FleetTracker

We sat down with FleetMatics Systems Training Manager James Slavet to pick his brain once again. This time James told us how easy it is to create users on the system.

“Customers often want to know what I recommend for setting up users on the system. There are two things that customers need to understand about users before they decided what to do. Number one is that any number of users can be signed in under one username at one time. This means customers do not need to set up usernames just because multiple people will be using the system. Usernames are created to give people with different permission levels different levels of access to the system.

Which brings us to the second thing customers should know about users: we can limit access to the system in three main ways. One way is simply what vehicles the person has the ability to see so that a customer with multiple locations can give store managers access to just their vehicles. The second way to limit access is by what users can edit/create/delete so a manager may have the ability to see everything but he can not create other users, edit vehicle names, or delete points of interest.

Finally we can limit the users access to different features on the system, every tab and every thing that drops down from that can be given or taken away at will. So the customer might want someone to have reports and live fleet, but no admin, or something of that nature.

With this in mind the customer can make a more informed decision about what users they would should create. I advise that everyone with one level of access should be on the same user. This means that if there are 3 branch managers of the same location they should all share one username rather than have 3 separate users. This makes the system simpler and more uniform for both the customer and the support team.

Thank You James!

If you are interested in tracking your fleet, you may not have thought of a couple of these features that could benefit you immediately.  For example
tracked vehicles are used much more responsibly and only for the intended purpose (no detours or personal trips). Since the vehicles is being used only for the authorized purpose, fuel usage is much more optimal.

While you are keeping a digital eye on the fleet you can observe how responsible your employees are regarding company assets. There are also some very important security aspects of GPS Fleet Tracking enables stolen vehicles to be recovered very fast. Also valuable or sensitive equipment or can be watched over during transport to identify any potential criminal situations, for example any deviations from routing which means the shipment might have been tampered.

Anyway you look at it, installing GPS Fleet Tracking is vital to your every day business and as a plus will pay for itself in short order. Check out the FleetMatics system and protect your assets while improving your bottom line.

A GPS Fleet Tracking system has the capability of answering the five key questions of any activity, who, what, when, where and why. GPS tracking is one of the great innovations of mankind. Perhaps not everyone will see it as vital as fire or the wheel. But when you think about it – with GPS you can never be lost. You always know where you are. That takes a lot of confusion out of the daily scheme of things. And with GPS tracking you know where you have been and how soon it will take you to get where you are going. Furthermore, the applications are myriad. You can alert customers to delays or even potential early arrivals. If a vehicle goes down you know who is closest. You save time, energy and money with this investment that rapidly pays for itself.

Check out FleetMatics and see if it is right for your fleet!

For some time now you have been hearing the word green. But what is green and how does it affect you as a businessperson?  Green is the more common term for sustainability.

And sustainability is so important that there is an official United Nations definition: “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

Sustainability relates to the continuity of economic, social, institutional and environmental aspects of human society, as well as the non-human environment.” Sustainable development means balancing the fulfillment of human needs with the protection of the natural environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but in the future as well.

Green in most cultures represents life and going green means green building, green communities, green markets and yes of course green transportation. Sustainability and green pretty much mean the same things.

But what does this have to do with you?  Well, just about everything. Green is not only necessary but Green is in.  You may have heard about recent goings on at Wal-Mart where green has become so important that they even appointed a Chief Energy Officer to make things green from top to bottom.

Green technologies will take a while to have an affect but did you know that there is an application you can adapt today that puts you in the forefront of grreen tech. We are not talking about the future, we are talking about now.

By simply adopting GPS Fleet Tracking, you paint yourself green, with savings in manpower, energy and resources.This cost-saving implementation literally pays for itself within months. You will be saving yourself a lot of green!

FleetMatics can generate a 10% to 30% reduction in fleet operating costs. Increased route productivity means fewer miles driven, fewer vehicles on the road which of course means higher margins for your organization.

Our efficiency enhancements increase the number of stops drivers can do per day, the amount of stops possible per route and the quantity of pickups/deliveries per driver.

Most green technologies are promises of a better future.  FleetMatics GPS Fleet Tracking is capable of streamlining your company now and creating greater and greater efficiencies and dramatic fuel savings.

Check out how FleetMatics can turn your company green!

Hard to think of your GPS Tracking system as an anti-theft device. But truth is that vehicles equipped with GPS tracking can be found within hours. Think of the importance of this if you have a fleet of service or delivery vehicles, even car fleets can benefit.  You will also in many case be privy to insurance company discounts.

In short you minimize risks and potential liabilities, by  purchasing and installing fleet management GPS tracking equipment. When your vehicles are suitably equipped, you are able to manage and keep track of your fleet’s individual locations. This security empowers you to control every aspect of your fleet right from your desktop.  And if something should go wrong, it can be remedied rapidly. Everything from changes in delivery times and routes, meeting deadlines, alerting customers of changes in delivery or service are all rapidly handled and at your fingertips. Vehicle breakdowns or accidents are instantly handled with pinpoint accuracy backup vehicles can be dispatched. And should one of your vehicles be stolen. You know where it is — in fact you always know where it is so you can dispatch the authorities.

No matter the size of your business and whether it is delivery or service you can benefit from GPS fleet management. It pays for itself.

I do not want to bang the drum about the economy, but it is important to recognize what problems may come up in the ensuing year. One of these may be the shortage of repair and service facilities and even parts. These companies are all so interconnected.  So how can you make sure your fleet is maintained properly? FleetMatics Service Alerts let you know exactly when the vehicle is due for service so you can plan ahead and guarantee that your standards are maintained. Your Service Alerts can be set by calendar time, engine on time, or mileage depending on the type of service needed. Each alert can be tagged with an icon, given a specific name and description, and allocated to a single or multiple vehicles. New Service Alerts do not need to be created as you can simply reset the alert once the maintenance has been completed. 

What does this mean to you? You can manage all your vehicle maintenance needs in one place and be pro-active in getting them serviced. As an added benefit you get a complete historical record of all servicing completed. 

This leads to reduced vehicle maintenance costs and inevitably an extension of the vehicles life. Plus you eliminate unnecessary paperwork. 

As  Steve Rose, Fleet Manager for Kent Staff Services 2000 said,  ”The FleetMatics Service Alerts have allowed us to streamline our vehicle maintenance management which has provided significant time savings for our company.”

There are some unique features and applications to the FleetMatics system that you might not be aware of or even imagined. One of these is the Nearest Vehicle Locator.  This is very useful for last-minute calls or emergencies (a vehicle is down). Simply click on any point on the map or address and instantly see the Top 5 nearest vehicles to that location, including exact mileage. That could be very useful if one of your crew is jammed up and running late or someone calls in at the last minute for service.

Another useful feature for your team out in the field is the FleetMatics Points of Interest (POI’s) application. With one click all your POI’s will be displayed on the map with easily identifiable icons – very useful for finding fuel, food or rest. You can even pinpoint any address on the map and save it as a POI.

One feature you will really be pleased with is the ability to run your Daily or Detailed Report right from the Live Fleet Track screen to quickly see where your vehicles have been that day.

We live in a crazy economy. The stability which we thought we had is no more. Our very financial structure is being whipped asunder.  Truly makes you wonder who is running this asylum.

However, despite all this, there is opportunity. He or she who works hard and smart will make gains at a time like this. The key is to control every aspect of your operation that you can. This is the FleetMatics advantage. In coming posts, we will explain the Fleetmatics plan to not only get your fleet under control but restore profitability and make way for success.