One wrong turn and you are in the absolute middle of nowhere. No hope.
GPS technology has become a much loved and necessary part of our common life. Most of us can’t even imagine having to use a hard copy map to get us from one place to the next. Even better, that technology is right in our hands thanks to our smartphones.
Even though we use GPS technology almost every day, there are a lot of uses for it we don’t typically consider. One of the best uses for it is expensive and large equipment.
If this surprises you, don’t worry. We will explain so keep reading. Below are ten benefits of GPS for large equipment.
1. Lessen Theft
In 2016 in Texas alone, there were over 2,000 instances of equipment theft. If this is only one state, just imagine how many instances there were in the other 49.
The chances of theft are heavily dependent on several factors including how much equipment is kept in one area and how dependent the area is on agriculture or construction. It’s a shame to think that while you must worry about safety onsite for the employees, you also must think about the safety of the equipment.
This is where the benefits of GPS come into action. By placing GPS technology on your large pieces of equipment, it can make it easier for you to track down if stolen. Thieves won’t make it out under your watch!
If you choose to do so, it can prevent a large number of problems. You won’t have to spend the money to replace equipment, clients won’t grow impatient from the wait, and your whole system of operations doesn’t have to come to a stop.
2. Solutions for Client Accusations
We all know there is the unfortunate fact that you can’t make everyone happy. Someone is bound to complain here or there. Luckily for you, one of the benefits of GPS is being able to show evidence of progress.
Some clients may claim products weren’t delivered as quickly as they could have been or that your driver was lazy. While this may be so, you have the evidence to prove whether or not it was.
GPS allows you to track the route used, how long it took to complete the route, and much more. Some GPS technology will even alert the user about road closures, accidents, and detours. All of these can be taken into account.
If someone claims you didn’t work hard enough, not only can you present the amount of time it takes to manufacture and package a product, you can present the time it takes to deliver it.
3. Driver Safety
Speed limit signs are important and keep people safe. However, not everyone follows those rules, especially with the right driving playlist. But this can be very dangerous when driving large trucks and heavy equipment.
One of the best benefits of GPS technology for large trucks and equipment is keeping the drivers accountable for their driving habits. Were they following the correct route? Were they following the speed limit?
Unlawful driving can cause not only accidents on the road for the driver and surrounding vehicles, but it can also cause large legal issues. Neither of these situations are situations that need to happen.
4. Unusual Circumstances
While unusual happenings and missing person cases don’t happen often in the case of delivery truck or semi-truck drivers, it’s still a possibility.
There have been cases of missing drivers, missing trucks, missing equipment, and whatever else possible. Whether these cases were due to the force of someone else or a driver gone rogue, GPS technology will allow you to track the equipment.
Once the equipment is tracked, this will also hopefully lead you closer to the driver.
5. Equipment Upkeep
Making sure your equipment is in great condition can be a tall order in itself, especially if you’re trying to preserve new technology. GPS tracking for construction equipment is useful because much of the technology can be programmed to keep up with things such as oil changes.
Writing everything down in a log or journal can become tedious, and quite honestly, you might forget sometimes. With the GPS keeping up with everything, you can take some of the weight off your shoulders.
Diving deeper into the technology, it can even report engine idling and run time. These factors are important when considering engine repair costs and fuel economy.
Watching over the mileage is key when dealing with large pieces of equipment. It’s better to be prepared for repair or upkeep than wait until it’s too late.
6. Accuracy in Costs
Not only can GPS technology prevent theft and track mileage, but it can also help you create more accurate costs for your services. By knowing exactly how much fuel and how many miles your drivers must travel, you can charge customers a fair cost.
It also comes in use when paying your drivers. You can see how much time they spent working and driving on the road compared to how much time they used to stop for coffee along the way.
The best part for you is, you don’t even have to get out of your chair to figure everything out. The GPS can report the numbers and you do the rest. It’s much easier than leaving to individually evaluate all equipment and drivers.
7. Lower Fuel Consumption
No boss wants to believe their drivers are capable of making up imaginary numbers about time spent driving, idling, or sitting still in a parking lot to soundly sleep. However, some drivers do tend to make things up.
Fortunately for you, you have all the numbers you need to know. You can track fuel usage. Just an hour of idling along can use up to a gallon of fuel, and no one has the time or money for that.
When reimbursing expenses used on the road, refer to the numbers and alerts the GPS provided. Not only will this alert you on fuel economy, but it also keeps drivers accountable. Advanced GPS technology, can even alert you when the driver is filling up!
Fuel isn’t cheap, and most of us are doing anything we can to improve the fuel economy of our equipment and vehicles.
8. Improved Efficiency
By being able to have accurate numbers right in front of you when operating large equipment, you’re able to plot out how to use the equipment more efficiently. This can include anything from fuel efficiency to efficiency in delivering products on a busy highway.
GPS technology is able to alert you of any major accidents, traffic delays, police, and detours that may take up some of your time. By being able to even look at the route before you start your journey, you’ll know what areas to avoid.
Pre-planning is especially important when dealing with clients. They will want things delivered as quickly as possible. If they are not, clients could grow impatient, and you could lose business opportunities in the future with them.
Not only should you be utilizing the benefits of GPS technology, make sure to train your drivers on how to use it. This will assist them in making decisions on the road.
While it seems like something you shouldn’t have to worry about, workers may use the heavy equipment for their own personal projects. Whether they need to transport something or need equipment for personal home improvements, there’s always the possibility of unauthorized use.
Even if your employees have always proven themselves faithful, it’s a good idea to sit and record the hours and times of equipment use. By letting them know this is part of your routine, they will be discouraged from misusing their resources.
You may even place warning labels on the pieces of large equipment letting users know about the installed GPS technology. Once they notice the warning, they will not want to inappropriately tamper with the equipment.
10. Overall Company Improvement
One of the biggest and broadest benefits of GPS technology for large equipment is overall growth for your company. Not only will you experience a greater sense of efficiency and accuracy in your company, but drivers will also be held at a higher standard.
All of this results in happier customers, a greater confidence in the workplace, and a satisfied boss. Your company will be thriving with decreased trip times and fewer incident reports.
GPS technology could be the saving factor for your business.
Many Benefits of GPS Technology
Above are ten wonderful benefits of GPS technology for the large equipment of your business. Between preventing theft, decreasing equipment misuse, and improving fuel economy, you can’t go wrong with GPS!
Install it in your large equipment and train your employees on the new improvements. It’s important to let them know about the new technology because if it comes as a surprise, they may become offended you’ve been tracking their work with no warning.
If you want to know more about anti-theft safety, security technology, or video surveillance, make sure you check out the rest of our site. It’s better to be safe than sorry!
