Vehicle Tracking Produces Fuel Savings

In September 2009 fuel duty increased by 2p per litre, increasing the pressure on business owners that run a fleet of vehicles. Vehicle tracking can help to lessen the pressure by helping businesses to save money on their fuel expenses.

Vehicle tracking works by using GPS signals to pinpoint the location of a vehicle. Vehicles have a receiver fitted in them (some even signal an alert if they are being tampered with) and software is installed onto the computers in the office that need to have access to the tracking solution.

Businesses use tracking for many different purposes such as employee expenses claims, disciplinary procedures and data for reviews. However, the most important feature for many companies is the fuel saving capabilities that their tracking system possesses. In most cases, the savings made are enough to pay for the system itself.

Money is saved on fuel because tracking systems provide reports on how efficiently the vehicle is being driven. Managers can address any bad driving behaviour with their employees, and get them to improve by speeding and idling less. The more efficiently the employee drives the vehicle, the more fuel efficient it becomes. The tracking system can also show if employees are taking routes to their destinations that are longer than they should be, and managers can ‘optimise’ the route with the employee to save money.