You’ve made the decision to move to a GPS fleet tracking system but there are so many providers out there so how do you make your decision?
You have to do the basics first. Do your research and consider the specific needs of your business. When you’ve narrowed down your choice, request a live demo from your shortlist so you can really see if the GPS tracking system fits with your fleet. The fleet management system that will work best is easy for the user to comprehend and utilise so make sure that the user interface in the system is user friendly.
There are many benefits that a user friendly GPS tracking system will give your company but to get the right choice for your company we thought we’d ask the long-established GPS tracking firm, CanTrack for some firm pointers on what to look for.
Do you really need a GPS Tracking System?
But do you need a GPS tracking system in the first place?
If you have more than one vehicle, if you need to track the location of your vehicles, if you want detailed daily reports on their activities, if you want to cut fuel expenditure and if you want to improve driver productivity, then you do need a GPS fleet tracking system.
You also need the power of telematics on your side if you want to improve your customer service levels and make dispatching and routing of your vehicles easier or make sure you complete more jobs per day per vehicle.
Here are ten things to look out for when you’re choosing your telematics provider.
1. Track their Record
The most important thing is to consider the longevity of your GPS fleet tracking provider. If they haven’t been around for ten years or more then buyer beware.
2. Track your Investment
Value is obviously key. You’re potentially going to invest a lot of money in your fleet management system so your provider should be able to provide clear and considerable detail on the return you’ll enjoy on your investment.
3. Track and Trust
Once you have a GPS tracking system you need to be able to rely on it so you need a provider that you can trust. You need a provider that has reliable software, easy to install hardware and customer service that’s available when you need them.
4. Track your Fleet Everywhere you go
You’re going to use your fleet management system every day so it needs to be easily accessed. You want all the fundamental features of a GPS tracking system easily available wherever you are. Make sure that the fleet tracker you invest in is equally accessible from tablet, phone and laptop.
5. Track the Future
You can always trust a fleet tracking company that is constantly innovating. In addition to looking for a provider that has a track record of bringing new and innovative products to market you want to be excited about what your provider has planned for the future with its roadmap for product development.
6. Track the Map
The one thing that is vital to a productive fleet tracking system is the quality of the mapping provided. You want the best quality satellite mapping available so you can track your fleet anywhere it goes. You also want intelligent and dynamic mapping to get the most out of your tracking system.
7. Traffic Tracking
You don’t just need top class satellite mapping though, you need the most up to date traffic info as well so you can re-route your drivers out of traffic problems. If your new system has traffic information updated every 30 seconds that would be ideal.
8. Technical Tracking
When your system is getting up and running, you may need to draw on the technical support of your GPS tracking provider. And you don’t want to find out that they have limited customer or technical support times. Make sure that at the least they provide support 7 days a week and will take email requests at any time.
9. Tracking in a Glance
As a fleet manager, time is not on your side so it would be helpful if you can see at a glance and on one screen all the fundamental information you need from your GPS tracking system. Look for a system that provides everything you need like historical locations, pending work orders and latest activities on a single screen and a toolbar that has geofences, units locator etc. available to you.
10. Happy Tracking
You want to know that your provider has a track record of keeping its customers happy. Ask for customer testimonials to gauge their reliability before you sign up for any system, it should be a key part of the track record of your provider.
Takeaway
Choosing a telemetics provider is like choosing any other business partners that you and your business have. A wrong choice can jeopardize your fleet management – and put your business growth on a bumpy road. On the other hand, choosing the right partner can bring reliability to your fleet, thus impacting your overall service quality – and your bottomline.
Do your due diligence, and choose wisely.
About CanTrack: CanTrack is a leading UK provider in the telematics, fleet and asset tracking industry with over 10 years of experience and innovation. Their Vehicle Tracking System is the fastest way to get your vehicles tracked or your money back. For more information on GPS fleet and asset trackers go to https://cantrack.com/.