So I started looking for some articles on how GPS can help you save money (particularly in terms of fuel savings). Here's what I found:
Fleet Management System Employs GPS Technology
Concrete construction firm Paul J. Rach, Inc. uses a GPS fleet tracking system to manage its mobile resources, saving money and time.
GPS Fleet Monitoring System Combats Rising Fuel Costs
Publication: Transport Technology Today
With fuel costs now passing $2 per gallon in some areas of the country, companies that rely on vehicle fleets to provide goods and services are beginning to feel more than a mere pinch in direct operating costs.
Vehicle Tracking Solutions' Customers See 11% Savings in Fuel Costs After Implementing Fleet Tracking System
Deer Park , NY (PRWEB) March 19, 2008
As the cost of crude oil exceeds $100 per barrel, gasoline prices continue to rise. According to AAA (www.aaa.com), the average price of gasoline is at a national average of $3.28 per gallon. Analysts expect these prices to rise with the arrival of warm weather to above $3.50 per gallon. As fuel costs rise to record levels, more and more businesses look to GPS tracking to moderate these costs.
Vehiclepath Customer Recognizes Return on GPS Investment in Less than Four Weeks
Vehiclepath customers are finding they are able to pay off their GPS system in three or four weeks. Most are saving money on fuel, payroll and are seeing better dispatching because of this.
Effective and Affordable Fleet Management
Most larger organizations spend a significant amount of money on fuel and maintenance annually. With the increasing cost of fuel to over $2.50 in some areas, fuel represents a large portion of annual expenses and an area for significant savings. GPS vehicle tracking allows managers to reduce miles driven, improve driving habits and maximize fuel tax returns. Fuel savings alone can provide a return on investment with passive technology because it is a one time investment. There are many benefits to GPS technology but this section explores fuel related issues.
GPS Navigates PoolCorp in the Right Direction
What initially drove PoolCorp to use a GPS system in its delivery vehicles was the desire to become more fuel-efficient and reduce maintenance costs. In doing so, the fleet has also reduced accidents, as well as the unsafe driving behavior that usually causes them.
Still Too Busy to Check Out a Fleet Management Solution?
WELLESLEY , Mass. , May 20 PRNewswire
It isn't easy being overwhelmed. From the moment you step into the office, you are transported to a not-so- magical world of chaos, confusion, customer complaints and soaring fuel costs. One potential catastrophe after another hits your plate -- a driver missing in action, a delivery to the wrong place, a vehicle breakdown, a driver who forgot to take his cell phone with him and got lost. On and on goes the list of headaches that mark the typical day of the owner of a fleet of vehicles.
Integrated Solutions Magazine
GPS Offers Fleet Managers Multiple Benefits
Obviously, for a GPS fleet tracking system, you need a GPS receiver. "These units, which are usually equipped with both GPS and wireless radio antennas, receive time code information from the GPS satellite network and translate that information into a 3-D location along the surface of the earth," explains Johnson. "Location information is then delivered to a company's database in either real time, via wireless download, or via manual [i.e. USB stick] download." How that information is used depends upon the chosen tracking software application and the integration of the GPS unit. For instance, aside from showing where on a map a particular vehicle is located, a fleet manager can review reports detailing a vehicle's speeds, headings, stops, and time idling. In fact, a fleet manager could even be automatically notified via e-mail if any key performance indicators exceed acceptable levels. And those indicators don't always have to do with a vehicle's operating levels. "Recently $36,000 of unbaked pizza dough in a truck was saved when a temperature sensor inside the truck was triggered, which automatically sent an e-mail to the customer detailing that the truck's freezer was no longer keeping the air below 10 degrees. The truck was quickly rerouted to meet up with a new truck in order to transfer the inventory," explains Johnson.
Increased Productivity Is The Catalyst
The allure of increased productivity is usually what leads companies to investigate GPS fleet tracking systems - and justifiably so. Some fleet drivers left unmanaged can be unproductive and possibly even harm a company's reputation. Steve Dahl, product manager for Universal Tracking Technologies, says when determining if you should switch to a GPS fleet tracking solution, ask yourself one simple question - If you could ride with every employee every day, how much more efficient would they be? "It's extremely common for employees to take liberties when the boss can't verify what they are doing," he says. "Sometimes it is small things like driving aggressively or keeping the air/heater going and the engine idling during a lunch break. More troublesome are the employees that habitually drive across town to run errands or even run a personal business on the side. We have heard countless horror stories like these."
But the productivity gains aren't just limited to the fleet drivers. As Chris Carver, VP of business development at FleetPoint notes, more accurate billing and reduced employee paperwork are other benefits that can't be ignored. "Our experience has shown that after a small business implements a fleet tracking solution, the amount of time it spends on claim resolution decreases by up to 25%, and the time spent collating job reports and mileage sheets is virtually eliminated."
How to Reduce Fuel Costs with GPS Fleet Tracking and Fuel Management
For a fleet of 25 vehicles, idling time reduced by only 15 minutes per day can result in fuel savings of 562.5 gallons at a cost of about $1,800 per year at current gas prices. It is estimated that 1.2 billion gallons of fuel are consumed nationally from diesel engine idling. Based on today's gas prices, this means almost $4 billion per year in wasted fuel!
Fleet Tracking Boosts Bottom Line for Service Today
A Maryland-based heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) service company has cut its fuel costs and increased dispatching efficiency with a GPS-based fleet tracking solution.
GPS Fleet Tracking Customer Eliminates Overcharges for Potential Savings of $200,000
Covert installation of GPS fleet tracking units showed significant overcharging by drivers. Cost savings were estimated by elimnating overcharges and saving in wasted fuel costs caused by drivers speeding.
San Diego , CA ( PRWEB ) March 19, 2008 -- Peterson Industrial, Inc., an Alabama based company focused on industrial and commercial piping, plumbing and metal fabricating installed Vehiclepath GPS fleet tracking units to prevent a major problem - speeding drivers. They soon discovered that was not the biggest problem they would solve.
Aberdeen Study Reveals Financial Impact of GPS Tracking and Location Intelligence for Service Companies
Service companies looking to recession-proof their business find that leveraging GPS-based location intelligence provides an average 13.2% reduction in fuel costs and a 13.4% reduction in overtime costs.
Salisbury , MD ( PRWEB ) March 13, 2008 -- A recent survey of service companies nationwide by the AberdeenGroup revealed that nearly one-third of leading companies are using GPS-based location data to improve customer service and monitor assets.
Five Ways GPS Truck Tracking Units Save You Money
These GPS vehicle tracking units have numerous features that make tracking vehicles and streamlining operations simple.
Unauthorized Fleet Use Costs Thousands
Where do your trucks go when they are not working? Click link for full article.
Caterpillar® field test demonstrates 100 percent productivity increase, 43 percent fuel savings with AccuGradeT
A recent production study comparing a conventional road construction job site to a job site using Caterpillar's AccuGrade machine control and guidance products revealed outstanding improvements in terms of productivity, fuel consumption, finish quality and safety.
GPS tracks city official golfing on the clock
The Chicago Sun Times today reported a GPS device catching a city official golfing during his workday.
Winston Cole, the "Superintendent of Sewers" (nope, not kidding) makes $106,115 a year and is currently on paid administrative leave pending disciplinary hearings.
Next Generation of GPS Devices Will Save More Fuel
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau , Canada on 03.27.08
Traffic jams , apart from being a major cause of lost productivity and frustration, are also a source of pollution and wasted fuel. Idling cars are getting zero miles per gallon . The Economist reports that technology might soon help drivers get where they are going in less time, and thus, burn less fuel.
