The use of GPS tracking devices to assist ready-mix concrete
suppliers have been hailed by many to be an effective way to improve the
efficiency of a fleet, yet there are others who feel the exercise is not
worthwhile. Johan van Wyk of the Southern Africa Readymix Association (Sarma)
suggests that this is because different companies have vastly different
operating models and what is valuable information to one company may be a
complete waste of time and money for another. In order to decide whether fleet
tracking is viable for your operation we have compiled the following 7 points
to help you decide whether to track, or not to track:
For: Knowing where every
truck in your fleet is affords you the ability to predict delivery times and
maximise payloads per day.
Against: Staff
may become angry at the fact that “Big Brother” is watching their every move
and may push back to block moves to track them thereby causing labour disputes.
For: As a management tool
it pays to know what the drivers are up to, how much time they are spending on
the road and on site, whether they are speeding or idling in traffic (or at the
shop)
Against: It
takes manpower to monitor happening effectively all the time and the setup of
systems can be a painstaking and lengthy exercise.
For: In order to guarantee
the freshness of concrete or uphold delivery times and service level agreements
on site, one needs to be in control of the situation and know the whereabouts
of each truck. If necessary, this means rerouting trucks to avoid delays etc.
Against: Manning
and rerouting trucks requires dedicated and knowledgeable staff. When lumped
onto an existing person’s responsibility it is sometimes seen as a hassle and
is not given the right level of attention.
For: A good quality GPS
management system can save money in many ways including optimisation of routes,
time and better management of driver activities such as speeding or preventing
non-work related activities.
Against: The
cost of the system needs to be carefully weighed up against the will to
effectively use such a system, the potential benefits and the requirement to
appoint somebody to man the system effectively.
For:
Modern systems can generate information on a wide range of parameters from
locations to routes to ETAs and even driver behaviour etc.
Against: When dealing with tens or hundreds of
trucks the associated data that is generated can be massive and has a tendency
to bury the user in useless information.
For: Time is money and
fleet managers can save both by using the data to streamline their fleets and
do away with manual operations. In many instances, data can be logged and used
for historical purposes such as log books, incident reports etc.
Against: Not all fleet managers are tech savvy
and may prefer manual operations.
For:
There are many systems on the market from cheap and cheerful mobile phone App
driven systems, to vehicle manufacturer standard options and specialised
systems from professional fleet management companies.
Against: Not
all systems are created equal and although there are many options out there it
pays to do your research thoroughly upfront and ensure that the system you
chose is right for the operation. Failure to do so may easily result in
wasteful expenditure.
“These
are just the starting points to consider if companies are contemplating whether
to track, or not to track their trucks. Every sales person for every potential
system will have a hundred reasons why you should choose their systems, but in
the long run, it pays if you can give them your 100 requirements and asking them
if their system is able to fulfil your requirements,” van Wyk concludes.
Article first appeared in Transport World Africa: 
http://www.transportworldafrica.co.za/2016/03/09/to-track-or-not-to-track-that-is-the-question/
