Permanent vehicle monitoring is available to practically everyone today – for both company and private cars. It offers numerous benefits that speak for its use.
It is worth knowing that monitoring is not only the knowledge of the location of the car. It is also a whole lot of data collected in real time, which can be analyzed from many angles, for example in order to optimize the company’s fleet
The owners of more expensive and unique vehicles, which could become a target for thieves, are willing to use monitoring in order to facilitate the recovery of the car in case of theft. Although criminals also have devices to jam the GPS signal, but these do not always have to work. A working transmitter allows you to take advantage of such an opportunity.
But monitoring of private cars is not only a domain of the most expensive cars. It is also, among others, a chance for parents of young drivers using their vehicle to track what is happening with the car. Where is it, at what speed is it going, in which direction is it going. An additional advantage of monitoring is that to get all this data, you don’t have to call the driver and distract him from the road with questions.
When it comes to fleet cars used for business purposes, the advantages of monitoring are even more obvious, and contrary to what conspiracy theory proponents claim, it’s not just used to increase surveillance. Monitoring can be used to control employees, yes, but it can also be used to help them.
Analyzing routes and travel times allows you to better plan your employees’ day, reducing unwanted downtime. Knowing the current position of a vehicle – e.g., a vehicle delivering an order – also allows you to accurately inform the customer when to expect the delivery. All of this translates into time and cost savings, including fuel consumption.
An advanced monitoring system makes it possible to track the vehicle’s operational parameters – fuel consumption, speed, idling time and the driver’s driving style. It has a practical dimension, but also a motivational one – knowing that information about dangerous manoeuvres is recorded, drivers are less inclined to take unnecessary risks, and thus start to respect company cars more.
In vehicles that are used for both business and private purposes, detailed usage records are essential for proper cost accounting. This is a time-consuming task that is easy to forget. Monitoring automates the process – data is collected automatically. In the case of trucks, the monitoring system can be combined with a tachograph, for example, to make driver’s working time control even simpler.
Fleet vehicle monitoring also provides information about any anomalies. You can spot them immediately and react accordingly. We are talking about fuel that disappears suspiciously fast from the tank, starting the engine outside working hours, but also about many other situations, which until now could not be monitored remotely.
In the XXI century, “big brother” control is basically a standard. We carry cell phones with GPS modules, we tag ourselves in social media. Concerns that corporate monitoring could violate privacy therefore seem a bit exaggerated – especially since we will not eliminate surveillance completely. So instead of complaining about it, let’s use it wisely. To the benefit of all parties involved.
Parents, through vehicle monitoring, can give their children more freedom, and help them more easily and quickly in an emergency situation. Fleet managers can use monitoring to streamline drivers and make it easier for them to perform their duties. The most important thing is to choose a good solution and use it wisely – because at the end of the day, there is always a living person on the other side.
