The reality for many small- and mid-sized field services businesses? The increase in fuel costs and disruptions to the supply chain has made it that much harder to stay afloat. When a single lawn service crew is spending $100 per day on fuel—and adding clients usually translates into even more driving—the path to profits just gets longer.
But with help from a fleet management tool like GPS Trackit, field service companies can learn how to cut fleet running costs and get more output from the crews they already have in the field. For less than a cup of coffee per day per truck, GPS-enabled vehicle tracking technology gives operators the real-time information they need to reduce fuel costs, build better routes and keep vehicles productive and in service.
Let’s examine how you can cut fleet running costs.
Get the Complete Picture
From the first day you install a fleet management tool, you’ll be able to see exactly where all your crews are in real-time, and have the ability to measure how long–and how efficiently—they move from job to job. With better information about the “where” and “when,” and full diagnostic information about each vehicle, you can plot routes that put crews with more customers per day with fewer miles driven—which directly translates into more revenue. One GPS Trackit client was able to schedule 20 percent more customer stops with the same crew members and vehicles.
Sorting data by specific vehicle, crew member, route, time of day (or any of dozens of other variables) is easy. Want to determine why one crew always seems to return later than the others? You can learn from the story your driver tells you—and get proof from the data. Wondering why some trucks always seem to be in the shop while others appear to be indestructible? Use the data to go behind the numbers and examine variables like driver behavior and maintenance schedule.
Reward the Behavior You Want
GPS Trackit’s VidFleet technology uses cameras to monitor both the action on the road and driver behavior. With the help of sophisticated predictive artificial intelligence, the monitor flags behavior that could indicate the driver is distracted and gives an audible warning. Driver warning systems like this can reduce incidents like collisions by up to 20 percent by encouraging drivers to pay attention to the road. Some GPS Trackit clients use the system to evaluate drivers on the basis of a safety and efficiency scorecard—and reward the ones who deliver the best metrics. Safer drivers cut fleet running costs by using less fuel (by having fewer hard stops and starts), getting in fewer accidents, and helping reduce insurance costs.
Take the Easy Wins
Beyond the benefits of optimizing routes and promoting safer driving, fleet management tools can give you a simple way to cut your fleet running costs by 10 percent just by getting better reminders. A system like GPS Trackit connects to the engine diagnostic computer in each vehicle and allows you to build a maintenance monitoring and reminder protocol. By keeping fluid replacements, tire inflation, and other basic maintenance on point, you can improve fuel economy by 10 percent—and increase productive vehicle life by more than 75,000 miles.
For more information on how GPS Trackit can help you cut your fleet running costs, schedule a free demo with a Fleet Advisor today.
