Modern GPS tracking systems play a significant role in ensuring safety on the roads. These systems have undergone massive transformations to fit the modern driver and road safety needs and offer next-gen features that are truly revolutionary.
From the SOS feature to real-time fuel monitoring to the engine cut-off feature that lets you turn your engine off from your smartphone—the modern GPS tracking world is genuinely sophisticated and competitive.
But, have you ever wondered which of these features are most useful?
No matter how modern or sophisticated a GPS tracking system is, it will be of no use to you if it lacks the essential features your business needs. In this post, we’ll explore the important features that every modern GPS tracking system should have.
1. Real-Time Location Tracking
Real-time location tracking is the most basic and perhaps the most crucial feature that every GPS solution should have.
With real-time location tracking, fleet managers can stay updated about where their vehicles, drivers, and other assets are at any given time. This allows them to respond quickly to emergencies and recover vehicles or goods fast in the event of theft.
However, not all tracking systems out there offer “real-time location tracking.” Some providers offer periodic updates of their GPS tracking devices. Simply put, you get updates two to three minutes after events have happened, so it’s important to ensure your tracker is offering updates in real-time.
2. Customizable Alerts
In addition to real-time location tracking, most fleet owners prefer to invest in GPS tracking systems that offer real-time alerts.
As such, a robust transport fleet GPS solution should send customizable alerts regularly and in real-time. Ideally, it should be able to offer a wide range of customizable alerts, including, but not limited to:
- Route deviation
- Long idle times
- Needless stoppage alerts
- Vehicle maintenance
- Over speeding alerts
These alerts can play a critical role in streamlining operations, reducing operational costs, and fostering business growth. For instance, long-time idle alerts can reduce fuel wastage while route deviation alerts can help mitigate theft.
3. Driver Behavior Monitoring
Monitoring driving behavior is essential to ensure maximum efficiency and productivity. Most importantly, driver behavior monitoring can help to reduce road accidents by enforcing safe driving habits.
That said, it’s critical for your GPS fleet tracker to have a driver monitoring feature.
A good GPS tracker should give you visibility into a host of various driving behavior habits, including acceleration, harsh braking, idling, etc. With these data, you can advise your drivers accordingly or enforce measures to improve safety.
4. Historical reports
A good GPS tracker should provide you with the data and reporting capabilities that your company needs. Historical Reports can be beneficial to your business as they’ll help you look into your business areas that need improvements.
A good GPS tracker should have the provision to offer you a record of the past 90 days. In general, the reports should include:
- Excessive idling times
- Speeding violations
- Summary of vehicles’ starts and stops
- Total distance traveled
- Vehicle utilization and maintenance
Many modern GPS systems come with a dashboard that allows you to view graphical reports. By analyzing data from these reports, you can make data-driven decisions for your business.
5. Mobile Fleet Tracking
In today’s tech-centric world, people want devices that can allow them to work remotely and on the move. Dispatch managers want technology that will enable them to monitor their fleet and drivers from a smartphone.
As such, it’s imperative to find a solution that will work on multiple devices and give you the same experience you’d get from a desktop. In short, look for a fleet GPS tracker that offers you mobile phone compatibility. If you want to know the best GPS tracker for your vehicle, Infiniti Tracking can help you with any GPS needs you may have
We hope this article will set you on the right track when choosing a GPS tracking system for your business. Feel free to comment and share.
Nick Williams works for Acuity Training in the UK and helps on their time management training courses. Acuity also have a range of technical courses including advanced excel training.
