Cutting your Fuel Costs with Vehicle Tracking

When ABBA sang “Money, money money, must be funny, in a rich man’s world”, they forgot about one little detail: Money is not only funny in the world of a rich man.

Any company with a fleet of vehicles knows how much money is spent on fuel. Although it is unavoidable to not pay for fuel, having a vehicle tracking system installed in your fleet can significantly reduce the operational costs. What’s more, the installation is simple and affordable, and has shown to pay for itself within a few months.

Vehicle tracking helps to reduce fuel costs in a number of ways which also brings additional benefits to your company. When a vehicle tracking unit is installed in a vehicle it transmits data and information about the location, speed, and status of the vehicle. This information can then be managed on a software system easily accessible at any time and place from any computer with an Internet connection.

One contributing factor to a reduction of fuel expenditure is due to the full transparency offered by vehicle tracking. The vehicle tracking system has a map feature which does not only allow you to locate all of the vehicles in real-time, but also access information about their speed, the direction in which they are driving, and whether they are stopped or idling. This enables you to allocate vehicles to jobs by smarter and more efficient route planning as the visibility of the fleet offered by vehicle tracking identifies which available vehicle is in the closest proximity to the next job. Consequently, as driving time and driving distance is minimised there is less fuel consumption and thus a reduction of associated costs.

A vehicle tracking system is also likely to reduce private mileage, which can significantly contribute to a company’s fuel expenditure, as it is possible to identify driving activities. Moreover, the hardware records driving behaviour, such as speed, in order to promote a “smart” way of driving. Vehicle tracking can thus help you to save a considerable amount of money spent on fuel, allowing you to spend it elsewhere whilst laughing all the way to the bank.

If you would like to learn more about vehicle tracking, please visit http://www.vermillionmvt.co.uk or telephone us on 0845 467 7128

Seven smart reasons to install vehicle tracking devices

What exactly is all the fuss around vehicle tracking devices? Here are seven smart (and not very small) reasons as to why you could benefit from vehicle tracking:

1  Getting the Most from Your Workforce

Vehicle tracking devices allow you to  manage your workforce more effectively and help to insure that less time is spent on the road. Productivity is enhanced by making it easier to automate manual processes through the use of tracking devices.

2  Satisfying Customers

Vehicle tracking devices provide useful information on the location of the vehicles in your fleet – enabling you to advise customers on accurate delivery times. Satisfied customers means more business and therefore increased profits.

3 Reducing Your Carbon Footprint

By successfully allocating drivers to jobs through the information provided by the vehicle tracking units, vehicles will consume less fuel and therefore contribute to less carbon emissions. Automated reports help you to save paper, which in turn saves more trees that help to clean the fumes from the air.

4 Delivering Peace of Mind

It is frustrating to be a victim of theft. The vehicle tracking devices installed in your fleet pinpoint the exact location of your vehicles so they are much easier to recover should such an incident occur. The tracking devices also provide additional security to drivers as someone will always know their exact position.

5 Saving You Money

You can be assured of greater gains in productivity and cost-savings by having vehicle tracking devices installed in your fleet. Automated reports can be generated and minimises the risk of excessive overtime claims and provides customers with accurate billing information. Smart journey planning also reduces fuel costs.

6 Improving Communication

The vehicle tracking devices send recorded data about arrival and departure times so there is no need to inform the office, or ask a driver, if a job is finished – saving you money on phone bills and administrative tasks. 

7 Enhancing Business Performance

Less time is spent on the road as the tracking device’s journey planner finds the most efficient route to the next job on the list. This means that you can deliver more services in less time.

To find out more about vehicle tracking, please visit http://www.vermillionmvt.co.uk or telephone 0845 467 7128

Bring home the bacon with vehicle tracking systems

You have probably heard somebody nagging about company productivity and efficiency a number of times. The economic difficulties facing the country puts additional strains on our ability to “bring home the bacon” as many employees across a variety of sectors are made redundant.

According to the Fleet Strategy and Insight 2010 Report, 90% of fleet operators are expecting to cut down on spending in 2010. Vehicle tracking systems could contribute to identifying areas in which savings can be made and thus help to determine the best course of action.

Vehicle tracking systems can minimise costs associated with fleet management and does not have to cost a fortune to be installed, which is good news for both staff and employers.

The right recipe for bringing home the bacon lies in increasing the efficiency and productivity of a company. Vehicle tracking systems can help you to get more out of less whilst at the same time boost the productivity and efficiency of your business operations.

Overtime costs due to wrongly declared working hours could be a thing of the past as vehicle tracking systems automate employees’ working hours. Fuel expenditure is another cost closely associated with fleet management and there is a significant amount to be saved in better driving behaviour. Vehicle tracking systems monitor the locations of all the vehicles in a fleet and can therefore be used to better allocate vehicles to jobs as well as control the private mileage of drivers. Additionally, speed and other general driving behaviour is recorded by the vehicle tracking system and this information can be used to advise drivers on safer and more cost-efficient driving.

Vehicle tracking systems can prove to be invaluable to companies in a variety of sectors and be of benefit to both staff and employers, so that both parties can stay in business and continue to bring home the bacon.

To find out more about vehicle tracking, please visit http://www.vermillionmvt.co.uk or telephone 0845 467 7128

Reinvented White Van Man

Ask many motorists in the UK to express their thoughts about the White Van Man and chances are  you won’t hear too many complimentary remarks. Glorified by the tabloid newspaper The Sun who proclaimed them to be the voice of the people, White Van men are notorious for being aggressive, giving no consideration for other road users and possessing poor driving skills.

However today’s White Van man has been transformed into something quite the opposite of its stereotypical persona and many observers say this is attributed to GPS technology which is installed in many white vans across the UK. Companies have recognised GPS vehicle tracking as an effective device to improve not only their customer service delivery, but the productively of their drivers. In most cases, drivers will find their performance being monitored from the amount of time that is spent idling to out of hours usage which ultimately leads to them improving their performance in other areas of their role as every swerve, stamp on the brake pedal and acceleration over the speed limit is monitored.

In respect of White Van Men losing their bad boy reputation, many advertisers now see white vans as an ideal medium in which to advertise their products/services. An advertising company in London has approached many firms to see if they would be interested in advertising their brand on the back of vans. This just highlights how the White Van man persona is fast becoming extinct.

To find out more on how Vehicle Tracking can improve the productively of your fleet, visit the Vermillion website at http://www.vermillionmvt.co.uk or telephone us on 0845 467 7128.

Pay as you go….The future

Recent comments in the press attributed to high profile representativeness in the vehicle tracking industry would leave you believing that many vehicle tracking firms plan to introduce pay as you go pricing models as part of their offering.

This is of course has been an feature that many companies have already implemented with Vermillion MVT being the latest in a long line of companies identifying a need for the model to be offered alongside its current range of pricing options. Offering pay as you go can be seen as a response to the growing number of firms who have either gone bust or struggled to meet monthly repayments as the consequence of installing vehicle tracking has lead many companies struggle to meet monthly repayments and in even severe circumstances, be forced into liquidation as if they happen to experience a downturn in operations, the monthly fixed term of vehicle tracking must be met alongside any other financial commitments they may have.

With many companies now offering pay as you go vehicle tracking similar to the pay as you go mobile telephone model, this should make the marketplace even more competitive than it has been as vehicle tracking obviously becomes more accessible to those who may have been deterred previously thus opening up previous barriers to entry.  Thus

This will appease the government in some quarters considering they are looking to cut the carbon emissions in the country by 80% in 2050 as vehicle tracking is an effective mechanism in helping companies cut their carbon emissions, although as vehicle tracking is also proven at helping companies reduce their fuel consumption, the government may not be too thrilled at this prospect considering the latest rise in fuel duty.

To find out more on Vehicle Tracking, visit the Vermillion website at http://www.vermillionmvt.co.uk or telephone us on 0845 467 7128.

Why Vermillion MVT vehicle tracking can help your company

Generally speaking, many owners of companies fail to identify the rational benefits for installing Vehicle Tracking across their fleet. This is understandable considering that many businesses will almost have certainly operated quite efficiency for many years without the need for Vehicle tracking but in terms of improving its current output; Vehicle Tracking can certainly do that.

A recent discussion which took place in the States between the CEO of a Vehicle Tracking firm and a haulage firm owner has given insight into some of the barriers to entry that Vehicle Tracking has in convincing to decision makers, the merits Vehicle Tracking has to offer.

The CEO of the Vehicle Tracking company had arranged to have some lunch with the boss of a Haulage Company to discuss various methods in which they could work together. When the subject turned to Vehicle Tracking, the Haulage boss was at a loss as to how he could see how Vehicle Tracking would aid his company. The CEO immediately asked his companion how many vehicles he had within his fleet with the Haulage boss answering 27. The CEO then responded, so are you aware of where your entire vehicles are currently located with the Haulage boss then admitting that he were unaware as to the whereabouts of all 27 vehicles. The conversation then moved onto how if the Haulage owner had Vehicle tracking installed, he would be able to know exactly where every single vehicle is.

If the Haulage owner had Vehicle Tracking software implemented from Vermillion MVT, they he would have been able to log onto a personalised portal and been able to view exactly where all 27 vehicles were located and been privy to such information such as speed and direction of travel, distance travelled, speed violations etc.

This information can then be used to enable companies to make substantial savings and improve areas in their delivery such as their customer service as they will be able to take necessary steps to ensure drivers aren’t speeding and wasting fuel as a result of the information they have received. Well better deal than me

To find out more on Vehicle Tracking, visit the Vermillion website at http://www.vermillionmvt.co.uk or telephone us on 0845 467 7128.

 

 

GPS all out for 501

 

As companies across the UK reap the rewards of GPS tracking technology, it has also been rolled across a completely different field, the cricket field to be exact.

The Australian Cricket National Team has used the technology to help reduce player’s skinfolds by 15 per cent and enabled the players to become more muscular and fitter due to GPS’s capacity to measure player’s physical activity.

Team strength and conditioning coach Justin Cordy who previously worked with Australian Rules Football teams has implemented the use of GPS as a key indicator to the group’s fitness’s levels.

From hooking players up to GPS devices, Cordy can formulate individual fitness programs for the playing group so that they can specifically work on areas where the GPS system identified as an area where they may need to improve on. Having been given fitness programs to work on during the close season, the players on return from their four month winter break found that they were in better shape than they have been previously as they were more athletic and carried less excess weight which meant that coaches were able to focus on their power, speed and movement.

Cordy said that the information supplied to them meant that the players could work on building their fitness base which would enable them to go onto the next level in regards to their pre-season preparation.

Cricket Australia decided to implement GPS tracking into their preparations after seeing the results when swing bowler Nathan Bracken took to the field wearing a GPS wrist device against England in an international final last year. They were able to find out that Bracken covered 15 kilometres when he was out on the field so this information was valuable when it came to evaluating Bracken’s fitness performance.

To find out more information on about the Pay as You Go pricing schedule, customers can go the group’s website at www.vermillionmvt.co.uk or telephone 0845 467 7128.

Vehicle Tracking, a new form of cost efficiency

As we awake from the financial meltdown and start to light at the end of a very dark tunnel for many companies in the UK, we have now been lumbered with a 2.3p rise in fuel duty. This is the third such increase in nine months and is all the more astonishing given that the UK economy has been one of the slowest in the world to show any sign of continued growth.

‘Have we not suffered enough’ many businesses will no doubt cry, but it doesn’t stop there, the rise in VAT from 15% to 17.5% is due to come into affect at the end of the year and this will affect many companies with a large number of vehicles in their fleet.

To reduce the impact the rise in VAT will have, companies should look at making their fuel go further. One way to do this is through the use of Vehicle Tracking. It is surprisingly cost effective and given its technical capabilities and output being tailored to suit your businesses it produces a very quick return on investment.

Vehicle Tracking can:

Help to reduce operational costs through lower fuel costs, lower insurance rates and decreased maintenance charges on vehicles.

For example, Vehicle Tracking acts as a deterrent for excessive private mileage and can report on engine idle time which is a factor in the unnecessary usage of fuel. Vehicle Tracking can give companies extra bargaining power in driving down their insurance rates as it is a recognised and proven device in helping to reduce accidents on the road.

Helps plan the most efficient routes therefore shortening the journey time and reducing fuel costs.

Using the latest GPS technology, you are able to highlight the exact location of all your vehicles on the same screen and allow you to plan your driver’s routes relevant to their location so that they won’t be making any unnecessary journeys and wasting fuel in the process.

Vehicle Tracking is the rational choice for companies looking to save on their fuel consumption and who knows, you might not have to cancel this year’s Christmas party after all.

To find out more on Vehicle Tracking, visit the Vermillion website at http://www.vermillionmvt.co.uk or telephone us on 0845 467 7128.

 

 

Why choose Vermillion MVT Vehicle Tracking

GPS vehicle tracking is an effective tool at motivating your workforce but can also help reduce your operating costs. Listed below are 5 cost saving techniques which are guaranteed to help your company make substantial savings through the implementation of a GPS vehicle tracking system.

1.  Maximise route efficiency

When a fleet vehicle goes on a job it can be difficult to ascertain the quickest and therefore cheapest routes, maybe your drivers have their own routes, or due to road renewal you aren’t aware of shortcuts.
By cross referencing GPS vehicle tracking data with satellite navigation devices you can find the quickest, cheapest routes and ensure your drivers stick to them.

2.  Avoid “lost” vehicles and wasted time

A frequent occurrence which occurs within the haulage in industry is when one of your drivers has inexplicably got lost and rings up the depot asking for specific directions to their destination. Fleet vehicle GPS tracking can help manage such situations so that you can quickly find the location of any misplaced vehicles and get them back en route quickly, efficiently and cost effectively.

3. Track and limit stationary vehicles times

As per the nature of the haulage industry, there will be vast amounts of time whereby your vehicle is stationary during breaks or sleeping hours for example. GPS vehicle tracking will enable you to enforce certain rules and regulations which means breaks are taken at allocated times and for the approved amount of time.

4. Plan your routes, and staff breaks in advance

Vehicle Tracking gives you the opportunity to maximise the time efficiency within your fleet. It allows you to predict traffic issues in advance so for example, if you know that one of your vehicle’s is approaching Birmingham and is close to rush hour, you can plan a route accordingly which ensures it avoids the areas where it is likely to be held up in traffic, alternatively this could also mean an opportunity for you to schedule staff breaks to coincide with the expected increase in traffic.

5. Minimise fuel costs

In applying the above techniques, this will ultimately improve your fuel efficiency as you are minimising the risk of drivers taking unapproved routes, predicting traffic conditions and minimising time stuck in traffic jams. This will reduce the amount of fuel needed to run your fleet vehicles, and this saving increases in proportion to the number of vehicles you are optimising.

By reducing wasted time on the road and tracking your vehicles with the Vermillion fleet vehicle tracking system you can also ensure that your vehicles are aware of their nearest petrol stations and services. This means that your fuel tanks are filled to the optimum level for fuel efficiency and avoids costly periods when fleet vehicle run out of fuel due to poor route planning.  Overall Vermillion vehicle tracking will help you optimise the efficiency of your business and ensure a productive and motivated workforce.

To find out more on Vehicle Tracking, visit the Vermillion website at http://www.vermillionmvt.co.uk or telephone us on 0845 467 7128.

Vehicle Tracking explained

A GPS tracking unit is generally installed in different types of vehicles. A stereotypical user is one for the tracking of delivery trucks so that dispatchers are able to find out where a customer’s delivery is at a point in time. For example, a customer service operator is able to view that Driver Murphy is driving along Flowerfield Road and should reach his destination within the next 15 minutes. On the flip side, it can also see that Driver Fevola is currently parked outside Bernie’s Bookmakers on the High Road.
GPS Tracking is also discreetly attached to your fleet so your drivers have little chance of locating the device on the vehicle. It is fitted with a wireless modem which is similar to what you would find in a mobile phone. The unit is operated by the base station software communicating with the communications network (which is usually a telephone tower) and is responsible for two way communication between the unit, the satellites, the network and the base station.

There are two types of GPS tracking systems, real time (active) and passive tracking. A real-time system uses a network of wireless services to receive your information and data in real time. Real-time tracking is becoming a set standard when it comes to fleet vehicle tracking, with features such as real-time data transmittal of zone alerts, site alerts, speed alerts, vehicle proximity alerts, in-vehicle navigation and two-way messaging. One such GPS tracking system is the Vermillion MVT communications network.

A passive tracking system is only limited to the actual vehicle tracking application and nothing more. When this type of unit is installed on a vehicle, it will download all the information from the vehicle at the end of day, or when the vehicle returns to the lot. This is recommended when a company does not require real-time data collection or transmittal.

GPS is a valuable piece of technical expertise which will improve your service delivery output. Have you got yours??

To find out more about vehicle tracking, please visit www.vermillionmvt.co.uk or telephone 0845 467 7128