We asked over 250 of our customers what pain point(s) they were feeling that led them to make the decision to track their vehicles or equipment. We offered 13 different pain points for these customers to choose from and allowed the customer to select up to five.
Two pain points stood out well above the others. Here’s a breakdown of what drove these business owners, fleet managers, and operations professionals to make the leap and start tracking.
1. Operational Efficiencies (54.5% of responses)
More than half of all respondents cited the potential for improvements in their operational efficiencies as a reason for electing to begin tracking. In previous posts, we’ve outlined the myriad ways that fleet tracking can make a business’s operations run more smoothly. From managing hidden fleet costs to fleet safety to improved customer service, fleet tracking can greatly improve operations and in turn, boost the bottom line.
2. Employee Accountability (31%)
Almost one-third of respondents felt that Employee Accountability was a major pain that needed to be addressed. This pain point doesn’t just mean vehicle misuse or time theft, it can also mean identifying employees that go above and beyond to complete jobs faster and more efficiently than others. Tracking employees can help you reward the top-performers in addition to retrain or replace the weakest links. Worried about good employees leaving when you announce you’re going to start tracking? We’ve got an answer for that.
3. Poor Driving Habits (6.9%)
Poor Driving Habits can include fast starting, harsh braking, excessive idling and, of course, speeding. Tracking will help uncover and reduce the incidence of these behaviors before they cost you financially. Be it traffic tickets or increased maintenance costs from wear and tear on your vehicles, poor driving habits can greatly increase your operating costs.
4. Incorrect Timesheets (5.8%)
Many service workers are paid hourly, so it’s not surprising that many of our customers are interested in verifying their timesheets. There are many reasons for this beyond wanting to catch employees that overstate their hours. Timesheet validation with tracking can help managers identify employees that: spend more time than expected on given jobs, spend on-the-clock hours doing non-work-related tasks, work more hours than they are scheduled, or use the company vehicle off-the-clock when they’re not supposed to (i.e. moonlighting). Confirming timesheets can help the business better organize its scheduling so that no employees are working more or fewer hours than necessary. Additionally, in some locations, timesheet validation can help companies meet government regulations for employee time records.
5. Driver Behavior (5.4%)
A broad category, driver behavior can include both positive and negative behaviors. By tracking the negative behaviors such as excessive idling and speeding, business owners can identify the drivers that have the best habits as well. Being able to promote positive driver behavior – and track that behavior without having to rely on random drivers responding to your “How’s My Driving” stickers – will help the business ensure it’s drivers are representing their brand well on the road.
6. Theft Prevention (5.4%)
We have heard countless stories about GPS tracking devices being used to recover stolen vehicles (here are five of the best). While it’s easy to say, “I have insurance, I don’t need tracking for theft recover,” it’s also easy to forget all of the complications that come with filing insurance claims. The paperwork, lost availability of the stolen vehicle or equipment, and time spent by the back office dealing with the insurance company are just a few of the costs that come with relying on insurance for replacement. With tracking, you can help the authorities track down and recover your stolen assets within hours or days rather than the weeks it may take to process an insurance claim.
Additional powerful pain points that received fewer responses but are still felt by many customers include Billing Inaccuracies, Lost Assets, Moonlighting, and Fuel Costs.
If some of these pain points hit home with you, give us a call at 800-293-0420 and we can help you get started with our low-cost, no-contract GPS fleet tracking solution today!
