Maximise Construction Fleet Efficiency

Benefits of GPS in the Construction Industry 

GPS technology has become integral to our daily operations, from personal navigation to complex business applications. While most people associate GPS with simple smartphone navigation, its applications in the construction industry are far more sophisticated and valuable. 

When it comes to construction fleet management, GPS-enabled telematics solutions offer powerful tools for managing expensive machinery, from mobile cranes and towers to service vehicles, moving equipment, and heavy trucks. The technology also tracks all kinds of assets, such as compressors and generators. 

How GPS Is Used in the Construction Industry 

Managing a construction fleet used to involve a lot of paperwork and phone calls. Historically, fleet managers had to manually calculate important data such as fuel used, miles driven, and more. However, as telematics technology has advanced, the duties and roles of a fleet manager have dramatically changed. GPS tracking technology for construction companies has streamlined the process of dispatching drivers to jobs, tracking vehicles, and managing fleets in general. 

How Does This Affect Construction Fleet Management? 

When running a construction company, you manage many vehicles and assets, which can become hectic quickly. GPS tracking software can reduce operating costs while improving fleet efficiency. A GPS tracking system can benefit your fleet in many ways. 

Lower Fuel Cost 

A GPS tracking system can help you identify and choose the shortest routes and dispatch drivers based on which one is closest to the site. This helps lower your fuel expenses and overtime costs significantly. You can also opt to have your vehicles' diagnostic data monitored by your GPS tracking system, making it easier to obtain information to make decisions that could save you money. 

Better Visibility 

GPS in the construction industry gives you visibility into your fleet's activity. With an easy-to-use interface on your computer, laptop, or smartphone app, you can see the real-time location of every vehicle in your fleet. You can also monitor important data such as mileage, fuel consumption, speed, engine condition, and more. 

Happier Customers 

With real-time information about your fleet at your fingertips, you can respond to service calls quickly and reach your customers without delay. You can also provide your clients with accurate arrival times and tracking information, improving your service and making your customers happy. 

Improved Driving Behaviours 

Aggressive driving can increase the wear and tear on your trucks, causing more expensive and frequent maintenance costs. Armed with data from the vehicle's tracking system, you can review and pinpoint potentially dangerous driving behaviour. You can also identify weak drivers and help them improve their driving behaviour with training and guidance. Improved driving behaviour can translate into less fuel usage and less wear and tear on vehicles. 

How Asset Tracking Works 

According to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), approximately 1,000 pieces of commercial construction equipment are reported stolen each month. Thieves generally target equipment with high resale value, including loaders, backhoes, bulldozers, generators, forklifts, and other valuable assets. 

Expensive equipment and other assets are delivered to job sites daily. Theft of this equipment is all too common. If the site isn't protected by a guard around the clock, thieves can access it and take tools, vehicles, and other valuable assets. 

The cost of replacing this stolen equipment will cost your construction company money. Your insurance costs may go up. Delays caused by having to replace stolen equipment and deal with insurance companies can delay your projects, cause you to miss deadlines, and possibly lose business. 

GPS asset tracking solutions can help you monitor the location of your assets in real time. It can also discourage bad behaviour. If thieves know your assets are equipped with GPS tracking, it may keep them from trying to steal them. If any of your assets are stolen, a GPS tracking device can help you and the authorities recover them. 

Benefits of Asset Tracking 

• Asset information – track fuel usage, set up service, licensing and certification reminders 
• Live tracking – locate and track assets, export a full list of all assets 
• Historical tracking – review detailed trip replays, previous events, and distances travelled 
• Trip timeline – review asset utilisation, detailed trip information, and events on a timeline 
• Live information streams – monitor assets and activities in real time via live information streams 
• Reporting – generate reports on trips, locations, events, service and fuel usage that you can use to review and analyse the data 

How Construction Fleet Managers Use Tracking Data 

As a construction fleet manager, you oversee many assets and keep track of them. Knowing where each one is and which ones need service is a large task. With GPS in the construction industry, you can set up customised reports that give you real insight into your fleet and assets. Here are a few examples of how you can use the tracking data. 

Monitor Your Employees' Driving Behaviour and Identify Safety Risks 

Unsafe and aggressive drivers create a huge liability for your construction business. Just one accident can cost your business a lot of money, whether it causes bodily harm or vehicular damage. Any vehicles your company owns must be operated with strict attention to safety. Even more so when they have your logo on them. 

Installing a GPS device on your vehicles can help you create a safety-conscious culture. Your employees will know that their actions are being monitored and recorded. If they drive aggressively or take a longer route to the job site, you'll know. Often, this is enough to promote good practices when behind the wheel of one of the company vehicles. 

Reduce Fuel Expenses 

Construction projects involve a lot of driving. Transporting materials from one job site to another, picking up equipment from warehouses, taking waste to a recycling centre or landfill, and even just taking a lunch break all use fuel. Excess driving can add up to wasted time and fuel costs. 

GPS tracking can monitor your vehicles' fuel consumption, allowing you to identify drivers who are driving to conserve fuel and those who are not. In addition to safety issues, aggressive driving behaviour, such as speeding and harsh braking, can cause your vehicles to use more fuel. If your drivers idle excessively, that will also increase your fuel costs. 

How GPS Tracking Improves Productivity and Efficiency 

GPS tracking can benefit any industry with a fleet, and that is certainly true for the construction industry. Below are some key ways GPS fleet management software can help your construction company improve productivity and efficiency. 

Streamline Workflow and Allocation 

Downtime costs your construction business money. When using paper-based records, assets may sit idle between jobs, even if only for an hour. It may not seem like a lot at first glance but multiply that hour by all your business assets. Then think about all the jobs you take on in one year, and you'll see how much time and money you may be losing. 

GPS fleet tracking lets you know when an asset is available so that you can send it to the right job site with the shortest amount of idle time. You can track all your assets in real time, so you always know which ones are where and get a complete picture of what assets are needed on all your job sites. 

Prevent Misuse of Vehicles and Equipment 

GPS tracking can increase visibility and reduce misuse of your vehicles and other assets. By tracking any movement of your assets outside a set location or personal use after hours without permission, you can determine when unauthorised usage has occurred. 

A GPS tracking telematics solution can improve asset utilisation in many ways. You can track asset movement minute by minute, see the routes your drivers are taking, record how much time is spent at each location, and determine actual vehicle usage compared to what is reported. 

Tracking Your Crews and Billing Assistance 

GPS tracking can tell you where your vehicles, drivers, and assets related to a specific job are in real time. You can also set up geofencing to notify you when your crew enters or leaves a specific area. This information can help you keep track of how many hours they worked in that area. 

Monitoring electronic time logs and allocating assets and crews based on real-time insights can ensure that driver hours reporting is accurate and can help you control overtime. You can use the GPS tracking data to record their hours based on when they arrive at the job site. You can also use it to control timesheet fraud. 

Accurate Estimation and Budgeting of Expenses 

Using a GPS telematics solution can make your payroll and cost estimates more accurate. You'll know how much time your crews spent on the road, how much on the job, and how much was on breaks, so your payroll will be more accurate. 

Reduced Wear and Tear on Vehicles 

Ensuring your vehicles and equipment are maintained and in optimal working condition can save you money, reduce risk, and decrease downtime, especially unexpected downtime. Maintaining a vehicle costs less than repairing it. Well-maintained vehicles also run better, so your fuel costs may be lower. 

The benefits of GPS in the construction industry can be seen in a construction fleet of any size. You can manage every stage of projects by monitoring asset utilisation and tracking equipment. You'll have the peace of mind that comes with knowing your projects and your business are operating as efficiently as possible.