Vehicle Tracking Benefits
Tax reductions
Where drivers are allocated company vehicles a ‘Benefit in Kind’ tax which is levied against the driver and the company has to pay NI contributions, moreover, in the case of vans, up until April 2007 the BIK on a van was levied at £500 pa; now that has risen to £3,500 pa, also increasing the company’s contribution. Because of the continuing rise of the BIK contributions more and more drivers are choosing not to use their vehicles for personal use, unfortunately the burden of proof that the vehicles are not used for personal use lies solely with the company. Without a vehicle tracking system, the only way to prove this is to ensure that the drivers return to base each night and then go home with their own transport. With a vehicle tracking system in place, a regular report can immediately confirm the whereabouts of the vans so avoiding any unnecessary tax implications for either drivers or company.
Lowered Insurance Premiums
Chameleon Asset Track, a new vehicle tracking system, allows you to download regular reports indicating not only times when your vehicles are on the road but also speeds travelled. With careful monitoring you can maintain control your drivers’ habits and in doing so reduce your accident rate. Proof of this, together with always knowing the exact location of your fleet, so reducing theft liability, has resulted, for many companies, in the reduction of premiums.
Ability to Allocate new jobs to the Nearest Vehicles
In the past when a request for a new job has come into your control room it would have been necessary to contact all your drivers to establish which vehicle was nearest to the required location. This involves time in contacting all your drivers, hoping that they will answer the call; this can be, not only time consuming and expensive, but you are also dependant on your drivers giving a true location!
A vehicle tracking system immediately gives you the exact location of your fleet identifying the nearest vehicle to your required location, saving you both time and the expense of numerous mobile phone calls, enabling you to instruct your driver promptly.
Knowing the Exact Location of Your Team and Fleet
There are a number of occasions when it is important to know exactly where your team and fleet are, e.g. if you need to identify the nearest vehicle to a location for an emergency job; your customer is concerned that your driver is late; being able to verify that a team is on site at a specific time and the actual time they leave site. The maps from a vehicle tracking system will instantly locate your vehicles and the Asset Track reports will verify your fleet’s movements.
Improved Health and Safety
The reports generated by Chameleon Asset Track not only tell you where your vehicles are but can also illustrate your drivers’ habits. Are they driving for long periods without taking breaks, are they regularly speeding so jeopardizing not only their safety but also their licenses? The vehicle tracking system will produce reports detailing total driving times, distances and speed; this will assist you in keeping you constantly updated as to the welfare of your drivers and knowing where to direct your assistance.
Controlling and Reducing your Overtime Costs!
It has been known that drivers will purposely delay returning to base so returning late and therefore qualifying them for overtime payments; even so far as leaving a job early so it is necessary to complete at a weekend, again liable for overtime! Vehicle tracking systems can identify vehicles parked up ‘killing time’ or unauthorized early departures from sites. Identifying lost time during a working day can avoid unnecessary and expensive overtime costs.
Better Customer Service through Confirming ETA's
With a vehicle tracking system you are better able to answer your customers’ queries regarding location of drivers and ETAs, so delivering a better service to your customers. Because of the accurate reporting of vehicle tracking systems, it also provides the assurance to your customers that any delays were genuinely unintentional and unavoidable generating a good working business relationship between you and your client base.
Increasing your Fleet’s Efficiency
Having a vehicle tracking system will increase your fleet’s efficiency in numerous ways, being able to check start and finish times of employees with cars. Once your fleet knows that they are being monitored you will see an increase in time efficiency reducing the number of ‘private’ assignments that prevents them giving their job total commitment. Also the mileage reports allow for quick, easy and accurate calculations for fuel claims.
Control Personal Vehicle Usage
Where there is a restriction of any kind on the employees using their vehicles during out of work hours, the vehicle tracking system will accurately identify any abuse of these terms and conditions, so protecting both employer and employee from any potential liability claims. The reports will also verify excessive use of fuel for private mileage resulting in financial savings for the company.
Improving Route Planning
Vehicle tracking systems clearly identify through ‘Snail Trails’ the routes that drivers are taking during their working day. The Asset Track system will help to organize deliveries by planning the most efficient and cost effective routes, also ensuring that drivers are not shadowing each other through the same areas and so be able to organize distribution of goods more efficiently. The ability to identify efficient routes will greatly assist in more accurate quotations and result in fuel cost savings.
Improving Customer Disputes on Invoices
With the use of the reports generated by a vehicle tracking system it is possible to calculate accurate invoices to customers, the reports can also avoid any unnecessary disputes from customers regarding charges incurred for times spent on site. The vehicle tracking system can also validate delivery times, arrival times and stop periods which all contributes to a better and professional working relationship with your customers.
To contact Chameleon Direct for more information on what we can do for you please feel free to call us on 0800 0132 204.
Resources
- Chameleon Direct’s Vehicle Tracking System
- Introduction to Vehicle Tracking
- Choosing the Right Supplier
- Vehicle Tracking FAQs
