5 advantages of having equipment with GPS tracking

Construction tech is here to stay. If you haven't already, it's time to incorporate technology into your company's future plans. GPS tracking, a new equipment management software, is just one innovation that has changed the construction landscape. GPS allows the owner to keep track of their employees or fleet wherever they may be. But a fleet tracking solution offers so much more - reduced costs, increased driver safety, lower risk of accidents, improved company culture and policies when it comes to driver education. 

Through total control of their fleet, companies can expect to: 

1. Decrease idle time of equipment

Equipment who are still running but are idle or not moving wastes fuel and could potentially increase the wear and tear of the machine’s engine. Utilising fleet tracking will help reduce idle time by notifying the fleet management or the site managers of this problem. In turn, site managers will know if operators need re-training in proper equipment maintenance.

2. End unauthorised usage of equipment

Unauthorised operation includes unapproved use of an equipment on-site and using company vehicles for personal trips. Unauthorised use of vehicles and machinery increases their liability as well as adds unwanted fuel costs. With fleet tracking, hire companies and site managers will be able to track an equipment’s operating schedule or a company vehicle’s destination which will help put an end to prohibited usage.

3. Reduce fuel and maintenance costs

With the help of GPS tracking, site management and hire companies will be able to keep track of their equipment’s usage which, in turn, will help them monitor the equipment’s fuel consumption. Some GPS tracking systems have automatic notifications which sends an alert if the equipment is due for maintenance work so the site management or hire company will less likely to overlook getting their machinery maintained – and having a well-maintained equipment will perform better and last longer.

4. Easier to keep an eye on your equipment or vehicles

GPS tracking allows you to know where a piece of equipment or vehicle is at all times. Knowing where your fleet is at any time will help you efficiently transfer equipment to nearby job locations – you can just transfer the equipment that’s closest to the location where it is needed. GPS tracking will also help in recovering stolen equipment or vehicles since fleet tracking lets hire companies and site managers know their last known location – and this helps authorities to recover the missing equipment faster.

5. Helps make precise billing statements for hirers

Oftentimes, construction companies bill their clients inaccurately since they only base their computation on the job requirements and not the exact usage of the equipment. GPS tracking will show where your equipment and operators are at all times, and how much time is spent on actually using the equipment for the job. This also helps when a client tries to dispute the billing at the end of your contract – you can show your client how much your equipment was used, thus they were billed for the exact usage of that particular equipment.

GPS tracking is becoming an important asset to equipment hire businesses as it helps them take care of their fleet better. Nowadays, a lot of hirers also require the equipment they hire to feature GPS tracking as it helps reduce the hirer’s liability – less time will be spent on keeping watch on the equipment and operators, and more time spent focusing on the project at hand. So, the next time you plan on hiring equipment for your project, consider hiring one that features GPS tracking.

Aside from GPS tracking, another factor you should consider before hiring equipment is whether you need wet or dry hire. To get the most value for your project, we've created this eBook to outlines the pros and cons of both wet and dry hire.