Today, most field service managers understand that accidents will happen — at some point or another. However, over the past decade, accidents caused by fleet vehicles have greatly diminished, in no small measure thanks to technological advances like electronic logging devices (ELDs) and dash cams, among others.
But there's one other critical type of new technology that is also helping to lower the numbers of dangerous accidents caused by fleet vehicles: GPS tracking.
GPS tracking for fleets can dramatically reduce the number of accidents your fleet experiences each year in three key ways. Let's take a closer look at precisely what they are and how GPS tracking can work to keep your drivers safer on the road.
GPS Tracking Reduces Harsh Braking
When your technicians or other vehicle operators drive large, unwieldy vehicles such as tractor-trailers, it can be extremely challenging to stop — especially when drivers need to stop quickly. Typically, the best way to avoid harsh braking is to know from as far ahead as possible when you will need to brake, but sometimes, having to brake harshly can be unavoidable.
Such immediate deceleration will dramatically increase the chances of a crash. A regular motorist behind you could rear-end your truck because they did not anticipate the harsh braking happening ahead of them. Or cargo could shift suddenly, causing the driver to lose control and swerve, jackknife, or even roll. GPS tracking for fleets will tell you when your drivers are braking harshly and decelerating too rapidly. It will also create reports that allow fleet managers to see exactly when, where, and who was responsible for any harsh braking that occurred.
GPS tracking for fleets will also send both drivers and fleet managers real-time alerts indicating that harsh braking is occurring. This will allow vehicle operators to quickly correct their hard driving behavior and enable fleet managers to have the inside scoop as to whether or not it is a regular occurrence for specific drivers in their fleets.
GPS Tracking for Fleets Helps to Reduce the Frequency of Rapid Acceleration
All field service managers have dealt with a driver or two (at least) who takes off from a green light far too quickly or goes from a relatively slow speed to one that is dramatically faster without warning. This, of course, can be the cause of an accident, even for the most seasoned vehicle operator, and should therefore be monitored wherever possible. GPS tracking for fleets will allow field service managers to see this type of hard driving behavior, either as it occurs in real-time or in aggregate through reports, depending on preference and the type of GPS tracking they have.
When you choose GPS fleet tracking from Azuga, you can receive notifications and alerts for your fleet managers in real-time and in the form of reports, if you so choose. But in either instance, reducing the frequency of rapid acceleration will help improve your drivers’ reputation on the road — and therefore your entire operation’s reputation for safety.
GPS Tracking for Fleets Reduces Incidence of Speeding
Speeding is another hard driving behavior that can negatively affect your company’s reputation. But what's far worse is that it puts your drivers' lives and the lives of other motorists on the road at risk. With fleet GPS tracking, you can pull hourly, daily, or weekly reports to help you determine which of your vehicle operators or technicians is regularly speeding. This allows you to address this hard driving behavior with your team before it becomes an issue rather than dealing with the aftermath of an accident or traffic stop.
Other Ways GPS Tracking for Your Fleet Can Help With Driver Safety
Aside from the three main benefits we have discussed above, GPS tracking for fleets can also:
- Help you determine when there have been sudden, unexpected stops of any vehicles in your fleet
- Help your dispatchers notify the proper authorities when they have been alerted of accidents or other incidents
- Determine when drivers are using seat belts properly and alert them to correct this behavior when they are not
- Give your drivers a single push-button alert system for when other issues occur that the GPS tracking did not automatically notice
When you choose GPS fleet tracking to meet your field service business’s safety needs, you will enjoy many added safety benefits like those listed above. To learn more about Azuga's GPS fleet tracking options and the best field service management software available on the market today, visit www.azuga.com today.
