The basics of GPS Tracking and fleet management software are fairly simple. You plug the technology into your vehicle’s dashboard, which allows it to access and collect all of the data from the various components of the vehicle. The work on your end is minimal, allowing you to go and tackle problems elsewhere while the software does all the heavy lifting you’ll use to your benefit.

Given the complexities of any vehicle, there is a bevy of different elements you can track and assess using fleet management software. Below is a list of some of the more notable and important ones you may want to consider keeping on your radar:

1. Fuel Management: If drivers are using more fuel than you’d expect on any given trip, fleet management software will let you know so you can make the proper adjustments to save money.

2. Preventative Maintenance: How often you have to replace oil, parts, and tires matters to companies, which makes it important that they’re aware of how much of a beating they’re taking on a daily basis. If that damage appears more than usual, fleet managers can schedule maintenance before parts or systems fail.

3. Aggressive acceleration and braking: Both the gas and brakes will no doubt accumulate their share of wear and tear over the years, but drivers can accelerate that process depending on how much force they use in a given amount of time. If they’re constantly slamming on either pedal, damage could follow. This software will alert you before that potential problem grows too big.

4. Dual-facing cameras: Fleet managers can purchase cameras that face both inside and outside the vehicle. The former ensures that distractions aren’t taking drivers’ eyes off the road while the latter can be used as evidence in the event of an accident to exonerate the driver in question.

5. GPS Tracking: Fleet management software can also be used as a GPS. Fleet managers can keep up to date on the whereabouts of their vehicles, which helps them know whether those vehicles are pacing at the rate they’re supposed to when out on the job.

A driver scorecard is a more comprehensive way to hold drivers accountable for the way they perform behind the wheel. It’s a summary of how well or poorly a driver acts behind the wheel, listing the aforementioned aspects (and more) while providing a numbered score for each metric.

If the score of any given metric is below expectations, fleet managers can address the issue with additional training for the driver in question.

Tracking technology is a big part of fleet management software. With the use of interactive maps, fleet managers have complete knowledge of where their vehicles are located at all times. They can track the timing of specific jobs and use geofences to set off-limit locations for employees when they’re on the job. This will stop employees from making stops at bars or their homes that add additional and unnecessary stops and time to their route, which ultimately costs more money to fuel.

If your vehicles are stolen, you can relay their location to the proper authorities as soon as possible to make sure you don’t lose the vehicle and all the equipment that might be inside it.

Every aspect of fleet management software ultimately boils down to money and the amount it helps a company save.

The more efficient a fleet manager is when planning the routes, the less they’ll have to spend on gas or tire maintenance. Being able to know what’s wrong with a vehicle at any given moment allows companies to handle problems in their early stages.

And yet the benefits don’t stop from there. When drivers know that every aspect of how they drive will be monitored, they’re more likely to improve their performance to ensure their job remains secure. They’re more likely to be more efficient behind the wheel, which not only saves time and money for maintenance, repairs, and fuel-ups, but that additional responsibility also makes the road a safer place for everyone.