Three Ways GPS Tracking Helps Rental Businesses Increase Efficiencies and Reduce Headaches

InTempo Software

With so much to juggle, and so many variables to deal with day in and day out, it can be hard for rental businesses to keep up. Because let’s face it: between managing workers, scheduling equipment pickups and drop-offs, maintaining a fleet, and meeting customer demands, running a rental operation can be a real headache. But here’s good news: GPS fleet tracking can be a big help. While there are many functions and features of GPS tracking, we’ll break it down to three areas pertinent to rental stores. Spoiler alert: GPS gives you the tools you need to keep your workers honest, drive down costs, extend the life of your fleet and provide better service to your customers. It’s a win-win-win-win. According to InTempo customer Nancy Perez of A Clean Portoco, one of the industry's earliest adopters of dispatch management software, "The bottom line is, the drivers don't have to guess at the best way to go, and we don't have to guess when they'll be back...We hear very few customer complaints about missed stops."

Driver Behavior

With GPS tracking and automated alerts, you can get a full picture of how your fleet behaves on the road. Some vendors, such as StreetEagle, offer driver behavior monitoring reports. These reports give you the data you need to enforce company-wide safety standards and identify problematic workers. You can also set up immediate alerts for dangerous behavior including speeding, idling, and hard braking. Conversely, GPS tracking enables you to protect your business’s reputation by enabling you to disprove false accusations of bad driving and reward exemplary drivers.

Route Optimization

GPS is much more than merely turn-by-turn navigation; you can dramatically cut down on wasted travel time and fuel costs. Most GPS systems allow dispatchers to create, edit and optimize routes by shortest travel time or distance. If you have a customer that needs to be serviced by a specific time, you can customize the route. With some systems, including StreetEagle, you can create jobs and routes and send it automatically to a driver’s GPS unit. And to accommodate those inevitable sudden changes, you can add, remove or edit stops on existing routes and send it to drivers in real time.

Fleet Maintenance

GPS systems such as StreetEagle enable fleet managers to monitor and analyze maintenance needs and costs. The manager can set up automated email alerts when vehicles need scheduled maintenance, such as oil changes or inspections. You can choose whether the alerts are triggered based on factors you choose, whether mileage, engine operating time, or calendar time. You can use the system to record vehicle maintenance expenses and determine the longevity of your fleet, so when it comes time to buy or sell vehicles, there’s no guesswork needed.

While GPS systems often pack in many features, driver behavior, route optimization and fleet maintenance are three primary benefits for rental businesses. The result is better service for your customers, lower costs, and fewer headaches. 

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