It is said that buying a vehicle is not an investment, it is a luxury. While for private car owners these words hold true to their weight, commercial vehicle owners have a different story to tell. Trucks are as much of an investment for them as is real estate; sometimes even more so since they form the basis of their business. And with every investment you make, you look for appreciable returns. Trucks are no exceptions; studies show lorry owners are more inclined to hone their fleet as opposed to their workforce. Since they expect better dividends from their vehicles, it stands to reason why CV owners would want to get the maximum profit out of their trucks as possible.
So, if you are a lorry owner in need of ways to improve your truck’s mileage and save big, then we have the perfect solution for you: invest in a truck tracking system. Here’s why:
Maintenance made easy
Contrary to popular belief, a GPS system for trucks is much more than simple navigation. Navigation forms only a part of the truck GPS ecosystem. Another major assistance that comes with a truck tracking system is being conversant with the maintenance timeline of your fleet.
Truck monitoring leads to knowing when your vehicle is due for servicing, and that is how you can reach near-perfect truck health. And a healthy truck will then refrain from being a fuel guzzling machine. Engine functioning, battery life and other components need attention, and a truck tracking system can notify you when your vehicle is asking for help.
Talking about maintenance, another facet you must strictly monitor is tyre pressure. Tyre pressure is directly related to your truck’s mileage. This is so because low tyre pressure forces the vehicle to drag, which considerably lowers the fuel economy. A truck tracking system will send periodic alerts to you when the tyres pressure is low, or if the wheel alignment is off.
Battle idling
The biggest reason behind high harmful carbon emission from trucks is when the ignition is kept running for no apparent reason. Unnecessary idling can put a lot of pressure on the fuel tank, which substantially depreciates the value of the truck. Moreover, as mileage takes a hit, the graph of the average trip expense shoots up.
In our country, idling is a very common phenomenon. So employing a truck tracking system in India can aid you in your fight against idling. A truck GPS notifies you when your vehicle on the road is stationary and the engine is still running. As you put a stop to idling, the mileage will automatically improve.
Another bonus tip for you: just as harmful as idling, hard braking and acceleration are also known causes of killing the mileage of a truck. The idea as a fleet owner should be to train your crew to keep the vehicle as steady on the road as possible. Continuous acceleration and braking put in a lot of strain on the truck, which impacts its mileage.
Schedule routes before you hit the road
It is highly unlikely that a truck will make a detour when it is scheduled to take a delivery from point A and drop it off at point B. So, truck fleet owners think it wise to chart out their routes in advance. However, dynamic factors such as traffic conditions, impending construction or cordoning off of roads need to be taken into account when planning a shipping schedule.
You would think that you cannot be aware of all existing conditions from the comforts of your office. But a truck tracking system can help you see things in a different light altogether. The route planning feature allows you to get updates on traffic, roadblocks and other such issues instantly, such that you can look for an alternate path for your vehicle on the road.
Route optimisation is an exclusive feature that is offered by truck GPS trackers. Taking an unnecessarily long circuit to make the delivery reduces halting by the vehicle, along with playing a huge role in fuel saving.
Economise fuel consumption
Ultimately, for a truck owner, mileage is directly proportional to optimised fuel utilisation. The better is the management and consumption of fuel, the better will be the vehicle’s mileage. So, it is imperative that a fleet owner invests in generating a better fuel economy for their business. And with fuel monitoring on the table provided by GPS system for trucks, the task is easier than ever before.
The diagnostic reports that a truck monitoring system dispenses to the fleet manager are indicative of how much fuel is being consumed on an average, and how much the consumption rate should ideally be.
This feature has an added advantage: it is symptomatic of the lorry’s health. If the emission and exhaustion of fuel is considerably more than it should be, it points towards the vehicle malfunctioning and should be checked into immediately. Apart from being harmful to the fleet and business, heightened fuel consumption rate is significantly detrimental to the environment.
Now, looking at the current scenario, a truck owner in India is prone to incurring a host of expenses, from logistics to operations to basic upkeep. However, the biggest cost that they have to bear has to be buying and replacing existing trucks in their fleet. It is no easy task to magically whip up money and purchase something as expensive as a truck at your whim. And one of the prime reasons why a truck owner would wish to buy a new truck is issues with mileage in the existing ones.
Now that you know why should you invest in a truck tracking system, the next question in the roster would be, how? For that, you have LocoNav. With LocoNav’s truck tracking system, fleet owners now have the opportunity to manage the mileage of their trucks in a much more efficient and cost effective fashion. Moreover, with additional benefits like fleet monitoring, FASTag and a stronghold on Telematics, LocoNav has the ability to enable your trucks to run in an organised and productive manner, enhancing the longevity of your fleet, and your business.
