GPS Trackers for Small Businesses

Are you a small business owner or operator or a logistics executive working with small businesses that want to operate in-the-know with total fleet visibility? GPS trackers give small businesses that rely on fleet vehicles a competitive edge!

With GPS trackers, you’ll know where your fleet vehicles are at all times, and you’ll be able to easily manage them. GPS trackers for small businesses aren’t an expensive luxury only accessible to enterprise level businesses. In fact, GPS trackers provide small businesses with a ton of benefits, like increased operational efficiency, productivity, and boosts to profitability. All of this is possible without any “extra” work for ownership, management or employees. Not only that, but your customer service can also improve because of how easy to use the technology is. We’ll explain more below.

In 2020, companies saw a 54% improvement in their customer service due to fleet tracking using GPS trackers. That number has only grown since then.

Why wait to experience the benefits of using top GPS trackers firsthand? Read along as we explore the advantages of GPS tracking, focus on its prominent features, and help you choose the best one from a list of top GPS trackers for your company.

Importance of GPS Tracking

GPS trackers for small businesses leverage real-time location data, which uncovers a variety of advantages that can significantly increase your revenue and reduce your operational expenses as a small business owner.

Enhanced Fleet Management: With real-time vehicle tracking, you can optimize your fleet vehicles' routes, reduce fuel consumption, minimize inactivity, and improve dispatch efficiency. Additionally, you can easily schedule preventive maintenance to curtail breakdowns and costly repairs and deploy your vehicles and assets as-needed and on-the-fly.

Increased Productivity: GPS tracking can boost your time management and monitoring activities. Covering everything from seeing your employees’ work hours and job site duration to optimizing schedules, planning efficient routes, and generating accurate delivery records. Increased productivity means you can also significantly improve customer satisfaction and your operational efficiency.

Cost Savings: Top GPS trackers can lower how much your business need to spend on fuel expenses, as well as reduce the chances of theft by using real-time tracking. Using GPS tracking devices, you can also receive discounts from several insurance companies as they will benefit from greater visibility and traceability. By equipping your vehicles with GPS trackers, you’re adding another layer of protection onto your expensive assets. Your business relies on the use of fleet vehicles, so doesn’t it make sense to try and mitigate your cost of ownership?

Enhanced Customer Service: By accurately estimating arrival times using real-time data, you can increase your clients’ trust and satisfaction. Whether you consider response times, service dispatch or producing service reports that support your clients’ claims and bills, you can complete it all easily with timestamps and location information using GPS trackers. GPS trackers also give you the proof of location you may need in the event of a dispute with a customer or other party.

Improved Safety: GPS tracking can help you keep an eye on how business vehicles are being driven so you can detect and send warnings regarding any risky driving behavior in real-time. This information gives you the ability to create a comprehensive safety record of both employees and vehicles. You can also improve your emergency response strategy with GPS tracking in case of missing drivers or fleet vehicles. Geofencing lets you create virtual boundaries so that each time a vehicle enters or exits a specified region you’ll get an alert.

Why GPS Trackers are Important for Small Businesses

Efficient Route Planning

When it comes to route planning, GPS tracking benefits small businesses by identifying opportunities to be more efficient with everyday activities. How? GPS trackers let small business owners and logistic professionals use real-time data to plan and optimize routes and cut back on time and fuel expense. With GPS tracking, you can optimize your routes for time (avoiding traffic or areas with many signals) or distance. Sometimes the shortest distance between point A and point B isn’t the fastest. 

Using these GPS devices, any small business including yours can use real-time location data 24/7 to complete various tasks like:

• Determine the best routes: GPS trackers can help determine the quickest and most effective routes between several locations while factoring on distance, traffic, and road conditions.
• Shorten travel time: GPS trackers can help companies reduce time spent traveling by recommending the fastest routes, which increases output and allows more deliveries or service visits in less time.
• Reduced fuel usage: Fuel consumption is directly affected by what routes vehicles take. Businesses can reduce their fuel expenses significantly by reducing the distance they travel using optimized route planning with GPS tracking.
• Improve driver schedules: Companies can assign duties and manage their drivers’ schedules using real-time location data to reduce rest periods.
• Increase customer satisfaction: Companies can also boost their customer satisfaction and trust by giving them precise expected delivery and arrival times with real-time data.

Location Tracking in Real-time

Whether big, small, or mid-sized, real-time location tracking can enhance any business's operations significantly by enabling faster dispatch, improving customer service, and preventing thefts in addition to letting them reap the benefits of better productivity and safety. If your business uses vehicles in its daily operations, real-time location tracking should be a tool that you’re using. 

It helps organizations assign tasks more effectively, detect issues like traffic jams promptly, and improve their safety by constantly monitoring driver behavior and responding to calls for emergency assistance. According to this telematic survey, 42% of respondents reported fewer safety problems with GPS fleet tracking software.

Maintenance Scheduling

GPS trackers can let small businesses monitor the driving conditions of all their fleet vehicles and engine hours and estimate and reduce costs by automating maintenance scheduling. OBD GPS trackers plug directly into the vehicle’s diagnostic port to get data automatically from the vehicle’s computer system. By evaluating data and forecasting any possible issues considering all factors involved, businesses can be better about preventative maintenance, and planning repairs and replacements that extend the serviceable life of the vehicle.

Theft Recovery

GPS trackers help stolen vehicles and assets get recovered because GPS trackers let you see where your vehicles are at any given point in time, you can share this information with authorities, like police if one of your vehicles is stolen. Wire GPS trackers can directly into a vehicle’s battery or can be installed covertly under the dash, which means a vehicle thief would never know that the vehicle has GPS tracking.

Now let’s dig a little deeper to figure out the importance of GPS tracking for small businesses. Here are more reasons why the importance of GPS trackers is indispensable in today’s world:

Enhancing Fleet Management

The GPS tracking system can provide you with comprehensive data that can greatly improve your business's fleet management operations.

Route Optimization

Using GPS trackers for optimizing your vehicles routes isn’t all about choosing the shortest way, there’s more to consider than distance from A to B, like:

• Traffic conditions: You can get real-time traffic updates to redirect your felt vehicle to avoid traffic ultimately saving time and fuel.
• Scheduled delivery: You can schedule routes concerning certain arrival times so your customers remain satisfied.
• Driver preference: You can factor in your drivers ’familiarity with certain routes while aiming to achieve greater productivity and boost their morale. For example, a four-lane highway may take longer than a two-lance twisting mountain pass, but it might be much safer and easier to navigate.
• Load capacity: You can maximize your fleet’s load capacity and minimize the number of necessary trips by optimizing routes and loads with GPS tracking.

Reducing Idle Time

Unnecessary and excessive idling can have a major impact on how much you pay for fuel. These costs really add up! Of course, in extreme climates idling is required for employee comfort and safety.

GPS tracking can let you cut down on idle time and associated costs because there are several factors at play:

Monitoring Driver Behavior

GPS tracking devices give you a comprehensive view of monitor driver behavior so you can see how on-road behaviors impact fuel consumption, accidents, and overall safety.

Improving Customer Service

GPS tracking can also improve your business’s customer service by providing accurate ETAs (Estimated Time of Arrival), enhancing overall business communication, and confirming all service calls and deliveries timely.

Reducing Operational Costs

GPS tracking is an effective way to reduce your business's operational costs. Here’s how:

• Fuel savings: You can save a lot of fuel by streamlining your vehicle routes and cutting down on idle time.
• Lower insurance costs: Because GPS tracking improves safety and lowers the danger of theft, you can get discounts from your insurance companies.
• Maintenance cost reduction: GPS data about vehicle usage will let you benefit from predictive maintenance and related scheduling to prolong vehicle lifespan.

Ensuring Employee Accountability

GPS tracking devices can completely change the face of your employees’ accountability. It can ensure they act accordingly to save fuel, aren’t using the vehicles illegally or against company policy, and practice safe driving as well as help you in complying with your state’slabor laws.

Features of GPS Trackers for Small Businesses

Some GPS trackers can get really expensive, but pricey GPS trackers are just a portion of what’s available. Affordable GPS trackers are just as good - if not better - for small businesses. In general, the features and technology that drive up the cost on GPS trackers aren’t even applicable for most business use. Take a quick glance at these GPS tracker features, and you will understand:

Real-Time Tracking

Real-time tracking is the ability of GPS trackers to give real-time location updates to fleet managers, business owners or any employee with access. It can revolutionize delivery operations by providing constant visibility of driver locations, enabling optimized routes and robust safety. Additionally, it can allow you to prevent vehicle theft and ensure the well-being of your drivers using instant alerts and geofencing capabilities. Real-time tracking helps provide accurate ETAs for on-site professional services too.

Geofencing

Geofencing is a virtual boundary that can enhance fleet management for you. By creating digital boundaries around specific locations, you can monitor vehicle movements and get alerts when they enter or exit these boundaries. That way, you can increase your fleet security by detecting unauthorized vehicle activity and use unbiased data location to verify time on the job

Reporting and Analytics

Reporting and analytics are other core features that offer actionable insights for managing your fleet performance. By tracking key metrics like idle/parked time, fuel consumption, and driver behavior, business owners, operation leaders, and supply chain professionals can pinpoint areas for improvement and optimize their operations. Leveraging historical data and predictive maintenance schedules can help greatly prevent costly breakdowns.

Integrating with Other Systems

Integrating fleet management with other systems is essential to streamline your company operations and get comprehensive insights without any disturbances. Integrations with GPS trackers can help you connect your accounting software, telematics, and mapping systems together so you can automate all your business’s financial processes, analyze your vehicles’ performance, and optimize routes easily. Integrating GPS into your other systems will equip you to make data-driven decisions and improve your company’s efficiency.

Ease of Use and Installation

Companies that offer modern fleet management solutions, including GPS tracker companies, prioritize user experience now more than ever, making them accessible to businesses of all sizes.

• Plug-and-Play Simplicity: Many GPS trackers come with hassle-free installation, requiring minimal technical expertise.
• Intuitive Interfaces: User-friendly software platforms ensure that your business data is easily accessible and understandable.
• Dedicated Support: Comprehensive customer support is essential for a smooth implementation. Good GPS tracker providers like Brickhouse Security offer assistance with setup, troubleshooting, and training to ensure that your business can maximize the benefits of your fleet management systems. Another bonus with Brickhouse Security is text support. You can call, chat online, email or even text our support team to get the help you need.

Best GPS Trackers for Small Business

Here are some of the best GPS trackers that you can benefit from as a small business owner or operations leader:

Brickhouse Security

The very first option, Brickhouse Security GPS Tracker, is famous for its user-friendly interface, affordability, and straightforward setup process, making it the best GPS tracker for small businesses. This is because Brickhouse Security offers comprehensive fleet management solutions, including GPS trackers and robust fleet management software. Here are some of its GPS trackers’ primary features:

• Real-time GPS tracking
• Geofencing
• Route optimization
• Advance Fuel management
• Driver behavior monitoring
• Secure user permissions
• Advanced Reporting
• ELD compliance
• 24/7 customer support

• 

  Livewire Volt Vehicle GPS Tracker

  $11.95

  $79.95

  Vehicle-powered GPS tracker is inconspicuously hardwired to avoid ever…

  Free 2-Day Shipping

  Vehicle-powered GPS tracker is inconspicuously hardwired to avoid ever…

  $11.95

  $79.95

  Free 2-Day Shipping

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• 

  VizTrack Dual-View Vehicle Monitoring Sys…

  $279.99

  $299.99

  Monitor driver behavior and road conditions LIVE

   

  Monitor driver behavior and road conditions LIVE

  $279.99

  $299.99

   

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• 

  Livewire Dash GPS Vehicle Tracker

  $13.95

  $29.99

  Vehicle-powered GPS tracker is hardwired to avoid detection by drivers

  Free 2-Day Shipping

  Vehicle-powered GPS tracker is hardwired to avoid detection by drivers

  $13.95

  $29.99

  Free 2-Day Shipping

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• 

  TrackPort Pro Diagnostic Vehicle Tracker

  $39.99

  $49.99

  Plug-and-play design can easily move from one vehicle to another

  Free 2-Day Shipping

  Plug-and-play design can easily move from one vehicle to another

  $39.99

  $49.99

  Free 2-Day Shipping

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Pricing: They have super affordable and transparent pricing with flexible billing and no long-term contracts. Their vehicle-powered GPS trackers start from as low as $11.95 and their wired trackers start from just $29.99 making them a great fit for businesses of all sizes, especially small businesses. BrickHouse security also offers dual-facing dash cams for added visibility, safety and liability protection. You can also get a free demo on their website and ask for custom quotes.

Linxup

Linxup has a simple GPS fleet and asset tracking system that you can use for fleets of all sizes. Its features enable you to:

• Track real-time locations.
• Monitor your driver behavior.
• Recognize when your vehicles enter or exit allotted areas
• Schedule maintenance and get related notifications

Pricing: They don’t have transparent pricing.

Verizon Connect

Verizon Connect can help small businesses as it offers a wide range of integrations and a comprehensive feature set to serve all kinds of fleet sizes, having basic features like:

• Real-time location tracking
• Driver behavior monitoring
• Improved dispatch service
• Compliance and ELD

Pricing: Its pricing starts at $19.98 for one vehicle for just one month.

Samsara

Samsara prioritizes driver safety a lot and has modern technology and analytics solutions to assist you in managing your felt safely with features such as:

• AI driver coaching
• Safety scorecards
• Live fleet vehicle tracking
• Real-time weather and traffic-related information

Pricing: The pricing is a bit costly, starting at $27.

GPS Trackit

GPS Trackit is another cloud-based fleet management solutions provider. The primary features of its GPS tracker are:

• Real-time tracking
• Geofencing
• Route optimization
• Fuel management
• Mobile fleet tracking

Pricing: The pricing for you will depend on the number of your vehicles and the features you will want for ideally tracking your fleet.

Azuga

Azuga also prioritizes driver safety as a GPS tracker having features like:

• Driver monitoring
• Safety rewards
• Customizable
• Dash Cams

Pricing: The monthly pricing for just one vehicle starts at $30.

Fleet Complete

Fleet Complete has different features to boost productivity:

• Driver hours of service (HOS) compliance
• Mobile app
• Geofencing
• Fuel management
• Telematics

Pricing: They lack transparent pricing. 

Overview of the Best GPS Trackers

How to Choose the Right GPS Tracker for Your Business Needs

Here’s how you can go about it:

Consider the Size and Asset Types of Your Fleet

Search for features that match the requirements of your fleet’s size. If you operate small fleets, basic features like geofencing and route optimization are a must, and for your large fleets, choose features related to real-time updates.

Assess Your Business Needs

To choose the most suitable small business GPS solutions, carefully assess your unique business needs.

Identify Key Requirements: What do you need to solve or achieve when it comes to fleet management? What kind of data do you need to have, and how do you plan to apply the data to improve your business operations? When you have a good understanding of your needs you can choose the right system and GPS tracker mix for your business.

Scalability: How will your business growth impact your GPS tracking system? Whether you’re adding more fleet vehicles, or downsizing, you need a GPS tracking system that’s scalable. Some GPS tracking providers require long-term contracts and will give you different rates or require you to start entirely different plans if you need more GPS devices in the future. Consider the impact that these changes might have when thinking through feature and benefit requirements.

Budget Consideration: Consider your fleet management expenses and budget and how willing you are to spend on a GPS tracker if you’re trying to decide between multiple options. If you want something that’s affordable yet has all the good features, the BrickHouse Security GPS tracker can be your ideal choice.

Evaluate Ease of Use and Customer Support: Fleet management doesn’t need to be complex. A GPS fleet tracking device or service should make fleet management easy. But sometimes even intuitive platforms and easy-to-use GPS trackers cause questions. Look for a tracker that comes with exceptional customer service and a good track record of dependability. Here are some aspects to consider:

Usability: Interface: Pick the GPS tracker with a user-friendly interface with simple and clear features.

Fast Learning Curve: Make sure you will only need to spend a minimal amount of time and use simple instructions to proficiently use the GPS tracker.

Customer support: Here’s how you can judge customer support:

Availability: Ensure that the GPS tracker you choose has customer service representatives available around the clock with a reachable number and email.

Response: Make sure their customer support won't leave you waiting for replies and will respond to your queries in a timely manner.

Implementation and Integration Training and Resources: Ensure that the GPS tracker you choose has easily available online resources and training materials for you like the Brickhouse Security tracker.

Analyze and Compare Different Features and Prices

Opt for a side-by-side comparison of various GPS trackers to judge their features and pricing. You can refer to the table above for ease. Just make sure the one that you choose has most, if not all, essential and updated features like:

• Real-time tracking
• Geofencing
• Route optimization
• Driver behavior monitoring
• Fuel management
• Maintenance alerts
• Driver hours of service (HOS) compliance
• Mobile app
• Reporting and analytics
• Video telematics
• Field service management

Your GPS tracker cost will also depend on your size of fleet, duration, and any extra services you ask for but make sure you opt for companies that offer affordable and transparent pricing like Brickhouse Security.

See User Reviews and Recommendations

See Online Customer Feedback: Read as many customer reviews of the GPS trackers as you like as you can to get the hang of different use cases, pros and cons, and rates of customer satisfaction. Not every system is perfect, but with over 30,000 real-user reviews, you know the Brickhouse Security system would work for you.

Benefit from Expert Recommendations: Don't just focus on online customer reviews. Instead, also notice what different experts in the fleet management industry suggest and their GPS tracker product recommendations. You can also ask them to advise you exclusively, considering your business needs, on which GPS tracker will suit you best.

Community Insights: Participate in community discussions over the web or in person at networking events, share your reviews, and consider those from others for making the right decision when choosing the best GPS tracker for your small business.

Conclusion

Now that you know all about GPS trackers and what they can do for your small business, including letting you see real-time data whenever you need and get benefits like optimized fleet management, improved driver safety, commendable customer service, cost-savings, and much more, wait no longer.

Make use of our comparison of top GPS trackers for small businesses and the tips we provided for choosing the best GPS tracker for your business and experience operational efficiency like never before.

Investing in a system that’s most affordable yet contains all the features like BHS will be your best bet as you begin to up the ante of your fleet management! If you’re interested in trying a BHS device and platform for yourself, get in touch with us and we’ll send you a free demo device. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How will using GPS trackers benefit me?

If you use a GPS tracker to manage your fleet vehicles while overseeing your small business operations, you will have real-time data 24/7. This means you will be able to see where your vehicles are, what your drivers are doing; whether they are idling or driving safely, and you will be able to optimize routes to save up on time and fuel costs.

How will GPS trackers improve my fleet management?

GPS trackers will make the entire process of how you manage your fleet easy-breezy by letting you access real-time location and data so you can optimize routes, reduce accidents and theft risks, and keep the goods flowing smoothly while also reducing your expenditure.

How much money will I need to spend on GPS trackers?

How much money you will spend on GPS trackers depends on the cost of GPS tracker devices you choose, the monthly cost of GPS tracking service for your vehicles as well as setup and installation fees.

Are GPS trackers easy to integrate with logistics and fleet management systems?

Yes. You won't have to make many changes. You can integrate GPS trackers with your fleet management and logistics systems without any hassle.

Can GPS trackers protect my fleet management data?

Yes, if you choose GPS trackers like Brickhouse Security that use end-to-end encryption and leverage secure communication patterns, your fleet management data will remain safe and secure. Make sure your GPS tracker provider prioritizes data safety and educates and trains your employees about safe cybersecurity practices.