MiX Telematics Ltd.

08/11/2021 | News release | Distributed by Public on 08/11/2021 04:50

App-based tracking – what is it and how can it benefit your fleet?

Fleets are not one-size-fits-all. Every company has its unique needs and those needs inform the amount and type of vehicles that are required. This also translates to ownership. Some fleets may be exclusively full of owned vehicles while others might be a bit more dynamic. Dynamic fleets may include private cars owned by employees, rental or leased vehicles, subcontracted vehicles, company cars and so forth. These vehicles are not a part of the core fleet and may be there for a short period of time depending on, for example, temporary circumstances (like a rental that replaces a vehicle that's in for maintenance) or seasonal demands.

For vehicles that are not a part of your core fleet, like a rental vehicle for a salesperson that's traveling, installing fleet management hardware doesn't always make sense. It may be because of the cost, the amount of time it would take to install the hardware or the fact that you might not have permission to do so. But, if you want to take fleet management seriously, you need to keep an eye on your drivers no matter which vehicles they're driving or where they are so that you can continuously monitor driving performance. However, there's an alternative to installing fleet management hardware and it's called app-based tracking (like that which MyMiX Tracking app offers).

App-based tracking (or mobile fleet management) only requires that a driver download an app to their mobile phone and switch on their location. From there on out, a fleet manager or supervisor can track the driver's exact movements in real-time and also monitor their driving performance. You still get the benefits of fleet management software intelligence without the need to disrupt operations by going through the hardware installation process.

With a tracking app, fleet managers can detect when a trip starts and ends while also monitoring positions, distance, duration and driving events (such as harsh braking, speeding, harsh acceleration, harsh cornering and mobile phone use while driving). While a driver is driving, fleet managers can send notifications to the mobile phone that alerts them when, for example, they've triggered a driving event. What's more is that, once set up, a tracking app runs silently in the background. This means that it won't distract the driver while still capturing location and performance data.

A tracking app benefits fleet managers in numerous ways. Aside from the fact that it's very affordable and easy-to-use, this type of app offers you the ability to maintain full visibility of all vehicles even when they're not a part of your core, everyday fleet. Also, using a tracking app gives you the same opportunity to improve driver performance and safety through monitoring and notifications. Your drivers do not need special training to use it, which lessens the time needed to get started. Also, if you haven't yet installed a full fleet management solution in your core fleet, a tracking app can be the perfect way to trial the benefits of tracking and fleet management before making a decision. Lastly, it can be used as an effective driver coaching tool by showing exactly what a particular driver's weak point is and then giving you the tools to correct it on-the-go.

It also benefits drivers to use a vehicle tracking app. They can classify their trips as business or personal (perfect for drivers who use their private vehicles for work), get real-time feedback on their performance, have more context into why they are getting a specific driving score and feel more engaged in the overall process. Drivers who are more engaged will be more satisfied in their job and driven to succeed.

No matter what the circumstances, every fleet should be gathering driver and vehicle data for fleet management. This type of data helps guide you towards what your fleet and driver goals should be and how to achieve those goals. With the flexibility that app-based tracking gives, you can now scale your fleet according to your immediate needs while still maintaining the visibility that full fleet management hardware provides.

Check out how MyMiX Tracking helps meet your dynamic fleet needs: https://www.mixtelematics.com/mymix/