Choosing a work vehicle tracking solution

Consider your options based on your fleet size, travel base, and other criteria.

If you’re a business with significant tangible assets such as cars, vans, trucks, motorcycles, tractors, and trailers, keeping track of them with a suitable GPS is essential. GPS-based work vehicle tracking solutions do more than deter theft and recover stolen vehicles — they monitor how vehicles perform and how your staff uses them.

There are certainly many types of asset tracking options for vehicle fleets. They range from small tags that use low-energy radio frequencies with Bluetooth compatibility to large hard-wired devices hidden within a car to prevent easy disabling.

We’ll take a look at some of the most popular devices on the market today for monitoring a wide range of company vehicles, from cars and trucks to boats and trailers.

How are vehicles tracked with accuracy?

Firstly, most built-in tracking systems broadcast a location using GPS technology. A handful of satellites will bounce signals to triangulate a vehicle’s position. The location is then received and displayed through an online platform or software application.

GPS is useful for acting as a beacon if the vehicle is stolen. It also shows the vehicle’s travel speed, distance, and time in operation to track fuel consumption, identify unauthorized employee breaks, and even track whether the vehicle is entering or exiting a predetermined geofenced area.

Consequently, vital feedback like this allows a company to run more efficiently and ensure staff are correctly paid for the time they work.

Considerations when choosing a work vehicle tracking tool

Firstly, businesses can equip company cars with individual tracking systems to monitor location and speed. Dedicated fleet management systems can track a fleet of trucks for long-haul deliveries across state or country borders. The best work vehicle tracking solution for your needs will depend on a variety of factors:

• Number of vehicles
• Vehicle size
• Cargo type
• Distance parameters
• Where the vehicles will travel
• Device type — rechargable or hard-wired
• Telecommunication capabilities — one- or two-way communication
• The tracking features you need
• Your geofencing parameters

What are the best work vehicle tracking solutions?

For cars and vans

Bouncie – Not only does this smart device track your vehicle with GPS, but it’s also excellent for companies looking to gain insight into how their cars are being driven.

MOTOsafety MPAAS1P1 – Highly accurate, this device can monitor everything from work vehicle location and travel speed to direction with the help of Google Maps. It also has a compatible app and geofencing capabilities.

Spytec GL300 – App-compatible, this device uses both 4G and GPS to keep tabs on any vehicle location at all times. You can also see speed and distance data displayed and set geofences.

For trucks

Rhino Fleet Tracking – Generates field reports to monitor stop, start, travel times, and deliveries. It can track an entire fleet from a smartphone app.

ClearPathGPS – This vehicle tracking solution offers a choice of different hardware devices and subscription plans, professional installation, and the ability to monitor vehicle maintenance needs.

Teletrac Navman – Can be scaled up from one or two trucks to an entire fleet. This device’s 24-hour data feed lets companies make a detailed analysis regarding mapping, vehicle routing, and delivery locations.

For farm vehicles, plant, and machinery equipment

TS10 – Offers specialist tracking designed for heavy plant equipment such as cranes and diggers as well as generators. It’s completely waterproof, easily concealed, and boasts low power consumption.

US Fleet Tracking – Wireless and tamper-proof, use this device in any kind of vehicle. It offers live tracking capabilities and full GPS, in addition to low power usage.

CloudHawk – Excellent for all kinds of GPS tracking, from small items of plant machinery to larger vehicles such as diggers and cranes. This tracker can also monitor other parameters, such as asset use and idle time to ensure asset use optimization.

For trailers

Verizon Connect – Offers GPS tracking suitable for containers and trailers and lets users view usage history. Verizon Connect devices are waterproof and can also monitor vibrations and changes in temperature.

Tenna – This specialized solution is designed for asset tracking managed directly from an app. It uses Bluetooth technology coupled with GPS to send out signals.

Mix Telematics – Simply place it on your vehicle and link it to your smartphone. You’ll get an alert whenever someone moves or tampers with your asset. Perfect for trailers and flatbeds of all sizes.

Final thoughts

A wide range of work vehicle tracking solutions is available, no matter your needs. We recommend using a GPS tracker that:

• Can monitor an asset over a long range.
• Is approved by your insurance company for your particular vehicle.
• Has remote monitoring capability from your smartphone.

Further, consider systems that can send instant alerts if the device is tampered with or the vehicle is stolen. That way, you can act fast and alert the authorities for swift retrieval.

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