By Greg Bartlett

Given the situation that is developing in the nation’s economy, many businesses are looking for ways to cut unnecessary costs wherever possible. One simple step can aid in this search in several different ways. Companies that have installed GPS tracking devices in the fleets of vehicles have already realize significant savings in multiple ways.

In the past, it has not been uncommon for employees with access to company vehicles to take those vehicles out on personal business over the weekend when not working. Whether they were making a purchase of an item too large to carry in their private vehicle, or helping there best friend move across town, they were costing the company money in fuel and general wear and tear on the vehicle that the company should not have to pay for. GPS vehicle tracking systems make it possible to keep a log of every time the vehicle moves and make sure that any time it is used for personal use, the employee is held responsible for fuel and maintenance.

In addition to monitoring unauthorized use of company vehicles, GPS tracking can be used to compare the routes driven by different employees in the normal course of business and determine where, if any place, more than one employee is covering the same ground. In cases where this is occurring, new routing plans can be drawn up that eliminate the overlapping and maximize the benefits to the company of each vehicle in the fleet.

GPS tracking also gives access to speed data that can be used to cut down on speeding tickets by taking corrective action with employees based on in house data, rather than waiting to see if a ticket is issued. Employees who spend excessive amounts of time sitting in one location can also be caught by the data and rerouted or brought in as needed rather than sitting in an idling vehicle burning fuel that is costing companies more and more all the time.

Finally, companies can save a great deal on insurance premiums just by having GPS vehicle tracking systems on all their vehicles in the fleet. In addition to the benefits mentioned above, GPS tracking has been proven to increase the chance of a stolen vehicle being recovered before serious damage is done and of making an arrest in the case of vehicle theft. Insurance companies also recognize the value of GPS as a safety measure that can save lives in the event of an accident.