| Any business that uses vehicles is beset by | | | | anywhere). It's this last piece of information that |
| potential pit falls. Fuel prices alone can be a serious | | | | is clearly important for fleet managers worrying |
| source of inconvenience - when prices rocket, a | | | | about their fuel bill. Idling can be a significant cause |
| business operating any kind of fleet has to stay | | | | of leaking bank balances, for a freight company: |
| on top of its regular routes, and the amount of | | | | vehicle tracking, which provides clear indications of |
| time each truck or van is out on the road, in | | | | when idling occurs, for how long, and how often, |
| order to prevent spiralling petrol bills from | | | | allows a company to build a picture of its overall |
| seriously damaging company books. Sounds easier | | | | fleet habits - which can then be used to develop |
| said than done, of course - how anyone is | | | | new guidelines for drivers, that promote more |
| supposed to keep tabs on something that could | | | | fuel efficient use of company vehicles. |
| be at the other end of the country is not clear. | | | | A vehicle tracker can obviously be used to slap |
| Not clear, that is, unless the company in question | | | | wrists, if necessary (for example, vehicle location |
| decides to invest in a vehicle tracking system. | | | | systems can be programmed to alert a central |
| In this day and age, anything can be (and | | | | program if company cars, trucks and so on are |
| frequently is) tracked. Most domestic road users | | | | being used outside of regular hours) - but they're |
| have some form of vehicle location system in | | | | better employed developing better fleet |
| their car, or in their pocket. They might not know | | | | techniques. Before vehicle tracking existed, it was |
| it, but they do - a modern mobile can be located, | | | | impossible to know what each fleet vehicle was |
| which means the vehicle it's travelling in can also | | | | doing, where and when: now that information can |
| be found; and, of course, satellite navigation | | | | be centrally received and interpreted in real time. |
| systems automatically locate a vehicle in order to | | | | That offers a unique opportunity to all vehicle |
| work out routes for it. Most people don't view | | | | based businesses - a chance to get to know the |
| their sat nav systems as vehicle trackers, but | | | | reality of the road, for their drivers and vehicles, |
| that's exactly what they are: and it's that same | | | | and develop company procedures accordingly. |
| technology that makes a dedicated professional | | | | In the old days, the most frequent complaint |
| vehicle tracking system work. | | | | heard in any industry that employed drivers was |
| Because the technology is so advanced, a modern | | | | this: the people at head quarters don't know what |
| vehicle tracker does a whole lot more than simply | | | | it's like, out on the road. Well, with vehicle tracking, |
| tell its owners where a van or truck might be. It | | | | they do. They know exactly what it's like, out on |
| can relay information about average speeds; | | | | the road - and they ought to be able to use that |
| about average journey time over popular routes; | | | | knowledge to make their company processes |
| and even about the amount of time a vehicle | | | | better. |
| spends idling (i.e., engine on but not going | | | | |