A recent TEG Road Transport Price Index survey reveals that the price-per-mile of haulage and courier services has experienced its greatest monthly rise since 2022. With the return of the HGV levy, rising fuel prices, clean air charges, and higher business costs, this situation is unlikely to improve any time soon, and the pressure is on fleet managers to save costs without compromising business operations.
Aimed at optimising routes, monitoring driver behaviour, and maintaining vehicle health, the following fleet tracking strategies can contribute to operational success, cost-saving, and increased productivity, whether a business has a small fleet of cars, several vans, or dozens of LGVs.
Table of Contents
What is Fleet Tracking?
Fleet tracking uses GPS, telematics (a combination of informatics and onboard diagnostics), and telecommunications to provide fleet managers with a wealth of insights and information. Managers can use this technology to track their vehicles’ movements, location, status, behaviour, and health metrics.
The insights into the fleet’s operational aspects and physical condition enable managers to implement strategies to reduce costs while proactively enhancing operations.
Cost-Saving Fleet Tracking Strategies
Use these fleet tracking strategies to reduce various operating costs.
1. Optimise Drivers’ Routes
Use vehicle tracking to monitor your fleet and analyse whether your drivers use the best, most efficient routes. Using data from the tracker’s reports, you can evaluate which routes are problematic or unnecessarily time-consuming and optimise them for future journeys.
By doing this, you can reduce fuel costs, potential maintenance costs due to wear and tear, and wasted time. You should also see faster deliveries and a higher level of customer and driver satisfaction.
2. Monitor Vehicles to Reduce Fuel Costs
You can monitor the amount of time your vehicles spend in congested traffic and factors such as rapid acceleration and harsh braking. These and other factors impact fuel costs. You can reduce those costs by taking proactive steps to address them and encourage better driving practices.
For example, you can train your drivers to become more efficient by enrolling them in a defensive driving course that covers acceleration, speeding, braking, encouraging them to avoid performing these actions aggressively.
3. Track Vehicles for Better Fleet Health
Tracking vehicles using GPS technology and telematics can go a long way toward maintaining the health of your fleet. By analysing mileage metrics, it’s much easier to see when repairs might be on the horizon or when a vehicle needs servicing. This can reduce the chances of an unexpected breakdown, which is not only costly to repair but also results in a loss of revenue while the vehicle is out of commission.
Additionally, you can use geofencing tools to discourage drivers from using your vehicles for unauthorised personal use. This ensures that the vehicle is only used for its intended purpose and isn’t subject to more wear and tear.
Indispensable Fleet Management Technology
Using award-winning fleet tracking tools and technology from Crystal Ball can help reduce fuel costs, improve operational efficiency, and enhance driver performance and fleet health. Greater road safety and healthier vehicles could even lower insurance premiums.
Overall, the cost-reducing potential of fleet tracking strategies makes vehicle tracking technology an indispensable tool for today’s fleet managers.
