Making an investment in a vehicle tracking system is making an investment in your business and while it is possible to pay the bare minimum for systems these days, what does this say about the quality that you expect to receive?

In order to get the most out of a vehicle tracking system you need to be able to access the data at any time and in any location. If you are paying pennies for your tracking then any problems you experience are not likely to be fixed in a hurry.

At V-SOL we place a lot of importance on the quality of our product and to support this we have an expert team on hand to resolve any problems that may occur. For clients such as Transport for London we have even installed a dedicated onsite server, so that they were never faced with losing connection.

If you have any questions on vehicle tracking and what we could do to assist your business then why not get in touch.

With the kids back in school this week, motorists up and down the country will have seen the effects this has had on the rush hour traffic, with journeys once again taking that bit longer.

We carried out our own research into this, using V-SOL’s tracking system to monitor vehicles’ journey times both before and during half term. The results revealed that some drivers managed to reduce their journey times by up to 50%, with commuters enjoying a journey time shorter by 24%.

It’s incredible to see what a difference the school holidays make. With many working parents taking time off to spend with the kids and without parents driving kids in to school and teachers making the daily trip, traffic is considerably quieter. However, what we really need to see is improvements in the public transport available to make sure there’s an alternative option to endless traffic jams for daily commuters – not just a few weeks of the year.

With the clocks having gone back last weekend, the nights are fast drawing in and winter is officially on its way. The prolonged darkness provided by the winter months can often lead to some businesses seeing an increase in the number of stolen vehicles and goods, with thieves believing the darkness helps to cloak their misdeeds.

While this may carry some truth, if your vehicle is fitted with a vehicle tracking device, then should it be stolen, you will know exactly where to find it. Also, an additional feature that tracking can offer is door sensors. These sensors can tell you exactly when doors were opened, so that should any goods go missing out of a vehicle, you will be able to use the tracking data to find out exactly where the vehicle was at that time.

So, if you’re worried about the safety of your vehicles and the goods in them, then why not give yourself some peace of mind and consider a vehicle tracking system.

Being able to calculate the most economical routes for your vehicle allows businesses to make considerable savings on fuel costs, which is a great advantage in the short term, but how about long term gains?

With a mobile workforce, clocking up hundreds of miles on a regular basis is part and parcel of the job, but if you have access to detailed tracking data that allows you to identify where more direct routes can be taken, then where possible, you can reduce mileage.

Keeping down the miles will help you ensure that you get the most out of your vehicles, with fewer maintenance checks required. So, in addition to saving time and money on fuel, you can also enjoy the long term benefits that a vehicle tracking system offers.

The infamous M6 was again in the headlines of traffic reports up and down the country this week, with delays of more than ten hours caused by an overturned tarmac lorry spilling tarmac all over the road – requiring the section to be re-surfaced before the motorway could be re-opened.

Traffic jams are the bane of any driver’s life and unfortunately, no matter how many traffic reports you tune in to, there are times when they are unavoidable. That said, if you are constantly having to drive a route that regularly faces long delays, you may start to wonder whether a slightly longer route may in fact be quicker.

Working out which route is more cost-effective can be a slow and laborious task, as you need to calculate the total time of the journey as well as how much fuel was used for each route. However, with vehicle tracking this information can be easily accessed – allowing you to see straight away, which is the best route to take.

So while vehicle tracking can’t guarantee you won’t encounter any traffic jams, it can offer other benefits that help to ensure the smooth running of your business’ operations.

When I talk to customers about the advantages of vehicle tracking, the first things I tend to focus on are the long term benefits the system can offer to their business. This can be through monitoring drivers’ whereabouts, calculating the most economical routes, verifying delivery times, scheduling vehicle maintenance, and so on.

All of these are very important considerations and can make a big impact on a business, but one thing that I perhaps don’t get chance to highlight as often is the added security that vehicle tracking can offer.

Only recently one of our customers had a vehicle stolen, but as it was fitted with our tracking device, they were able to trace its exact whereabouts, which enabled the vehicle to be retrieved just a day later – saving them a lot of time and also the hassle and expense of having to replace the vehicle.

Luckily not many of our customers have been through this experience, but it is reassuring to know that should you be one of the unfortunate ones, knowing the vehicle is fitted with a tracking device should allow you to retrieve it in a short period of time and hopefully minimise any disruption to your business.

This week’s Labour party conference highlighted the growing concern over anti-social behaviour and crime – something most people can relate to. But in business it can cause its own range of problems, particularly for employers who have the security of their personnel to account for.

Many of us with a mobile workforce are all too aware of the safety issues that can be faced – from dangerous drivers to theft, it’s important for a business to take control of the security measures to help protect its staff.

But other than giving them a mobile phone, what else can be done? Plenty if you know where to look. Today’s vehicle tracking systems offer some of the most advanced technology available to help protect your workforce and your equipment. From incorporating panic alerts, to location tracking and anti-theft solutions, a good system can be tailored to your requirements so that specific security issues can be tackled.

If you want to find out more about safety for your workforce, why not get in touch?

Any company with a mobile workforce is able to increase its visibility through branded vehicles. These vehicles can get your company seen by thousands of people throughout the UK without you having to spend thousands on a marketing campaign.

However, as much as this exposure can benefit your company, you also need to consider the potential damage to your reputation should one of your drivers be seen driving dangerously. In a company vehicle, it’s easy for the public to report examples of dangerous driving, which also means that they’re unlikely to want to use your services for any future business requirements.

With a good vehicle tracking system, not only can you monitor all of your drivers’ whereabouts, but you can also monitor the style of their driving and make sure that they’re not breaking any speed limits.

Tracking can offer you peace of mind, plus any accusations of dangerous driving or speeding can be challenged and verified. To find out more please give us a call

A survey from the RAC this week highlighted the distractions being faced by motorists on our roads – 39% said they were distracted by things like changing CDs, warning lights on the dashboard, fiddling with sat navs and using mobile phones.

This is the latest in a number of surveys that have looked at the distractions drivers have before them.

For companies with a mobile workforce, drivers should be made aware of the dangers of such distractions, but things can be done to help minimise the dangers. Good vehicle tracking – rather than using a basic sat nav system is one way to stay safer. With much of the control coming from head office, together with automatic data collection and reporting, the need to ‘fiddle’ with the sat nav is largely removed.

Not only this, but V-SOL offers a full hands free solution (with total voice control) that can replace a mobile phone, with the benefit that its simple operation means there is no display to distract the driver. It can even answer for you while on the move and also be programmed to only allow outgoing calls when the vehicle is stationery.

Safety is just one of the benefits of effective vehicle tracking – why not find out about some of the others and how they could support your business?

The latest 2p per litre increase in fuel duty by the Government is adding to the burden of many businesses that have a mobile workforce. In addition to working in a challenging economic environment, they now have to cope with further increases in fuel prices – not good news.

But more efficient management of vehicle operations can off-set these rising costs – it’s all about getting the most out of your vehicle tracking.

The latest tracking systems allow companies to monitor fuel usage; control and re-direct vehicles in the field to minimise fuel wastage; plan collections to maximise operational efficiency; and with accurate reporting even challenge issues such as speeding fines – all things that can significantly help with cost control in the current market.

If you already have tracking technology now’s the time to find out how your system can help improve your expenditure. If you’re not tracking your vehicles, take a look at the systems available, but make sure you get the full picture of what control is available and the accuracy of reports delivered – read more about it here.