As a fleet manager, there are only so many factors you can control when trying to keep costs down while still providing excellent service to your customers. You have total control over the types of vehicles you purchase, the maintenance schedule, the drivers you hire, and the routes you recommend. However, you have limited control over the way each driver behaves when in the field. A vehicle GPS tracking system can help you gain more control and provide valuable insights into driver behavior that could be costing you money.

Ten Ways to Improve Accountability with Vehicle GPS Tracking

A fleet GPS system allows you to monitor a broad range of driver activities so you can catch small issues before they become large (and costly) problems. Use the following GPS software features to improve driver accountability:

1. Speeding – In addition to being unsafe, speeding also reduces gas mileage. Set up automatic alerts or review reports from any date range to identify drivers that go over the speed limit that you set.
2. Idling – Leaving the engine running when the vehicle is not moving may seem like a minor issue, but excessive idling can cost you a lot of money in the long run. Idling reports let you know which drivers are not being as thoughtful as they should be.
3. Hard acceleration – Accelerating too fast can be unsafe for your driver and the other vehicles around them. Break this bad driver habit by setting up an alert that lets you know when it happens.
4. Hard braking – Similar to hard acceleration, hard braking is not a safe driver activity. It also causes unnecessary wear on brakes and other vehicle components.
5. Seat belt usage – If the vehicle is moving, the driver should be wearing a seat belt. The reasons for this are self explanatory, but that doesn’t mean that every driver does it. Enforce this important policy by monitoring seat belt usage with your vehicle GPS tracking system.
6. Time sheet verification – Unfortunately, not all employees are honest about the time they spent on the job. Make your payroll dollars count by verifying time sheets with your fleet GPS software.
7. Geofence alerts – Do you want your drivers to avoid certain areas, or do you want to know if they leave an area before or after a certain time? Control vehicle misuse by setting up geofence alerts.
8. PTO events – If your vehicles are used for construction, towing, or any other type of work that requires a power take off event, you can remotely monitor whether it is being used appropriately. Don’t just confirm that your vehicle is onsite; confirm that your employees are actually working.
9. Mobile device location – If your vehicle GPS tracking system can be used on smart phones and tablets, you can confirm that both the device and the driver are with the vehicle.
10. Fuel card integration – If you use fuel cards, you can use your fleet GPS system to ensure that your drivers do not abuse them.

GPSTrackIt helps solve driver accountability problems every day. We work closely with our customers to identify and modify the behaviors that contribute to higher fleet costs, increased liability, and lost productivity. If you are facing any of these problems with your fleet, it may be time to get in touch with us.

What driver accountability problems do you face? How do you think vehicle GPS tracking could help?