– By Ira Friedman –
If you’re thinking about implementing a GPS tracking for your fleet of vehicles then you’ve probably come across passive and active GPS tracking, but not sure of the difference? Let me explain.
Passive GPS tracking
The notable feature of passive GPS tracking is that it doesn’t track vehicles in real time. This means that head office cannot see where every vehicle in its fleet is at any one time. What occurs is that information is stored in a device that then needs to be downloaded to a computer once the vehicle has returned to the office.
Therefore, you can only identify issues after they have occurred. If a vehicle is lost or stolen, a passive GPS tracker will likely be of no help to you because you won’t know the location of your vehicles in real-time. Or if head office receives reports of traffic delays or road closures for instance, they cannot actively re-direct drivers to avoid the hot spots.
If you’re looking to save time and money, passive GPS tracking is probably not the best solution for you. Having to collect the devices and download the information onto a computer will means more time out of your day, or even having to hire extra help to deal with the new workload.
Active GPS tracking
Unlike passive GPS trackers, active GPS trackers are regularly transmitting vehicle data back to the Cloud for real time tracking – you have active eyes on your fleet at all times.
Active GPS tracking has real-time alerts that send out notifications which can help identify and eliminate fuel-wasting behaviour such as excessive idling, thus reducing your fuel costs and saving you money. Time is also saved by not having to remove the devices from each vehicle and downloading the data as this is all stored and accessed securely from the Cloud.
When it comes to traffic delays and conditions out of the drivers’ control, such as road flooding, accidents or breakdowns, head office can monitor these conditions and advise drivers of alternate routes. Better still, if it comes to tracking a lost or stolen vehicle you don’t have to suffer the heartache and desperation, you can track its exact location and provide details to the police.
Active GPS tracking provides the flexibility to effectively manage the logistics of any business. The ability to re-direct vehicles, see when jobs have finished, accurately predict the estimated time of arrival of any given vehicle in your fleet, and deal with issues as they arise in real time, all add to you being productive and proactive during the work day.
We all have the same hours in the day; active tracking allows you to be in more control and responsive to situations as they happen.
Fleetmatics active GPS tracking solution provides real-time data for your vehicles, giving you peace of mind. The simple and easy to use system provides visibility into vehicle location, fuel usage, speed and mileage and other insights into driver behaviour.
For more information, www.fleetmatics.com.au
