Many small businesses own and operate vehicle fleets. Plumbing firms, electrical contractors, builders and landscaping companies to name just a few.
Transportation for these types of business is not at their core and therefore, owners don’t often think about the performance of their fleets. But optimising fleet operations for SMEs is very simple and can save a small business hundreds of pounds per vehicle, per year.
The technology is called Telematics, which simply involves installing a small hardware device in each vehicle that allows managers to collect data, in real time. Telematics for small business is more than just a dot on a map so you know where your fleet is at any given time. The small device packs a much bigger punch and can also collect data on speed and driver behaviour, such as excessive idling and harsh acceleration. Having access to this type of data can benefit companies in numerous ways, including improving efficiencies and safety.
Small Business Telematics Benefits
The business case for investing in telematics.
- Save on fuel costs
Firstly, by monitoring driver behaviour, you can help eliminate fuel-wasting practices such as excessive idling, harsh acceleration and out-of-route driving, but adding geofences. You can also ensure that vehicles are fuelling up only at your preferred gas stations and that drivers are only filling your vehicles and not their personal ones. - Better vehicle and people management
Telematics allows you to know, in real time, exactly where every vehicle and person are. You’ll know when they arrived at a location, when they left and when they arrived back at your office, to more accurately record working hours. You’ll know if they made a stop, where they were and for how long. If equipment or particular expertise is required at a particular job site, you can easily determine the location of the closest crew and vehicle that has the equipment or expertise to assist, cutting down on travel time.
Small business telematics solutions begin at under £15 a month and provide a very quick return – usually within the first few months. With very little knowledge, you can install the hardware yourself in about 15 minutes, or if you prefer, you can take advantage of low-cost, local installation. There is generally no minimum number of vehicles and fleets with as few as three vehicles can reap benefits.
For small companies looking for ways to cut costs without affecting service, Telematics for small business is a very attractive option.
Take a look at our small business fleet solutions and get in touch for a free, no obligation discussion.
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