Recent years have seen a significant improvement in the technological infrastructure in the field of logistics and transportation. Not only has this allowed logistic firms to render a higher quality of service to their clients, but they are also improved the profit margin.
While several technological advancements have contributed to this digital transformation of the world of GPS, the most significant among them has been that of Global Positioning System or GPS.
Let’s dive deep into the different applications of GPS tracking in logistics.
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7 Things You Can Expect From Tracking Your Vehicles With Gps
Automatic Circuit Planning
The driver or the fleet manager establishes the starting and destination points in the GPS. The system then computes the best possible route based on the priority order. While some planners may prefer the fastest route, others like to go for a route with minimum toll gates.
With the GPS tracking system, the line library is automatically established, and the design circuit can be viewed simultaneously on the driver’s electronic map as well as on the system of the fleet manager tracking the ride from the backend.
The exact position of the vehicle can be traced, and if the truck or trailer takes any deviation from the designated route, the same will be notified immediately.
Prevents Tampering Of Vehicles
Loss of transport vehicles, theft, and tampering of vehicle parts are some of the significant challenges that engulf the logistics industry today.
In response to this dilemma, the advanced sensors that are in-built in most GPS-based tracking systems prevent unauthorized movement of the vehicle. Any attempts at tampering immediately send out an alarm and alert the people nearby.
At the same time, the company’s monitoring center is notified, and they can then inform the local police. The GPS may be configured to alert the police automatically. By promptly reporting a theft to the authorities, chances of recovering a lost vehicle increase manifold.
Emergency Assistance
Logistics and operations firms always need to be prepared for emergencies. Having each vehicle fitted with a GPS will go a long way in locating remote assets in the event of any unfortunate accident. You may read more information here.
When an accident happens, a GPS will be able to automatically send danger alerts in the electronic map of the company’s monitoring station. The on-duty personnel can then act on the alarm and ensure that help reaches the accident site as soon as possible.
As far as possible, the GPS will enable coordination of the driver involved in the accident with the company’s emergency response team, thereby ensuring minimal loss of life and assets.
Gps-Based Command Center Operation
Larger logistic firms have a dedicated command center operations team whose job is to enable optimum dispatch of the vehicle and monitor them throughout the journey. With GPS-based tracker systems, the status of the truck can be tracked at any time.
As the command center will be monitoring traffic congestion, road condition, and other details, they can use their insights to communicate with the GPS-tracked target and implement any sudden changes in management.
This is of particular importance to logistic firms who have several trucks plying on the same route. Information on any road inconvenience incurred by a vehicle can be put to use, and others can be guided to avoid such a fate.
Information Transfer
The operation of logistic firms is often based on a model such that an individual’s work depends on that of their colleagues.
In such a setup, a GPS-based system will go a long way in fostering query exchange. The monitoring center can use text-based query data to enquire information from a vehicle that is in-transit.
While details like the location of the target vehicle can be obtained automatically by the GPS, vehicle information (either in the form of text or pictures) can also be shared on the electronic map.
That way, the monitoring team can trace the pickup, loading, and unloading of the goods in question and usher in higher transparency in the system.
Fleet Optimization
For a logistic firm, it is vital to define fleet in a manner such that they achieve the desired levels of cost-cutting without compromising on the quality of service.
Driving habits such as speeding, harsh acceleration, and idling are known to cause a significant increase in the wear and tear of long-haul vehicles. Repair costs and traffic tickets due to such driving habits are unwanted expenses that bite into a logistic organization’s profits.
Excess fuel consumption, either due to taking longer routes or because of bad driving practices, is another hindrance. A GPS-based tracking system will be able to identify such issues and report the same to the monitoring team. They can then trace the problem in real-time and solve it immediately.
Better Customer Service
Irrespective of whether it is a B2B service or a B2C one, clients are always anxious about the status of their package under transit.
With a GPS-based tracking system for your fleet, you can easily keep your clients in the loop about the position of their package. You can also set up a system wherein the GPS data of your transport vehicle is collected, and an update is automatically sent to the clients daily.
That way, even if there is any untoward delay in the delivery, you will be able to give the exact reason for the same to the client instead of a vague apology. This way, your clients will be more understanding and keep coming back to you in the future.
In Closing
The advantages of a GPS-based tracking system are diverse. From ensuring greater transparency in the world of logistics to helping your firm identify and cut down on unnecessary expenditure, GPS ushers in a world of opportunities.
Investing in getting your entire fleet of vehicles to be GPS enabled will go a long way in ensuring higher profits. At the end of the day, higher customer satisfaction lies at the core of your transport business, and a GPS-based tracking system takes to closer to achieving that.