With live vehicle tracking becoming a must-have for many operators, there has been a surge in the number of suppliers keen for your business. Many offer a free black box and fitting in return, operators pay a fixed price per vehicle per month. It seems a win-win situation. Vehicle locations are established via the free-to-use US government-owned Global Positioning Systems satellite network.
GPRS (General Packet Radio System) data communications enables a real-time always-on data link with the vehicle. Position fixes create only a small data file, and as charges are based on the amount of data sent, the charges are also small and predictable. The operator does not receive unexpectedly large bills, and the suppliers can offer fixed-price tracking. The tracking company uploads the data to a secure website, where it is available as a series of reports. To access the data, operators simply log on via the internet with their own password.
This sounds like technology made simple. However, some leading vehicle tracking suppliers say that this very simplicity has allowed companies into the market whose main interest is in selling boxes, not in providing service. "The vehicle tracking industry has been badly damaged by companies whose only interest is shifting boxes," claims Tom O'Connor, managing director of Digicore. O'Connor is not alone in his view. Btrack, Digicore, Fleetview and Quartix are among those now pointing out the limitations of off-the-shelf systems and the importance of buying from a supplier with control of hardware, firmware and software.
"Pence-per-day contracts are not the solution for everyone," says Btrack's sales director Andy Walker. "Operators can find themselves being charged for bespoke reports or to add functionality should their needs change. Buying from a supplier that controls all aspects makes bespoke projects much quicker and easier to manage. We can build black boxes which are not over-specified, yet are flexible enough to change with operators needs."
Once you have had the system in for a while, he points out, you might want to tweak either how the data is presented or add to the data being captured. "That might not be possible with off-the-shelf systems. We've had contract wins where an operator wanted a report to be added to the standard reports. The supplier could not do it, but the operator still remained tied to the contract for the next two years."
Quartix also designs and manufactures the black boxes in the UK and marketing director Andy Kirk says operators should take care when deciding which tracking system supplier to work with. "We are not all the same. True, tracking technology is now mature, but over the five-year fleet life of a typical truck, enhancements will be made." Quartix includes remote over-the-air configuration as standard. "We can reprogram the black boxes without recalling all the vehicles, so operators will know that all their vehicles are using the latest version."
Read the small print
Read the small print, is the advice from reputable vehicle tracking suppliers. "With some tracking companies, the lease for the black box is actually provided by a third party. If the tracking company goes bust, you could be left paying for obsolete on-board equipment," warns O'Connor. "It's very rare for another tracking company to be able to use another's black box: they are usually configured differently and would need costly reprograming."
"The tracking box is worthless without a support mechanism," points out Fleetview's sales director Chris Flynn. "We do not believe it is in a company's best interests to sign a five-year lease for technology that may be outdated in three-years' time and we believe we are the only tracking suppler not to tie its customers into long-term contracts for the black boxes." Customers pay a monthly charge, but the actual RDM 500E box and installation is free and a half-day on-site training is included
Quartix says the majority of its customers get continuity of supply, whether they buy or lease. "When your business efficiency depends on knowing where your fleet is, you want the security of tying in their vehicle tracking supplier for a number of years." Fixed costs per-vehicle per-week can add up over the life of the contract, admits Kirk. "However, the typical 75p per day cost is still minimal compared to the typical savings achieved of around £2,000 per vehicle per year."
Derek Beevor, managing director of RoadTech Computers Systems, says provided operators choose the correct supplier, they shouldn't worry about leasing the equipment. "It is like on-line shopping you have to check out the supplier and beware the small print. Everyone knows that if you lease a car and want to close the lease early, there is a balloon payment."
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