NOW more than ever it is important to know where the costs lie in your business. Luckily, in the road transport and vehicle fleet sectors, there are several areas in which costs can be identified, managed and reduced.
That’s according to Hein Jordt, MD of Ctrack SA, who added that one area in road transport that has a massive impact on operating costs pertains to the drivers.
“This is why Ctrack has dedicated solutions that can track and monitor driving behaviour and identify instances of harsh acceleration, braking and cornering, engine revving and excessive idling, among others.”
Drivers prone to these types of behaviours on a daily basis cost transport companies thousands of rands each month, and not just through increased fuel use, but also in vehicle crashes and increased vehicle maintenance.
However, when management is armed with powerful information about how their vehicles are being driven, they can take the necessary remedial steps to address these problems, reduce their costs and potentially save lives.
Management information provided by Ctrack does not just include detailed information about how drivers are driving vehicles, but also about their employees working hours and whether or not vehicles are being driven for business or private purposes.
It is possible to see if vehicles are being used during prohibited times or in areas they are not allowed to be in, all from the palm of one’s hand when viewing the fleet via the web on mobile devices.
Vehicle routes can be scheduled and optimised for efficiency, meaning vehicles will travel fewer kilometres and get to their destinations quicker. Managers of transport companies can take it even further, by creating driver ratings or saving and exporting reports on fuel usage and worked hours.
“Ctrack does not take a ‘one size fits all’ approach when it comes to its software solutions, either. Instead it offers products, like Ctrack Drive, that are highly specific to a particular market demand. Ctrack Drive is designed for small businesses and solves the unique challenges SMME’s face in South Africa. Its features are therefore easy to use, affordable to implement and highly effective in providing business insights.”
According to Jordt, the Ctrack user interfaces provide an instant snapshot of the location of vehicles and assets, either through lists or map views. For managers, multiple management reports and an executive dashboard are always close at hand, meaning a return on investment in a very short time.
Additionally, various product solutions, such as fleet tracking, cameras, jamming detection, trailer and asset tracking with live software reporting options, that reduce a lot of manual intervention for fleet and asset types.