A car tracking system can make all the difference when it comes to maximising fleet efficiency. By making it easier to optimise routes and maintenance, improve driver behaviour, and make data-driven decisions, fleet tracking technology supports cost savings and boosts productivity.
Use this guide to learn more about car trackers’ role in enhancing operational efficiency, what to consider when choosing a tracking system, the cost of trackers, and the features of the best trackers on the market.
Car Trackers’ Role In Boosting Efficiency
Car tracking systems have several features that can streamline operations. This means saving time, money, and other resources and boosting productivity, whether you have a small or large fleet of cars. The result is greater profitability and a significant step toward future-proofing your business.
Our fleet tracking technology brings together advanced telematics and GPS can enhance your business’ operational efficiency which includes:
Route Optimisation
Tracking vehicle locations, tracing journeys through journey playback features, comparing journey times and fuel consumption, and analysing other metrics allow you to optimise your fleet’s routes. Route optimisation benefits include reduced fuel consumption, less wear and tear on vehicles, less stress for drivers, faster deliveries, improved relationships with customers, and an enhanced reputation.
Proactive Vehicle Maintenance
Our car trackers also enable making data-driven decisions around vehicle maintenance. Analyse the data, on-demand reports, and driver scores obtainable via the tracking system dashboard to spot potential issues before they are exacerbated.
Taking a proactive approach can save you considerably less money on maintenance. Repairing minor issues can save on maintenance and boost productivity by ensuring that your vehicles experience as little downtime as possible. Trackers also act as theft deterrents, helping keep vehicles secure.
Driver Behaviour Monitoring
Car tracking systems capable of monitoring driver behaviour can encourage drivers to adopt better driving practices. Advanced systems can detect when drivers accelerate harshly, speed, brake sharply, or turn corners aggressively. They can also detect when vehicles are left idle for extended periods. Additionally, the system will score drivers based on KPIs such as acceleration and braking to create league tables.
In addition to monitoring and alerting drivers and fleet managers to these incidents, dash cams can detect other dangerous behaviours or indicators that the driver needs to rest. For example, Crystal Ball’s inward-facing dash cam can detect if the driver is using a mobile phone, smoking, distracted (eyes looking to the right or left for too long), yawning, falling asleep, sleeping behind the wheel, or not present at the wheel when the vehicle is moving. The system will alert the driver to the behaviour in real time so they can take corrective action and possibly prevent a collision, and it will notify the fleet manager.
Improving driver behaviour means enhanced safety for your drivers and other road users, less vehicle wear and tear, and reduced fuel consumption.
What To Consider When Choosing A Car Tracking System
When choosing a car tracking system for your fleet, you should consider several factors. Start by thinking about your business’s needs. Your business’s daily tasks and objectives should play a role in informing your choice of tracking system, as some systems’ features might be irrelevant while others might be essential.
You should also consider the size of your fleet and its types of vehicles. If yours is a small business with a small fleet of vehicles, you possibly would require a system with less advanced features. However, choosing a system with advanced features makes more sense if you have a large fleet of HGVs, vans, and cars. These factors can help you decide between S5 or S7 trackers. For example, if you have a large number of drivers, you might prefer S5 car trackers with automatic driver recognition.
Another important consideration is the car tracker installation method. Before choosing a car tracking system, find out whether it requires professional installation or whether your business’ technicians can do it themselves. Installing the system yourself could result in extended vehicle downtime while getting professionals to do it might mean an additional expense for the benefits of seamless integration and instant functionality.
How Much Does A Car Tracker Cost?
The financial implications are one of the most important considerations when choosing a car tracking system for your business’ fleet. There are two costs to consider, the first of which includes the initial cost of purchasing the devices and the car tracker installation costs.
The second cost is the ongoing expense of the licences, which keep your tracking system up and running. The monthly cost of these licences varies from provider to provider and is calculated using various factors, such as the period of validity and whether you opted for other features in addition to the basic features offered by your choice of licence. For example, Crystal Ball charges £10.00 per licence per month, depending on various factors.
Which Car Tracker Is Best?
The big question now is which car tracking system is best for your fleet. The answer depends on your needs, your business’ daily activities, the size of the fleet, and other factors, such as whether you think you need enhanced theft recovery.
Discover various tracking systems below. Each one includes a brief description of its key features and best use.
Crystal Ball
Key Features:
- Tow and tamper alerts with 24/7 monitoring
- Live vehicle telematics with 24/7 accessibility and reporting
- Automatic driver recognition
- Telematic alarms and alerts
- Accurate GPS tracking
- 24/7 vehicle tracking
- Geofencing alerts and reporting
- User friendly
The best option for: Fleets of all sizes in all industries and sectors.
Samsara
Key Features:
- Driver messaging
- Automatic route optimisation
- Idling engine alerts
- 24/7 customer support
The best option for: Vehicle management.
Quartix
Key Features:
- Live tracking
- Daily vehicle driving history logs
- Driver points and leaderboard system
- CO2 emissions report
The best option for: Managing fuel costs and driver performance.
RAM Tracking
Key Features:
- Data updates every 60 seconds, 1,000 metres, or 90-degree turn
- Location customisation
- Driver points and leaderboard system
- Real time graphic dashboard
The best option for: Small businesses with limited budgets.
Teletrac Navman TN360
Key Features:
- Real time vehicle and fleet information
- Current vehicle status and vehicle tracking
- Notifications
- Send and receive messages
The best option for: Managing fleet drivers.
Verizon Connect
Key Features:
- Automatic route optimisation
- Data refreshes every 30 seconds
- Driver points and leaderboard
- Self-created dashboard and reports
The best option for: Optimising routes on the job.
Movolytics
Key Features:
- Vehicle tracking on a live map
- Journey replay
- Auto-locate drivers
- Route optimisation
- Live traffic conditions
- Driver scoring
The best option for: Data and driver management
Radius Telematics
Key Features:
- Fuel card integration
- Accurate mile-per-gallon reporting
- Live vehicle tracking
- Live video footage
The best option for: Fuel card use
Vodafone Fleet Telematics
Key Features:
- Modular packages
- Crash reporting functions
- Live vehicle tracking
- Full integration with Vodafone and partner networks
- Stolen vehicle tracking
- Driving habits and fuel consumption reporting
The best option for: Flexible tracking
Bouncie
Key Features:
- Easy setup
- Monitors vehicle health
- GPS vehicle tracking
- Data updates every 15 seconds
- Chronological trip log
- Wide range of alerts
The best option for: Alerts and trip overviews
LandAirSea 54
Key Features:
- GPS vehicle tracking
- Email alerts
- Historical playback feature
- Location sharing
- Customisable subscriptions
The best option for: No-frills car tracking system
Optimus 3.0
Key Features:
- Industrial design for fleet management
- GPS vehicle tracking
- Wide range of alerts
- Extensive reporting options
- Default one-minute reporting with extensions available
The best option for: Fleet and driver reports
Choose The Best Tracker For Your Fleet
Car tracking systems can massively impact fleet management and, by extension, the rapport between drivers and managers, your business costs, operational efficiency, productivity, and, indeed, the bottom line.
Faced with a vast number of options, it’s important to choose a good all-around system for your fleet. Crystal Ball offers established and proven car tracking systems for businesses of all sizes. Contact us to find out how we can help you optimise your business.