These days, more and more people are using vehicle tracking systems. Tracking systems use GPS and cell phone technology to let you see where your car or truck is at any time. You can put small trackers in your vehicle and check its location from your phone or computer.
Tracking systems give you useful information about where your car goes and how it’s being used. They can help keep your vehicle safe and help big companies manage their fleets of trucks and vans, too.
This article will explain six benefits of using a vehicle tracking system.
1. Theft Prevention and Recovery
Tracking devices can help prevent cars from being stolen and help find them if they are. Most vehicle tracking devices always use GPS to know where the car is. If someone takes the car without asking, owners can check the app or website to see its location and see if the vehicle has ever been taken without permission.
Some advanced tracking devices for vehicles will even send an alert if the car goes somewhere it’s not supposed to. The best tracking devices for vehicles let owners turn off the engine remotely.
Just having a visible tracking device for vehicles makes thieves less likely to steal them since they’ll know they can be found. If a car does get stolen, the tracking device helps police recover it quickly before parts are taken out.
2. Fuel Savings and Efficiency
One unintended but significant benefit of fleet tracking is its potential to improve fuel efficiency and reduce costs. The trackers collect information about where the cars go, when they drive, and how fast.
This data shows if people need to be idling more, taking long ways to get places, or speeding up and slowing down too hard. Managers can then teach drivers better habits to use less gas like these. Trackers also ensure drivers follow the speed rules in different areas.
The trackers can also help pick the best routes by knowing where traffic is. This prevents drivers from getting stuck in jams. Other tracker features like shutting off engines stop cars from burning gas when unnecessary.
Challenges between drivers and leaderboards encourage saving gas through gentle driving. In the end, tracking company cars helps waste less money on fuel and get where they’re going more efficiently.
3. Gain Actionable Business Intelligence
Tracking many vehicles shows how traffic flows in different areas and when roads are busiest. Patterns appear about parts of towns used less during commutes or routes changing with the seasons.
Tracking reports find which drivers or vehicles need improvements. They also spot equipment that needs repairs from sitting too long or new vehicles and tools to buy based on real use, not guesses.
Data on where and when vehicles travel clearly proves requests for more bus routes in growing neighborhoods, ads for new customers, or multi-year business planning. Tracking information helps make decisions using real knowledge of operations, not just ideas. It provides insights to make smart changes that benefit customers and save money.
4. Maintenance and Warranty Protection
Vehicle tracking also saves money by helping with vehicle upkeep. It monitors fuel levels, speeds, battery power, engine hours, and any issue codes.
Mechanics can use this information to fix small problems before they become big and expensive to repair. The trackers also send alerts when it’s time for scheduled maintenance, like oil changes, based on exact mileage or hours of use.
Reports on hard braking, speeding up, and idling too much find drivers rough on equipment still under warranty. Tracking systems make it easy for dealers to coordinate maintenance work, too. Quick access to a vehicle’s full-service history simplifies warranty claims processing.
Overall, tracking catches minor issues early and ensures proper servicing. This keeps repair bills lower by preventing small problems from worsening.
5. Increased Safety
Vehicle tracking helps keep drivers and businesses safe. It lets people know where trucks and cars are at all times, which is helpful if someone needs help in an emergency.
Tracking shows exactly where a vehicle is on a map. It can alert managers if a truck stops somewhere it’s not supposed to. This helps find accidents or breakdowns faster.
The tracking also watches speed and braking. It finds drivers who brake too hard or drive too fast. This helps fix problems before anyone gets hurt. Cameras can show what happened in a crash.
Sensors know right away if there is a crash. Tracking gets emergency help to the crash the quickest. Family and friends can also see each other’s locations for safety on personal trips.
Therefore, tracking systems lower the chances of problems on the road. It also gets help faster when issues do come up. Tracking keeps commercial and personal drivers and their businesses safer.
6. Tax and Expensing Documentation
Proper tax compliance and expense tracking present ongoing administrative burdens for any business. Vehicle tracking systems digitally capture and organize all the necessary documentation through integrated location data and reports.
Trip logs automatically generated by GPS provide proof of vehicle use and miles driven for tax deduction eligibility. Customizable reports on travel time, dates, start/end points, fuel use, and more simplify expense submissions and billing. Geofences verify job sites visited.
Digital mileage tracking apps integrated with a vehicle’s odometer readings simplify the expense process compared to handwritten logs. Electronic records reduce the risks of lost paperwork or fraudulent activity. Real-time integration with accounting systems streamlines bookkeeping as well. For freelance drivers, tracking builds comprehensive self-employment records.
Bottom line
Today’s vehicle tracking devices deliver immense value across business operations and personal ownership in theft protection, travel safety, fuel efficiency, and improved customer service.
As telematics capabilities advance, tracking functionality will become more intelligent and integrated across industries. Combined with lower upfront costs, even basic tracking systems have become an easy choice for maximizing any vehicle’s useful lifespan through optimized performance and risk mitigation.