How Fleet Management Technology Is Helping The Environment

The need to take decisive action on environmental issues continues to grow year after year. Not only does the spectre of climate change loom ever larger on the horizon, but air pollution is drastically becoming an alarming issue in many of the world’s major cities and heavy-vehicles are a major contributor. In Melbourne alone, vehicle emissions contributed to 72 per cent of all carbon monoxide emissions.

The effects on both the environment and human health are particularly felt in areas with increased congestion rates. It’s important to begin to find ways of using new technologies to reduce our carbon footprint for a greener environment. GPS fleet tracking systems have significantly helped to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions – simply with a few key features.

Enhanced Route Planning

GPS fleet tracking allows for more accurate and responsive route planning through the use of real-time location data. This makes it easier for fleet managers to determine the optimal route from base to destination. It continues to give you the capability to alter the chosen route as circumstances change, helping to reduce the amount of time vehicles spend stuck in traffic with their engine idling, chewing through fuel and releasing harmful pollutants into the air.

Improved Driver Behaviour

Tracking your vehicles can help to enhance efficiency by monitoring driver conduct behind the wheel. Fleet tracking data provides in-depth analysis and insights into the way drivers behave on the road, flagging dangerous actions like sudden braking, harsh cornering, breaches of the speed limit and tailgating – all of which result in wasted fuel.

By being proactive and stopping these behaviours as they occur to stamp out future occurance, you’re better equipped to develop training programs tailored to the shortcomings of individual drivers. This not only helps to improve road safety, but also ensures the vehicles perform more efficiently, for longer.

Reduced Engine Idling

Idling engines is one of the biggest fuel wasters. In busy urban areas, increased road congestion leads to people sitting in idling vehicles for long periods of time, leaving the ignition on while they’re stuck in traffic. Unfortunately traffic congestion in Australia is only getting worse - Sydney is now Australasia’s most congested city, featuring 7 of the ten slowest roads as it struggles with a booming population.

While you can’t do anything about the nightmare of peak hour, fleet tracking software provides alerts and reports to identify and reduce avoidable instances of idling, while also helping you to plan routes that avoid heavily congested roads and peak hours. Ultimately, this means you can cut both fuel costs and CO2 output. Engine idling is also a performance metric that fleet tracking systems incorporate into driver behaviour reports, allowing managers to stay updated.

CO2 Monitoring

GPS fleet tracking technology has also delivered major improvements in CO2 monitoring. With a vehicle-by-vehicle breakdown of carbon emissions and fuel consumption, you can track exactly how your fleet is contributing to poor air quality and take steps to rectify it. Alongside location tracking and driver performance data, you get the full picture of vehicle utilisation.

With the right GPS tracking and fleet monitoring tools, it’s easy to save costs and reduce environmental impact. It’s a win-win.