When we think of businesses using GPS in their day-to-day operations, we typically picture companies with large fleets for delivery or public transportation. But a New-York based company has found that outfitting just a few trucks using GPS trackers has translated into real cost savings in several different areas. This powerful technology has become inexpensive and convenient enough to provide benefits to even small businesses that are looking for a way to improve their control and monitoring of items in transit.

Nextrend, Inc. only employs seven people. It’s a company that helps toy and game developers get their products designed, refined, tested, and into the hands of manufacturers who will produce it. A big part of their operation is transporting prototypes of toys and games from these developers to their New York location. The majority of the items Nextrend transports are extremely important to those on both the shipping and delivery ends, and it is in everyone’s interest to be able to know exactly where they are at any given moment.

Nextrend chose a locally based GPS provider to place trackers on its fleet of four small trucks. Once the accompanying software was installed and learned by employees, the small business began reaping benefits immediately. Employees and clients could now see exactly where their precious cargo was and how long it would take to reach its destination. Route adjustments to conserve fuel were easy to make using GPS data from previous trips. Perhaps most importantly, Nextrend cut its theft losses from an estimated five percent to practically nothing. More control has meant far greater efficiency and better service to concerned clients, and Nextrend’s management is quite pleased about making the switch to using GPS.

In an interview, the managing director of Nextrend noted that one of their priorities in choosing a GPS partner was finding a local company. Setting up the trackers, getting used to using the software, and taking care of any bugs during operation is much easier if the provider is right around the corner. GPS technology in general is still very young, and its incorporation into the corporate world is even more recent. Both fleet managers and GPS providers are still learning how to streamline the process, and Nextrend is glad to have technical help nearby while that happens.