the end of your current plan you will have to upgrade to a new system.
GEO Fence is a new option. It can also be called Poi, Ring Fence, or Landmark. The name of the feature differs based on the provider, but they are all fairly similar. The application will allow a user to name an address or location on a map. For example, a point of interest or landmark can be tagged on the tracking map. So as the vehicle moves around you will receive an alert if the vehicle goes outside the “landmark” or “fence” you created. Consider for a minute that you have a company working solely in London. You do not drive to other areas like Manchester, Bath, etc. If the vehicle leaves London you will get an alert. You will also get the name of the driver.
The devices can track vehicle servicing. The GPS tracker will record the mileage your vehicle goes, what it started at when installed, when serviced, and when the next date of service is. This information helps you keep on top of the maintenance schedule, allowing for less breakdowns, and therefore less downtime. It can also alert you to tax renewal.
A great feature the newer systems offer is Driver ID. Before, you would need a lone tracker system to figure out what employee was in a vehicle or you would have a sign out sheet. With Driver ID you have a better monitoring system for who has the vehicle, how long, and what they did with the vehicle. Alerts for an unauthorised move or driver will be sent to you. In fact the vehicle will be immobilised if an unauthorised user is behind the wheel.
Temperature control for refrigerator trucks, a panic button, and MDT are also part of the new features. You will want to take advantage of these features to help productivity and operational costs. After all you already have the system, so making it better is important to the business.