Fazley Rabbi"A customer has called three times asking where the order is, and I cannot reach the rider." If you run deliveries for a shop, restaurant, pharmacy, distributor or online business with a handful of motorbikes or vans, you know this situation. You may also wonder why some routes take so long, why fuel use seems high, and whether vehicles are used for personal trips during working hours.
GPS tracking answers the "where" questions with data instead of phone calls.
How tracking works
A small GPS tracker is fitted in each vehicle. It works out its position from satellites and sends it over the mobile network to a server at regular intervals. You and your dispatcher then see:
- a live map of every vehicle
- each day's route history, with stops and how long each one lasted
- distance travelled per trip and per day
- alerts, for example when a vehicle leaves its usual area, moves outside working hours, or the tracker is disconnected
Wired trackers usually run from the vehicle's battery and have a small internal battery, so they keep reporting for a while if someone unplugs them. Where the mobile signal drops, on a rural road or in a basement car park, a good tracker stores its positions and uploads them when the signal returns.
Tracking through an app on the rider's own phone is quicker to start, but it depends on the phone being charged, online and with location switched on.
A ready-made service, or tracking tied to your orders?
There are two broad routes:
- A ready-made tracking service. You buy trackers with a subscription and use the provider's app. Quick to start, and enough if all you need is location and history.
- Tracking connected to your own order system. Locations feed into your order list, so the dispatcher sees which rider is nearest, the customer can receive a live tracking link, and a delivery can be marked complete when the rider reaches the address. This takes more work, and it pays off once tracking is part of daily operations.
Many businesses start with the first and move to the second once the need is clear.
Steps to set it up
- Decide what you want to know. Live location for customer calls? Route efficiency? Fuel? Each leads to different reports.
- Talk to your riders first (see below).
- Choose wired trackers or app-based tracking, and check mobile coverage on your usual routes.
- Have a qualified auto electrician fit wired trackers, so the wiring is safe and does not cause problems with the vehicle's warranty or insurance.
- Set up a few useful alerts, not dozens that everyone learns to ignore.
- Review a week of routes with the dispatcher and riders together.
Riders, privacy and trust
Many riders use their own motorbikes. Tracking a personal vehicle outside working hours is not fair, and it damages trust quickly. Tell riders clearly what is tracked, when, and why. Limit tracking to working hours, and use the data to fix routes, workload and customer communication rather than to catch people out. Used fairly, the same data also backs up riders when a delay was caused by traffic or a long wait at the customer's door.
Some trackers offer a remote engine cut-off. I do not recommend using it on a vehicle that may be moving; that is a road safety risk.
A small first step
Track two or three vehicles for a few weeks. Look at what you learn about routes, waiting time and customer calls before buying for the whole fleet. If you later want tracking tied to your orders, see IoT device development or get in touch.