Even with the best planning and dispatching efficiency, your drivers may not be able to follow the routes assigned to them. However, when drivers make unauthorized stops, it affects your business. Depending on where the driver stopped, your reputation could be damaged, and no matter what the reason for the stop, it will cost you money.
Unauthorized stops can have the following unwanted impacts on your business:
- Wasted fuel
- Extra labor costs
- Increased liability
- Poorer customer service
- Negative impression of your business
It is easy to create a policy that prohibits unplanned stops, but how can you enforce such a policy with drivers in the field?
GPS for Fleet Tracking Prevents Unauthorized Stops
So how do you know whether a driver is making unauthorized stops? You could use GPS for fleet tracking to run reports on all the stops a driver makes, or monitor the locations where you notice excess idling. Although these methods are certainly effective, they can be a little time consuming, especially if you don’t know what to look for.
Fortunately, you can also use GPS for fleet tracking to compare planned routes with actual ones. Here’s how it works:
- You or a dispatcher identifies which stops need to be completed in a day
- Each of these locations is entered into the GPS software if it is not already there
- The route optimization feature determines the most efficient order of the stops
- The optimized route is sent to the GPS unit in the vehicle so the driver can simply follow directions
- If the driver needs to divert for any reason, they can get a new optimized route from their current location
- At the end of the day, you can view where the driver actually went and compare it to the originally scheduled route
At a glance you can see the actual vehicle trail overlaid on the map of the planned route, including any extra stops along the way. GPS for fleet tracking can quickly show you:
- When and where the ignition was turned on or off
- Drive events like turning or hard braking
- Travel start/stop times and locations
All of these features make it easy for fleet managers to identify unplanned stops so you can determine why a driver didn’t follow the scheduled route and take any necessary disciplinary steps.
GPSTrackIt is here to help you optimize your fleet, keep costs low, and improve driver accountability. We provide GPS for fleet tracking solutions for all types of businesses, both large and small. If you want to learn more about how GPS tracking can help you boost the bottom line, request a quote today to get started.
How do you currently monitor unauthorized stops? Do you know when your drivers don’t follow their assigned routes?
