How does a fleet tracker work?

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How does a fleet tracker work?

Fleet tracking is used by companies all over the world to simplify fleet management, save time, cut costs, and more. The technology behind fleet tracking has advanced in recent years, and the devices and software used in fleet tracking can be highly complex. Now, fleet tracking and fleet telematics systems can track far more than just vehicle location, with many powerful insights into things like driving habits, fuel use, and route optimisation.

But how does fleet tracking work? Well, while the technology behind modern fleet tracking and telematics can be complex, it’s actually very simple to implement it into your fleet and start benefiting from it.

In this article, we answer the question ‘how does a fleet tracker work?’ and explore some of the extensive benefits fleet tracking could offer your business. Read on to find out more.

How does a fleet tracker work?

To explain how a fleet tracker works, we’ll need to go into a bit of detail about how trackers fit into the fleet tracking system as a whole. With the advancement of GPS technology, mobile internet, and computing power, using fleet tracking can be as simple as installing a smartphone app on each driver’s phone. This can provide real-time information about location, speed, and driving routes to a central location, helping businesses manage their fleets more easily.

However, to truly benefit from modern fleet tracking, an in-vehicle device is generally needed. These devices are installed into a vehicle and its onboard computer to monitor various metrics beyond just location. This data is then transmitted anywhere in the world so it can be tracked, stored, and used to optimise fleet management.

The software used to process incoming vehicle data is also very important. The best fleet tracking software handles all the data processing and analytics for you, presenting everything in an intuitive, easily digestible, and useful way.

Who uses fleet tracking?

Fleet tracking is used by a wide range of businesses all over the world on a daily basis. And it’s not just limited to delivery and logistics businesses. In fact, any company that uses vehicles can benefit from using a fleet tracking system, making it a useful technology for millions of companies globally.

GPS fleet tracking technology is now so accessible that businesses of any size and budget can implement it into their operations. This means companies ranging from small independent outfits with one vehicle, all the way up to multinational titans with thousands of vehicles can benefit from fleet tracking.

What can fleet tracking systems track?

Most people just think of GPS-based location data when they think of fleet tracking, but modern systems can tell you much more. Beyond location data, advanced fleet tracking and fleet telematics systems can provide in-depth data on a range of metrics, including:

• Fuel use
• Idling
• Driving habits (such as braking and acceleration)
• Collisions
• Unauthorised vehicle use

Why use fleet tracking and fleet telematics?

Track your vehicles at all times

The most obvious benefit of fleet tracking is the ability to monitor the location of every vehicle in your fleet at all times. This makes all aspects of fleet management simpler, saving employees time.

Optimise vehicle usage

When you know exactly where every vehicle is, it’s far easier to respond to unexpected things in the most efficient way possible. For example, if a new order comes through, you can find the nearest vehicle instantly and reroute it to fulfil the job, minimising disruption, satisfying the customer, and saving your drivers time.

Reduce fuel use

Optimising vehicle routes and driving habits and reducing wasteful things like excessive idling can have a big impact on fuel use. Spread across an entire fleet and over a long period of time, these savings can add up significantly, reducing both fuel costs and lowering the environmental impact of your business.

Improve safety

With detailed reports on driving habits, collision data, route information, and more, fleet telematics systems can help you identify areas for improvement in regard to driver safety. Armed with in-depth knowledge of your fleet and insights into unsafe practices, you can encourage safer driving and implement policies to improve driver safety.

Spend less on insurance

Insurance companies recognise the impact that fleet tracking can have on driver safety, collision rates, and maintenance costs. As a result, they often offer significantly lower vehicle insurance premiums to companies using certain types of fleet tracking and fleet telematics systems. In fact, implementing fleet tracking could lower your fleet’s insurance premiums by as much as 50%.

Simple, powerful fleet tracking from Trakm8

A leading provider of GPS fleet tracking and fleet telematics technology, Trackm8 offers a range of advanced hardware and software products to help you manage your fleet more effectively. Read more in our Guide to Fleet Tracking.

While Trakm8 creates some of the most advanced devices and software platforms on the market, we’ve worked to make our systems incredibly simple to install and use, so you don’t need to know anything about the tech to use it. All of our products can be installed quickly without disrupting your operations, and you can start tracking real-time vehicle data immediately.

Our tech is used by everyone from small independent businesses with a single vehicle to national and multinational clients such as Calor, the AA, Autoglass, and more. We truly offer a solution for everyone, with custom systems and features available on demand.

Based in Coleshill, UK, where the vast majority of our products are designed, developed, and manufactured, Trakm8 proudly holds the ‘Made in Britain’ marque.