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9 Secrets to Reducing your Fleet Expenses
As a fleet owner, your day-to-day costs can quickly add up. What you don’t know is there are further hidden, expensive...
Read moreGPS tracking technology is now a firm fixture among fleets around the world. In Europe, over two-thirds (68%) now have a solution in place. Here in the UK, that figure is almost three-quarters (73%), with 68% of those stating that their system is either very or extremely beneficial to their business.
It’s not hard to see why. In a recent Verizon Connect Survey, 71% of fleets with GPS technology in place achieved positive ROI within a year or less. This return is realised in many ways – almost half improved customer services and over half reduced fuel costs and improved vehicle maintenance.
Stats like these are great for grabbing attention. But the true success of any system lies behind the numbers and in the everyday benefits experienced by businesses like yours. Below are several examples of how the UK’s fleet-reliant firms are making the most of fleet management technology.
Creating happy customers
Today’s customers expect fast and on-demand services from their providers. And GPS fleet tracking is helping many to deliver just that. Total visibility into operations makes it quick and easy to respond to queries, assign new tasks throughout the working day and reroute drivers should they need to return to a job.
44% of survey respondents reported improved customer service since implementing a fleet tracking solution.*
One Verizon Connect customer already using GPS tracking to delight their customers is LTS Couriers Ltd. Thanks to near real-time tracking, Managing Director Lee Smith is now able to… "provide customers with accurate tracking of their consignment every step of the way, all of which can be backed up with a fully-audited trail to ensure peace of mind – as well as give us proof of collection and delivery.”
Fighting fuel costs
Behind staffing, fuel is often the most significant cost for fleet-reliant businesses. And with prices fluctuating by the day, keeping costs under control is a major challenge. So much so, fleet managers recently ranked fuel as the fourth biggest challenge they face, with 60% calling the issue extremely or very impactful on their business.
56% of fleets with a GPS tracking solution have lowered fuel costs.*
While the price at the pump may be out of our control, there is plenty that can be done to reduce consumption and lower your fuel bill. Monitoring and coaching out behaviours such as speeding and idling can quickly improve fuel economy.
Verizon Connect customer MannVend has also lowered fuel costs through smart route optimisation. Operations Service Manager Paul Richardson said of the system: “As well as reducing fuel consumption, we have improved productivity by attending to more calls and responding to additional calls whilst en- route. Our reliability has improved tenfold.”
Gain a competitive edge
Competition is fierce among fleet-reliant businesses. From couriers and plumbers to hauliers and construction firms, companies are having to offer faster and more flexible services to gain an edge over their peers.
61% of fleet managers believe competitive pressure is extremely or very impactful on their business.*
For many fleet-reliant businesses, a speedy service can mean the difference between a repeat customer and a bad review. So, there’s a huge advantage on offer to those that can respond fast. Fleet management technology can help here too. With near real-time location data, fleet managers can quickly pinpoint the vehicle closest to any site and respond fast to emergency calls and priority jobs.
This is how Best Electrical uses the Verizon Connect platform to stand out in a competitive field. Since implementing the solution, Director of Operations Robert Ranson says “our fuel costs have gone down dramatically. And we now have a much better response time than our competitors."
Empowering productivity
With costs rising and margins thinning, almost all fleet managers face the unenviable task of doing more for less. So, any tool that can help drive efficiency and productivity across the board is readily embraced. Fleet management technology is that tool.
Almost half of the UK fleets with a GPS solution in place have improved productivity as a result, 59% have enhanced the efficiency of their drivers, while 39% have achieved the same among office staff.
45% of fleets improved productivity with GPS tracking.*
Several Verizon Connect customers are making gains in this regard. Independent courier DELSOL reported savings of £125 per week in previously wasted man-hours since implementing Reveal. Meanwhile, TC Facilities Management use the system’s central portal and near real-time visibility to reduce the time of critical processes from hours to minutes.
Finally, Johnathan Robertson, owner of Scottish food delivery company Healthy Tots, says of the system: “On a daily basis, Verizon Connect allows me to run my fleet efficiently.”
Do more with what you’ve got
The Verizon Connect suite of applications helps businesses like yours get more out of every vehicle, route and worker. And we can help you too.
Book a free demo today to see what your business could look like with Verizon Connect.
*Fleet Technology Trends Report UK 2022 | Verizon Connect UK
