In the construction and contracting market, businesses work harder to keep operations running smoothly and that each hour is a productive one. But that’s often easier said than done. Customers’ schedules can change, weather can limit progress, traffic can snarl arrival and departure times, and increasingly, there’s too few hours in the day to get everything done.
Fleet owners and managers in the construction and contractor industry that are seeking to streamline operations can benefit by using robust, yet easy-to-use tools that help manage job scheduling, automate processes and improve communication with fleet vehicles in the field. By integrating with a GPS fleet tracking solution, construction companies can increase efficiency and drive productivity, ultimately boosting the bottom line.
GPS fleet tracking solutions allow fleet managers to oversee all aspects of operations in real time, no matter where they are located, via an app that can be accessed by any mobile device. Managers get a clear view into employee activity and the ability to simply and easily manage field employees. By integrating with a fleet tracking solution, construction and contracting managers can schedule and assign jobs, route drivers and vehicles, and contact them through an easy-to-use platform. These capabilities allow fleet managers to ensure jobs are on track and managed properly in real time.
Schedule in Advance, Adjust on the Fly
Scheduling jobs in advance makes it easy for managers to assign new jobs to the best-suited employee at the correct time. GPS fleet tracking solutions should include a job scheduling board with an overview of all pending jobs and appointments, as well as the availability of employees and the status of each job in their queue. A drag-and-drop scheduling tool allows managers to create jobs and assign them easily to drivers on one screen.
By planning jobs in advance, construction companies have a wealth of data available at their fingertips, improving dispatcher efficiency. However, there’s a side bonus: the ability to provide accurate estimated time of arrival to customers and team members. With an effective job scheduling tool, managers can ensure drivers in the field stay on task.
Being able to adjust schedules on the fly to accommodate changes—cancellations, additions, traffic—is also a critical requirement for construction companies and contractors. Drivers can receive real-time alerts to changes in the schedule and be rescheduled to the next job quickly and easily.
Route Efficiently
Alongside advance job scheduling is efficient routing, which ensures drivers arrive at jobs on time and can complete more jobs throughout the day. GPS fleet tracking solutions provide a huge productivity gain to companies that have many stops scheduled for one day, maximizing drivers’ time by reviewing all stops and scheduling them in order of the shortest, most-efficient route and ultimately increasing drivers’ productivity. Unexpected traffic or construction delays can reduce fleet productivity, so being able to avoid these obstacles with real-time routing allows drivers to stay on track and move from job to job more efficiently. Once jobs are assigned, they can easily be sent to a driver’s in-vehicle personal navigation device (PND) or mobile application, maximizing efficiency.
Communicate Better
Communication is vital for construction and contractor companies with multiple drivers in the field. GPS fleet tracking makes it easy for managers to stay in touch with drivers by offering mobile applications that allow drivers to clock in and out, report vehicle problems and update odometer readings directly from a smartphone or tablet. Real-time capabilities allow employees to update the status of jobs as they are completed. This also can help with billing disputes by providing accurate times spent on each job.
Fleet tracking applications should also be able to accommodate managers that may also be in the field. Applications for managers can provide a clear view of drivers across a company’s mobile workforce and show status updates in real time to help monitor fleets efficiently. By using a mobile app, construction and contracting managers can save time, improve dispatching and increase customer satisfaction.
GPS fleet tracking offers tools that help operations run seamlessly and productively, allowing construction companies and contractors to get more done every day. By streamlining processes, companies can also save money and see an improvement in customer service. Companies that implement a GPS fleet management solution can achieve return on investment in as little as one month, making the investment worthwhile for companies of all sizes.
Wyn Partington is vice president of marketing at NexTraq. NexTraq delivers real-time data needed to optimize fleet operations.