Avoiding Traffic Congestion with GPS Fleet Tracking
23 Mar 2015One of the most effective uses of GPS fleet tracking software is to avoid traffic jams. Using it saves drivers time and saves the company money.
Traffic jams happen for a variety of reasons: construction, accidents, and commuting. They wreak havoc with schedules and slow down deliveries. When you can regularly avoid them, drivers, customers — and your bottom line — will benefit.
Benefits of Avoiding Congestion
There are five major benefits to your and your drivers when you efficiently use your GPS tracking to avoid construction and commuter traffic.
- Better worker productivity: Instead of sitting in long lines of traffic, your drivers move around it, getting pickups and deliveries done on time
- Truck engines don’t have to work as hard: Idling the engine for long periods is a fact if a truck is stuck in traffic. This decreases engine life and increases maintenance and repair costs.
- Better mileage: While sitting in traffic, your trucks are still using fuel. Keeping them moving to their destination means trucks are not wasting this expensive resource.
- Happier customers: A driver not stuck in traffic is able to make pickups and deliveries on time. That’s what retains customers and gets positive word of mouth.
- More efficient use of driver time: When your drivers are waiting in long lines of traffic, they aren’t contributing much to the bottom line. When they can avoid jams, they are working productively.
GPS Fleet Tracking to the Rescue
Route planning GPS devices provide data in real time about traffic flow and weather, as well as providing suggestions for the least congested path to take. With this information, drivers can make informed decisions about the best road to choose.
This technology is now commonplace in a variety of cities in North America and Europe. Powered by Google Maps or another similar service and using an FM signal and cell towers or satellites, the signals are sent to GPS tracking devices in the truck and at the dispatcher’s terminal.
The display interprets the data and converts it to a visual that is easy to read. For example, slow traffic might be shown in red or yellow, so the information is simple to grasp at a glance.
At the same time, the device suggests routes to avoid the slowdown. The driver makes his choice based on the data and on his own experience.
When drivers have a choice, they are less stressed, more productive and tend to drive more safely. This also lessens the amount of traffic in the backup, which is good for all drivers in the area.
Make the most of new technology. Investing in GPS fleet tracking with route planning can bring major savings to your company. Call LiveView GPS today to learn more about how GPS fleet tracking can help your business. 1.888.502.3636
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