It can be hard to keep track of all the equipment and personnel that have been dispatched across various job sites and projects. That’s why GPS tracking has become the gold standard for construction companies that want to improve their efficiency and cut costs across their organizations.
GPS can help promote higher safety standards for crews and drivers, thus reducing costs related to accidents, reducing insurance claims, and lowering insurance premiums. In this blog, we’ll highlight a few of the safety practices that GPS technology can provide.
1. Improve driving behavior and habits
Construction companies are obligated to ensure that crews and equipment traveling to and from job sites drive safely and responsibly. Efficiency is also a major concern, since poor driving habits like speeding can result in traffic fines and potential safety incidents (and subsequent litigation) that could endanger the driver and the public, damage valuable equipment, or color the company’s reputation.
GPS tracking makes it simple to improve driver behavior. Once fleet managers deploy a GPS tracking system, they’ll be able to receive alerts anytime a driver something unsafe, like exceed a speed limit or hit the brakes too hard. Internal programs can collect this information and communicate this to drivers to motivate them to improve their driving habits.
2. Protect construction assets from theft
Theft prevention and recovery assistance is one of the most common uses for GPS tracking–even outside the construction industry. Equipping valuable assets like supplies, vehicles, or equipment cases with GPS trackers don’t just benefit financially; they also help make workers aware of the risks of on-site theft. Awareness of proper site lockup, equipment storage, and vehicle security best practices will help discourage intruders and help prevent possible safety incidents.
3. Discourage misuse of company assets
GPS tracking helps many construction companies distribute their resources more evenly. With proper monitoring, it’s less likely for equipment, vehicles and crews to be over- or under-utilized.
Closely tracking vehicle usage makes it easier to place them on a regular preventative maintenance schedule. The same can be said for heavy equipment. The timely maintenance will keep workers safe as they operate these assets.
Companies that use GPS tracking can also improve efficiency by finding out how often a certain piece of equipment is being used, who is likely to be using it (based on shift assignments), and how often. Knowing that the equipment is being tracked will make it less likely that workers will misuse the asset by using it outside of prescribed work hours or far from its assigned location.
4. Streamline insurance filing
Even if your construction company only has a few vehicles, car insurance is such a large cost that every little bit of savings helps. That’s where GPS tracking comes in. Some insurance companies offer discounted premiums if insured vehicles are equipped with GPS trackers (specifically OBD GPS trackers).
The savings can be mental, too. According to a Forbes article, drivers who know their vehicles are equipped with GPS tracking get into 20% fewer accidents. So safer driving can help keep both premiums and deductibles down.
Of course, some incidents just can’t be avoided. In those cases, it can be a headache to put assemble the evidence and paperwork required to file claims. But GPS tracking solutions (specifically their companion apps) sometimes offer reports that are easy to generate and share.
Want to learn more about GPS tracking for construction companies? Then check out our other article about how GPS tracking reduces operational costs.
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