One of the technologies that revolutionized the GPS is a fleet tracking system. The organization uses GPS and real-time data to track its vehicles, drivers’ actions, and overall operational effectiveness provided by these tracking systems.
If you want to explore more about how fleet tracking systems can improve driver safety and accountability, continue reading to dive deeper into the article.
A Fleet Tracking System
A fleet tracking system is integrated GPS hardware installed in vehicles based on software solutions. This tool provides fleet managers with real-time data, including location, routes, speed, and vehicle status.
The technology also tracks the driver’s behavior, weather conditions, and vehicle performance. This feature helps many organizations ensure the driver’s safety and accountability through effective operation.
1. Enhancing Driver Safety
Any fleet vehicle organization’s first concern is driver’s safety. Driving recklessly endangers not only the lives of other drivers but also pedestrians and other road users, as well as financial losses and a company’s reputation. Let’s explore the features used in fleet tracking systems to elevate driver safety [1].
2. Tracks Real-Time Location
The most fundamental feature of the fleet tracking system is real-time location tracking. GPS data helps managers monitor driver location and ensure protocol compliance, including the proper routes, timely deliveries, and maintaining speed.
A fleet tracking system alerts users in case of emergency accidents or breakdowns. Help can be provided earlier to save lives and avoid incidents.
3. Driver Behavior Monitoring
The behavior of the driver is monitored through the fleet tracking system, ensuring safe driving practices—not speeding, hashing, or unsafe driving. If any unsafe practices are observed, the fleet tracking system warns and alerts the fleet managers [2].
This feature encourages drivers to drive safely, as they know they are being monitored. The alerts and notifications of risky driving lead managers to provide training and issue warnings to drivers.
4. Speed Limiting
Excessive speeding causes major traffic accidents, but fleet tracking systems effectively control speed limit observance. If a driver exceeds the speed limit on the road, the GPS quickly alerts the fleet manager and driver as well.
Modern, integrated systems are now in place to regulate the maximum speed limit, guarantee speed compliance, and lower the likelihood of speed-related accidents.
5. Route Optimization
The feature of route optimization in the fleet tracking system minimizes unnecessary driving time It also provides immediate hazard alerts of heavy traffic, road blocks, or bad weather conditions [3].
The fleet tracking system also plans for vehicles and fuel through route optimization for uncertain conditions. Route optimization suggests the safest and most effective routes for the safety of the drivers.
6. Managing Fatigue
A long truck drive can result in driver fatigue, which leads to road accidents. A fleet tracking system monitors the driving hours and forces drivers to take breaks to reduce fatigue risk. Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) are integrated to monitor the Hour of Service (HOS) to track the driver’s time to provide the rest. [4]
This system immediately forces drivers to break regularly after long drives to prevent fatigue incidents. A fleet tracking system contributes the most to the overall driver safety.
Fleet Tracking System For Promoting Driver Accountability
Driver accountability is critical, and one must adhere to safety measures and company policies. Let’s discover driver accountability with the fleet tracking system [5].
Driver’s Scorecard and Analytics
The driver’s scorecard based on the ranking is generated with the help of analytics of the driver’s performance adherence to company safety protocols. Accountability makes sense when the driver knows they are monitored on their performance metrics [6].
This transparency encourages drivers to improve their overall performance by incentivizing top-ranking drivers. Those who score poorly can receive additional training and actions.
Reporting and Investigations
In the case of incidents, fleet managers collect all the reports of the data that led to the accident. The driver’s before-and-after behavior, location, and speed are analyzed to investigate whether the person was at fault or if there was an external factor.
This data-driven approach makes the user responsible for the fault. This feature also protects drivers from false claims and makes managers prepare measures for future safety.
Unauthorized Vehicle Usage
A fleet tracking system always tracks the location and status of the vehicle. If the driver uses the company’s vehicle for personal use or outside of working hours, the GPS alerts the fleet manager that the driver is accountable for the misuse [7].
Some systems have advanced features for remotely disabling the vehicle when a misuse or unauthorized usage of the company’s vehicle is detected.
Communication
Effective communication is the key to accountability; a fleet tracking system enables the communication feature between managers and drivers. In case of delays, managers communicate with the drivers and give them warning alerts.
The drivers are aware through this feature of their responsibilities of the task. This two-way communication helps drivers report issues and maintain accountability.
Final Verdict
Any fleet organization is responsible for driver safety and accountability. Driver safety can be improved by tracking the driver’s real-time location, monitoring the driver’s behavior, speed limit compliance, route optimization and planning, and fatigue management.
A scorecard generated based on performance, investigations, vehicle misuse reports, and effective communication will help improve driver accountability. Technology advancements have made fleet tracking systems safer and more accountable.
FAQs
- What is meant by a fleet tracking system?
A GPS device that monitors the location, performance, and behaviors of vehicles and drivers. It also monitors the routes and improves operational efficiency.
- How can a fleet tracking system improve driver safety?
The system makes alerts by analyzing the driver’s behavior, such as speeding, harshness, or fatigue, to promote safe driving habits and reduce incidents.
- Can a fleet tracking system improve driver accountability?
Yes, driver accountability can be improved by generating scorecards based on performance. It also makes the driver responsible for their actions.
- How can speeding be prevented in a fleet tracking system?
These systems send notifications if the driver exceeds the vehicle speed; even modern systems limit the vehicle speed.
- What happens when the drivers misuse the company’s vehicle?
A fleet tracking system tracks the vehicle; if a driver uses it for unauthorized use, it sends alerts, and some systems disable the vehicle immediately.
References
[1] https://www.teletracnavman.com/fleet-management-software/safety/resources/safer-fleets
[4] https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/hours-service/elds/electronic-logging-devices
[6]https://www.geotab.com/blog/driver-scorecards/
[7]https://blog.keytrak.com/stop-unauthorized-vehicle-use-with-fleet-key-management-systems
