Different Uses of Trucks

GPS devices and tracking software are used for several purposes. Below, we have listed a few different uses of trucks and how they make use of GPS.

Service

Service vehicles could be anything from maintenance workers making the rounds, to electricians and plumbers responding to an emergency. Service trips could be planned or unplanned, depending on the task, which means that scheduling, coordination and oversight are crucial.

These types of vehicles benefit from GPS tracking by allowing the business to keep an eye on how company resources and manpower are being used. It also helps to be able to communicate with customers and other businesses that rely on those services.

Delivery

Packages, pizza, building supplies: just a few examples of items that need to be delivered quickly and reliably. Unlike service vehicles, delivery trucks more often run on a schedule, and planning is more important.

Delivery trucks and vans require a great deal of coordination. The better control a company has over its fleet of trucks, the better it can serve customers. A company can use GPS devices to reduce overlap in multiple routes and group destinations that are along a similar route. At the very least, a company that delivers goods must be able to account for inventory that is en route.

Shipping

Shipping trucks can deliver items across town, or they can travel the country. Unlike every company that delivers, the sole purpose of a shipping business is to transporting products or equipment from one place to another.

GPS is widely used in this industry. Shipping vehicles are equipped with tracking devices that relay information back to the business to give such information as location, direction of travel and speed. A business can use that information to coordinate receiving crews, and covert tracking can allow a company to keep a better watch over drivers to spot suspicious or undesirable activity. GPS also helps shipping companies recover vehicles that have been stolen.

Transportation 

Transportation vehicles can be both for private and public use. City fleets can be massive with regular, frequent runs, whereas private charter buses can run less frequently and travel longer distances.

Bus fleets that use GPS do so for coordination and communication purposes. Private buses must be able to stick to fairly tight schedules in order to protect their own business, and public transportation vehicles often use GPS to prevent the grouping of buses along a single route. With the emergence of smart phones and other portable devices, many public transportation systems are beginning to use GPS tracking as a means of communicating with passengers, who can get a better sense of how long a wait will be.

Emergency Response

Emergency response vehicles include squad cars, fire trucks and ambulances. With a few exceptions, these vehicles exist to respond with short notice. Planning and scheduling typically is not a factor.

For emergency response vehicles, GPS is used to help a driver locate an emergency or to find the quickest route. With tracking devices that relay information to an online source, a dispatcher can guide the driver to avoid traffic jams, roadwork or dangerous weather conditions. A hospital, fire department or police department can also log information to identify long-term trends that allow emergency response to be as efficient as possible.

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