What is company vehicle GPS tracking?
Company vehicle GPS tracking is technology that uses GPS tracking for fleets so companies can monitor vehicle locations and activities in real time.
Many different types of businesses can benefit from company vehicle GPS tracking, including fleet management companies, companies that deliver goods, and any company that relies on vehicles to provide services to its customers.
Company vehicle GPS tracking lets fleet managers know where their vehicles are at any moment. This real-time knowledge results in cost savings, safer vehicle utilization, on-time arrivals and deliveries, and better customer service.
How does company vehicle GPS tracking work?
Company vehicle GPS tracking uses cellular and satellite technology to let fleet managers know where their vehicles are at all times.
Here’s an example of the benefits of company vehicle GPS tracking:
A tracking system shows how long a driver is staying at the loading docks before moving to the next destination of their trip. A fleet manager is notified that the driver is waiting at the docks for too long and can adjust and find ways to make the pickups at this particular dock more efficient.
Company vehicle GPS tracking gives fleet managers the most accurate data on vehicle movements and locations. The tracking technology estimates fuel consumption and emissions levels, time spent on site, and equipment usage.
Types of company vehicle GPS tracking
There are two main types of company vehicle GPS tracking: Active GPS tracking and passive GPS tracking.
Active GPS tracking
Active GPS tracking sends data about a vehicle’s real-time location to a cloud server. This transfer of data requires a constant cellular and satellite connection to maintain continuous monitoring.
The real-time data that active GPS trackers provide gives fleet managers total visibility into the movements of their vehicles at all times.
Passive GPS tracking
Passive GPS tracking doesn’t constantly monitor a vehicle’s location like active GPS tracking. Instead, passive GPS tracking only stores data at regular intervals or when certain trigger events occur, like when a vehicle reaches its destination, crosses a pre-defined geofence, or other pre-programmed actions.
After passive GPS trackers gather data, the data is sent to a server to be analyzed. Because passive tracking doesn’t have to maintain a constant connection, data collection usually happens via manual downloads.
Today, most fleets use a combination of active and passive GPS tracking. This combination consists of a mix of routine and immediate data collection in real-time and sending and storing other data at a later time.
It can be useful for companies to combine both active and passive tracking methods. The combination can be especially beneficial when vehicles move through more remote areas with limited or no cellular or satellite connection.