Improved Fleet Management Operations with Reporting

A better grasp on your fleet management operations is rooted in a deeper understanding of your commercial vehicles. This will allow you to cut expenses while also increasing the effectiveness and productivity of your business’ operations. 

But how can you get the information? By using effective telematics reporting.

What is Effective Reporting? 

Flexible reporting customization allows you to tailor the information you receive to match your company’s needs. GPS telematics reporting can offer you a clear picture of your fleet’s productivity by allowing you to compare your fleet’s day-to-day activities. These can help you to identify areas of focus that can improve your drivers’ speed, performance, and profit. 

The challenge for fleet management operations is recognizing which information is valuable and why. Fleet managers may achieve this with thorough reporting with Fleetistics.

Fleet management operations

Reporting Safety

Some of the most dangerous driving habits include: 

  • Speeding
  • No Seatbelt
  • Cell Phone Use
  • Harsh Braking
  • Fast Acceleration

Your telematics system with Fleetistics will provide you with critical data on your drivers’ behavior. The reports can help you to guide your drivers to develop better habits that keep everyone safer. 

In addition, you may use telematics reporting to see how well a particular driver is improving after you have spoken to them or given them additional training. 

Some drivers may find it useful because it brings awareness to unconscious habits. They may not know they practice unsafe driving behaviors until you bring it to their attention. As they make a conscious effort to correct those behaviors, reports offer an accurate assessment of how well they are doing.

Track Vehicle Health

Knowing the health of your vehicles can help you to budget more accurately and reduce financial strain, which is a decided benefit for your fleet management operations When you take the time to observe patterns in the repairs you’ve received in the past, it can assist you to plan ahead for the future. By predicting when they will happen, you will reduce the frequency of unexpected commercial vehicle maintenance and eliminate the negative impact it can have on your business. 

Repairs don’t have to be a surprise. You can learn a lot about the health of your commercial vehicle and be easily notified of necessary repairs or regular maintenance requirements.

With Fleetistics’ telematics reporting, you don’t have to depend on your drivers to tell you about noises, smells, or other signs of trouble. You will be alerted if the tire air pressure changes, you need an oil change, or your engine is getting too hot. This also helps your company to stay on top of repairs and maintenance that could develop into more expensive problems if ignored.

Fleet Management Operations with Reporting

Increase Productivity with Reporting

By improving your uptime, you get the most out of your vehicles. To minimize downtime and maximize your ROI, vehicles must be continually moving.

Keep your fleet “right-sized”  as much as possible by considering the time spent:

  • Arrivals 
  • Departure
  • Travel Duration
  • Idle Vehicles
  • Stopped/Unused Vehicles

With these in mind, telematics reporting can provide your fleet management operations with vital information that’s easy to sort through and benefit from.

Use this data to:

  • Optimize Fuel Use
  • Avoid Traffic
  • Schedule Employees
  • Find Better Routes
  • Change Driver Behavior

Fleet Management Operations with Reporting in Tampa Bay

Every day as a fleet manager, there is a lot of data that you have to process.  A lot of work goes into arranging and planning how to use this data to help your business grow and develop. Fleet management software may help you with your planning by providing you with detailed reports that explain only what you need. 

When you use Fleetistics management reporting, you can choose what information you want to monitor and what you don’t. Whether you want a real-time report of your driver’s performance and vehicle’s health or you have a specific goal to accomplish, Fleetistics telematics reports can help you to reach your business goals. Get in touch with one of our experts today. 

 

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How App Based Tracking Benefits Your Fleet – 2+ Advantages for You and Your Drivers!

Today’s fleets are more competitive than ever before. You must always be one step ahead of the game if you want to succeed, and integrating technologies can help you to achieve that. App based tracking software may be exactly what you need to increase your company’s bottom line and receive the recognition you deserve. 

Using a mobile fleet tracking application can benefit your fleet in many ways. Let’s take a look at a few of them now.

No GPS Hardware Necessary

You know that to manage your company’s commercial vehicles effectively, you must continually monitor your drivers. But installing fleet management gear isn’t possible in every circumstance. Sometimes you need flexible options. App based tracking allows you to keep track of your drivers regardless of their location or what vehicle they are in.

When you use app based tracking for mobile fleet management, you can receive the benefits of tracking technology without needing hardware installation. The only thing that a driver has to do is download an app to their mobile phone or tablet and turn on location services. After that point, a fleet manager or supervisor will be able to monitor the driver’s performance and track them in real-time.

app based tracking for commercial drivers

Track Them in Real Time

Many drivers love having a personal assistant in their pocket to help them to record and navigate their location. Fleet managers love that they can receive real-time information about their employees (not just their vehicles).

The use of a mobile tracking app enables fleet managers to monitor:

  • Time
  • Speed
  • Location
  • Distance
  • Acceleration
  • Cell Phone Use 

By knowing exactly where your employees are, you can better manage them, even from the comfort of your office. Send teams to particular jobs and designate a leader. While the crews are on the job, you can keep an eye on their progress and see when they are done. 

Direct Communication

You can also send messages and notifications to a specific driver’s smartphone. This can be beneficial as a direct channel for work-related communication when they are on the go. You can also warn them when their driving behavior is dangerous or help to navigate them through traffic.

Using Fleetistics app-based tracking software on a smart device eliminates the need for phone calls to and from your drivers or traveling personnel. Instant messaging makes it possible to communicate at any time and from any location.

use app based tracking for your drivers

Easily Track Time

It’s simple to keep track of the time your employees spend working. Know when their work day starts and when they leave, as well as their personal time, break time, and overall attendance. When you choose Fleetistics app based tracking, fleet managers will also receive daily reports in their inboxes through email!

App based tracking allows you to record accurate logs automatically. In addition, having the system automated makes it easier to keep track of deliveries. As a result, a driver can focus on driving and less time is wasted on passing along information

When does App Based Tracking Not Benefit Your Business?

It’s important to realize that apps are not always the right solution for your business. It has limited functionality that could prevent you from collecting data that is important to your company.

For instance, a tracking app will only work where they can receive a signal. If your drivers travel through the city, then signal strength may not be an issue, but if they drive through rural areas, you may run into multiple “dead zones.”

Dead zones also occur inside many buildings. If your employees walk indoors frequently and lose signal, their location will drift, giving you an inaccurate reading.

Other features like ELD or vehicle diagnostics require telematics hardware installed.

If you are interested in learning more about what app based tracking can do for your company, or if you need GPS hardware to meet your needs, contact us today!

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Tax Benefits: Are You Getting the Most out of Your Fuel Tax Credit (FTC)?

When it comes to saving money, fuel tax credits are a valued option for many businesses. Eco-friendly company practices have been an increasingly important source of tax credits for businesses over the last few decades. Alternative fuel sources are not only environmentally friendly; they also help your bottom line. 

However, taxes can be an enormous headache when your company has commercial vehicles. Because it’s not just the taxes that mount up; it’s also the record-keeping, the paperwork, and all that time preparing them! Fortunately, fleet management technology provides a way to streamline both your tax status and your fleet’s operations.

What is the Fuel Tax Credit? 

The alternative fuel excise tax credit is a financial incentive for businesses to make the switch to alternative fuels for all of their commercial vehicles. You can receive a tax credit calculated per gallon for:

  • Natural gas
  • P-Series fuel
  • Liquefied hydrogen
  • Propane gas
  • Compressed/liquefied gas from biomass

GGE (gasoline gallon equivalent) or DGE (diesel gallon equivalent) is used to determine how much of a credit you should receive.

How Do I Receive the Fuel Tax Credit?

To increase your bottom line, you always need to be planning for tax time. Running a business that uses commercial transportation requires an immense amount of carefully collected records that not only include how many gallons were used over miles of road but if those roads were private or public.

First, the tax credit is taken against the fleet’s alternative fuel tax liability. Then, the fleet can claim any additional fuel tax liability as a direct payment from the IRS.

man filling gasoline fuel - expecting fuel tax credit

Calculating Your Fuel Tax Credit

Telematics systems monitor the usage of vehicles and equipment, and consequently the amount of fuel they consume, through the use of sensors. As a result, they can help optimize gasoline tax credit claims while also reducing the amount of time and effort necessary to file claims.

GPS monitoring can also help you to determine how many miles you’ve spent on private roads vs public roads (because only public road mileage should be accounted for). 

Without telematics systems installed in your commercial vehicles, calculating your fuel tax credit can be complicated. Your risk of overclaiming and getting in trouble with the IRS is very real. Inferior telematics software has been to blame for overclaiming in the past, but refined telematics systems like Fleetistics fuel tracking will keep you on track! 

(Find most of the details in Public Law 114-41 and 26 U.S. Code 4041 and 4081.)

calculating tax considering fuel tax credit

Determining Your Fuel Tax Credit Based on Alternative Fuel Type

According to the US Department of Energy, liquefied natural gas (LNG) is 6.06 pounds per DGE, while propane is 5.75 pounds per GGE and 5.66 pounds per CGE (compressed natural gas). An excise tax of $0.183 per gasoline gallon equivalent (GGE) is imposed by the federal government on propane and compressed natural gas. As of 2022, the tax rate on liquefied natural gas (LNG) is $0.243 per diesel gallon equivalent (DGE).

But legal compliance is automated with fleet management solutions like Fleetistics telematics systems and GPS technology. When claiming fuel tax credits, for example, telematics hardware and software helps by supplying companies with an accurate electronic logbook and work diary.

Fleetistics Can Make Tax Time Simpler

Every three months, all truck drivers in the United States are required to submit a fuel tax report in accordance with the International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA). Your drivers are responsible for keeping track of their trucking hours of service. 

In addition, they have to save all of their fuel tickets and receipts. Why? Because their records have to coincide with the hours, dates, and addresses that are printed on those receipts! 

How much money have you lost through this tedious process and human error?

The precise calculation of gasoline can be made simpler with the help of a fleet management system. By using GPS fleet monitoring and electronic logging records, your business will no longer be a victim to driver and employee mistakes — errors that can result in expensive fines.

There are tax credits available that you can use to cut costs, but they also need to be calculated correctly.

Isn’t it time that you caught a break? Speak with one of our friendly and informative representatives today, and find out if Fleetistics is the right solution for your business!

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Benefits of Telematics (Part 5 of 5): Boost Driver Morale & Hire Better Drivers

Unhappy drivers are one of the biggest concerns for businesses in Tampa, Florida, and America as a whole. And it costs these businesses money – about $350 million dollars in our country alone. Therefore, the decision to boost driver morale with the help of our GPS tracking can have a direct impact on your staff retention and the quality of drivers you can hire.

You may think that you will harm your drivers’ morale by adding dashcams, GPS, and telematics to their vehicles. But the truth is, fleet telematics systems can make your drivers happier with their jobs!

That’s because quality employees like to feel appreciated. If they work hard to perform at a level above the rest, they want to be recognized for it. 

But you aren’t psychic and can’t tell which employees are driving safely and being the most productive with their time; Not unless you have technology that collects that data. When you have GPS and telematics installed in your trucks, vans, and other company vehicles, you can easily see which drivers are producing the results you want and reward them. 

This not only helps you to make informed decisions based on performance but also allows you to be creative. Boost driver morale by rewarding their performance, which shows in their telematics data. Rewards can come in many forms, including but not limited to a:

  • Raise
  • Bonus
  • Promotion
  • Pizza party
  • Gift card
Boost Driver Morale and Hire Better Drivers like this Driver

Gamification can boost Driver Morale!

Some businesses create incentives for their drivers by incorporating gamification into the workplace. 

When your company integrates “game thinking,” tools, and technology to engage and motivate your employees, company goals are reached more effectively. This is referred to as “enterprise gamification.”   

Employees that participate are rewarded when they achieve great outcomes for the organization and everyone wins. This not only increases productivity, but it also cultivates a valuable staff.

By creating goals and posting the results, your employees can see exactly how they compare to their coworkers and where they can improve. Many businesses choose to focus on teams instead of individual accomplishments. Targeting reachable goals for an entire group will promote teamwork instead of competition and boost morale as they accomplish each task.

Happy Drivers in Florida with Fleetistics’ Telematics

By facilitating a healthy work culture and positive environment for drivers to grow and develop, you receive a valuable opportunity to better train open-minded employees who want to succeed in your company and do their best.

Telematics allows you to reliably track and reward specific behaviors, while also giving drivers inspiration or a challenge.

By changing the direction of driving requirements and focusing on actionable metrics, Fleetistics’ telematics systems can strengthen the relationship between you and your employees. As a result, performance quality will improve, which in turn will lower anxiety and promote job satisfaction.

Promote happiness and boost morale in your workplace and increase your profit by signing up with Fleetistics today! 

Hire Better Drivers

There has been a significant rise in the number of drivers needed in recent years. Both recruiting and retaining drivers has been a serious challenge. So how can Fleetistics help? By attracting the right talent.

When someone applies for an open job position in your company, you hope to achieve a good sense of their work ethic and personality through an interview. 

But how can you tell how well they drive?

When prospective employees are informed that they will be monitored with a dashcam, GPS tracking, and other data collection technology, it’s likely that only honest drivers with integrity will stick around. Employees that like to break the rules or cut corners will find an employer who isn’t paying attention.

Were They Trained Enough?

When you hire a driver, you may not be able to tell how safe and productive they work. Who is the better driver? Even though they may claim to know what they are doing, they may not. 

Instead of waiting for them to get into a vehicle collision or receive a speeding ticket, you can see exactly how well they drive with a glance when you have Fleetistics technology installed in your vehicles. Fleetistics GPS tracking and telematics systems allow you to analyze their driving behavior from the very first day. 

Once the data is collected, your management team can use this information to open a dialog with problematic drivers to advise or re-train them right away. This gives you an opportunity to develop and retain more employees and foster loyalty.

 

 

Boost Driver Morale of Driver in the Cockpi

Employee Loyalty

So how does hiring better employees with the help of telematics foster loyalty?

When a company invests in GPS tracking, telematics, and dashcams, it provides honest and hardworking drivers’ security. These technologies not only offer more protection to drivers and their vehicles, but they also provide proof of their good driving habits, work ethic, and company progress. 

When you have the tools to track milestones and results, you can show your employees what they have accomplished and acknowledge their efforts. Once an employee becomes emotionally invested, they are more likely to stay. When you boost driver morale, you reduce your staff turnover!

Promoting Within the Company

Frequently, businesses like to promote employees from within their company before hiring from the outside. But who would be best for the job? When management is faced with this decision, personal bias may sway their decision. 

Fraternization, favoritism, and personal judgment can cause some of your best candidates to leave your company. When opinion is used to make decisions instead of data, it can cause exemplary drivers to feel unappreciated and angry.

This concludes our 5-part series about the benefits of telematics and GPS tracking. Telematics helps you to hire better drivers and boost driver morale. However, there are many more advantages. If you have not done so yet, have a look at our previous posts about this subject:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

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Indoor Tracking

Indoor Tracking Solutions

Submitted by Kim Spring, Business Analyst

Here at Fleetistics we specialize in vehicle GPS/Telematics solutions, but did you know there are solutions out there that focus on real-time indoor tracking solutions? There are a variety of uses for this technology. In this blog, we will identify some key features, uses and solutions.

Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS) for indoor tracking enable businesses to achieve more through a variety of industries: healthcare, smart buildings, retail, manufacturing & logistics, sports and much more. These one-size-fits-all RTLS technology solution for location-based services and applications, provide accurate and real-time tracking for tags and devices that is sent back to an end user application.

Why Indoor Tracking?

These devices when applied provide a variety of benefits. Take Industry for example, implementing these tags within companies can improve worker safety, process optimization and inventory management to name a few. In Healthcare, companies can track medical equipment, optimize hospital workflows and improve staff and patient safety.

Think about the safety and security industry. By using this technology organizations can increase staff and inmate safety, improve compliance regulations and so much more. These are just a few examples of the industries that can take advantage of this technology.

Bar coded indoor tracking badge

How it Works

Essentially the way it works is very similar to how our GPS/Telematics tracking solutions for vehicles and assets work. The tags, devices and sensors (in this case using Bluetooth®) send the information to the locators which in turn go through the positioning engine. The end result is sent to the application whether it be through an API into a client’s application or the one provided.

Disney® has a unique application for similar services. Instead of using Bluetooth® technology they have been using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for several years. These MagicBands allow guests to enter theme parks, unlock their Disney Resort hotel room and buy foods and merchandise. It also allows the Disney® theme parks to track the flow of guests from park to park.

Which is Better, Bluetooth or RFID?

The simple answer is neither. They are different solutions serving their individual purpose. Simply defined Bluetooth is a standard technology for short-range wireless connection of mobile phones, computers and other electronic devices. RFID uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags that are attached to objects. Bluetooth is used to communicate between two Bluetooth compatible devices and has the ability to handle data and voice transmissions at the same time. This allows it to be used in a wide variety of applications. RFID is used to transfer a limited amount of information that is stored in the RFID tags such as product information and location information.

In short if the use case is in a centralized location with a limited amount of data needing to be transferred RFID would be suitable whereas if you are looking at tracking in a decentralized or larger area and have more information to transmit, using Bluetooth connected devices in a network is the way to go.

Indoor Tracking Badge

Is Indoor Tracking Right For Me?

The first thing a company needs to determine before deciding what indoor tracking solution is best for them are the business cases. In this blog we talked about some use cases in Industry, Healthcare and Safety & Security. If you have value in the tools onsite, the people in your organization, the items you sell you might consider an indoor RTLS solution. In the meantime, if you have vehicles or assets we can tell you all the benefits and features our out GPS/Telematics solutions. Feel free to contact us at www.fleetistics.com for more information.

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