Fleet tracking is the way that most fleet businesses are going. It is a convenient tool that allows fleets to maximize their efficiency and boost productivity while making managers’ jobs easier. Over the past couple of decades, many fleets have switched to fleet tracking solutions due to their advantages. Construction fleet tracking has its own specific advantages that companies can enjoy. However, are there any disadvantages that businesses need to know about before making the switch? We will discuss the pros and cons of construction fleet tracking in this article so you can make your decision with confidence.
Pros of Construction Fleet Tracking
Maximize Efficiency
Naturally, fleets want to be as efficient as possible. One way to do this is through fleet tracking. Fleet tracking allows managers to know where their vehicles and assets are at any time throughout the day. Different assets and people need to be at the site at various times throughout the day, and with fleet tracking, managers can tell precisely when to dispatch certain people. When things get off track, managers know right away so they can check in with their employees and get things back to where they’re supposed to be. Fleets are far more efficient with real-time GPS tracking at their disposal.
Optimize Resources
One of the benefits of fleet tracking that affects construction fleets, in particular, is the advantage of asset tracking. Construction fleets have so much equipment and so many vehicles that it can be challenging to keep track of it all. With asset tracking, all they have to do is attach a device to their assets, and they’ll have access to all the information they need.
Asset tracking prevents theft on two levels. Firstly, managers can set up a geofence that alerts them when the asset exits a set boundary. Secondly, they can tell police exactly where their equipment or vehicle is when they contact them. It’s so much easier to recover assets with asset tracking.
Furthermore, asset tracking helps managers keep track of what they have on hand. When managers have a warehouse or a lot full of equipment, it’s easy to accidentally make a purchase of something they already have. Asset tracking prevents this from happening. Even better, detailed reports show how much use an asset gets over time, so they don’t gather dust in storage.
Safety
Keeping drivers safe should be a top priority for any fleet company, especially construction crews who face numerous hazards that other industries don’t. Surprisingly, fleet tracking can help keep fleet drivers safe as much as it can keep them efficient. Most fleet trackers and telematics systems are equipped with a panic button so a driver can get help whenever they need it. Furthermore, fleet managers are always watching over the fleet, so if a driver suddenly stops or behaves oddly, the fleet manager can reach out and make sure everything is okay.
Cons of Construction Fleet Tracking
Technical Issues
Like any technology, technical issues can destroy plans and delay progress significantly. The same thing can happen with fleet tracking. Tall trees, buildings, or other obstacles can block the GPS signal from reaching the fleet manager. If this happens, fleet managers can’t do their jobs without contacting their employees constantly, causing delays and frustration, not to mention potential communication issues. That’s why, when picking a GPS solution, it’s important to ask your provider what safeguards they have against these issues. Check their reviews to see how accurate their GPS tracking is and how many problems their customers run across. The better your fleet tracking provider, the fewer issues you’re likely to run into along the way.
Privacy
Employees are often resistant to fleet tracking as they feel like it infringes on their privacy or they are being micro-managed. Many employees feel like their employers don’t trust them when they suggest implementing fleet tracking into their vehicles. However, spying on employees is not the purpose of fleet tracking, and they need to know that. Communicate the many other benefits of fleet tracking, and they’re sure to have a better understanding of why it would be beneficial to implement it. It’s crucial to make sure employees understand, so a negative attitude toward fleet tracking doesn’t grow throughout the workplace.
Driver Distraction
GPS tracking devices involve little input from the driver or communication between the driver and manager, but if there are any issues with the GPS device, it can lead to phone calls and distractions on the job or the road. Over reliance on GPS can result in panic when it does not work, halting production and distracting both managers and drivers from their jobs. That is why it is crucial to have a backup plan in place in case the GPS system ever falters, so that work can still be completed and managers and workers can still communicate.
Conclusion
GPS trackers are the norm for most fleet companies these days, and they will only become increasingly common. When selecting your GPS tracking solution, it’s important to consider the pros and cons and select an option that works best for your construction fleet. Azuga offers state-of-the-art real-time GPS tracking technology that will optimize your fleet’s productivity and benefit you immensely down the road.
