Best Business Vehicle Tracking System in 2023

Managing a fleet of vehicles requires the best equipment to minimise costs and enhance yearly profits. Perhaps you already use company fuel cards to monitor costs, but have you implemented a business vehicle tracking system?

Using such tracking systems in your business ensures that you can reduce driver downtime and track vehicle efficiency for the benefit of your business, increasing your productivity and profits overtime.

In this article, we will look at the best business vehicle tracking systems available in 2023, reviewing the best options for you and your business.

What Is a Business Vehicle Tracking System?

A business vehicle tracking system is a GPS tracking device that monitors the vehicles in your business. This is also referred to as fleet management software and helps a business to become more efficient across a variety of ways.

Monitoring Safety

A vehicle tracking system monitors the vehicles and their drivers, including their drivers’ safety. If the system suddenly suggests there is a problem and the driver may have had an accident, swift action can be taken to provide the driver with help and assistance.

Vehicle trackers will also inform you of any unsafe driving conducted by your drivers, helping you to manage your employees and enforce road safety policies.

Managing Efficiency

By tracking your fleet, you can assess whether the vehicles and their drivers are working as efficiently as possible. 

For example, could the driver travel a faster route and use less fuel and take less time? Could more than one delivery be taken from the depot at once, instead of the driver returning to the depot after one delivery? Could fuel cards be managed better?

Also consider the drivers’ downtime. Are all drivers maintaining the allowed downtime allocations? Excess downtime is estimated to cost UK businesses £6,000 per year, so managing this data is essential. 

However, it is also vital to ensure that your drivers are having enough downtime for their own health and safety when driving, along with the safety of other road users and pedestrians. Tired drivers account for 25% of UK serious road collisions and it is your responsibility to ensure your drivers are sufficiently rested.

Assessing Fuel Consumption

Fuel efficiency is a significant part of fleet management. How much fuel are your vehicles using and how often? Are vehicles filling-up with the most appropriate type of fuel or could savings be made to a different fuel?

You could choose to monitor fuel by using an expense tracker app or fuel cards to assess the fuel purchases in your business. 

However, incorporating a vehicle tracker into your fleet management portfolio provides an overall management of the fuel purchased and used in your business. You can link your fuel cards to the GPS tracking system for enhanced monitoring of your business fuel purchases.

Preventing Fraud

Tracking vehicles in your fleet along with the fuel consumed on a daily basis can help you to tackle theft and prevent fraud. You will know the exact purchases made at fuel sites and the distances travelled by your fleet, stopping expense theft or unauthorised journeys.

How Does a Business Track Their Vehicles?

A business tracks its vehicles using a GPS tracking system that has been specifically developed for business fleet management.

Tracking equipment can ensure that your business operations are streamlined, protecting your business assets as well as the safety of your employees.

You can use your business vehicle tracking system to monitor where each vehicle is at all times. You can assess the mileage of each vehicle and ensure that each vehicle is travelling on a designated route. 

Geofencing can be set to create a digital boundary around the driver’s route. An alert will be triggered if the vehicle enters the restricted zone.

What Are the Benefits of Using a Business Vehicle Tracking System?

The benefits of a vehicle tracking system to a business are unlimited and can enhance your productivity. Here are our top 10 benefits of using a vehicle tracking system in your business:

1. Track Dates

Use a vehicle tracking system to track the dates of all trips, deliveries and tasks that each driver and vehicle completes. 

Accurate date records ensure that each driver is held accountable for their actions whilst using the business vehicles. You can refer to the date tracking records for numerous purposes to solve any dispute.

2. Record Mileage

Additional tracking features of business vehicle tracking include the ability to record mileage. You can view the distance travelled by the driver to assess whether the mileage matches the journey completed, enhancing accountability.

Further benefits of recording mileage include maintaining vehicles and streamlining the process to complete vehicle MOT and servicing for each car. Records will be accurate and you can ensure your business vehicles are maintained in great shape.

3. Driver Hours

In addition to tracking the dates your drivers complete journeys and the mileage taken upon those journeys, you can also track your drivers’ employment hours when tracking vehicles. 

This data can be streamlined into payroll to ensure your employees are paid accurate amounts and can be used as further evidence for accounting purposes.

4. Driver Actions

Tailor your business vehicle tracking system to monitor the actions and behaviours of your drivers. Assess whether your drivers have been speeding or accelerating erratically, breaking too quickly or idling for long periods. 

Your vehicles need to be maintained and looked after to obtain longevity and prevent unnecessary costs for your business. Therefore, preventing reckless driver behaviour would protect your assets and help ensure you gain the most from your vehicles.

5. Realtime Tracking

Using a vehicle tracking system provides real time tracking of each vehicle and your drivers’ movements. You can ensure that your drivers are on-task and can take necessary action as and when appropriate.

Additional benefits of real time tracking is that you can determine if the driver has had an accident or needs help, enabling you to call for assistance quickly. 

You can also use real time tracking to help prevent theft so you know where your assets are located at all times.

6. Reduce Costs

Understand the fuel consumption of your vehicles and the way that your drivers are driving, aiming to reduce costs and increase vehicle efficiency. As a result, you will increase the productivity in your business, enhancing efficiency and the overall success of your business.

7. Prevent Fraud

Prevent employee fraud by using vehicle tracking systems in your business. Many businesses experience employee theft through excess fuel purchases and using business vehicles for unauthorised journeys.

Using vehicle trackers will deter employees from attempting to steal from your business, prohibiting the opportunity to do so.

8. Geofencing

If your vehicle tracking system comes complete with geofencing, you can input a digital boundary to prevent drivers entering restricted locations. You should be alerted immediately to breaches of the geofencing boundary.

9. Alerts

Your vehicle tracking system may have the ability to send alerts so you know if there is a problem with a vehicle or a driver. Alerts will ensure that you can deal with problems immediately to prevent any unintended repercussions.

You will experience added security features so you can track stolen vehicles, providing the tracking information to the police to improve the chance of recovering the vehicle. Receive an alert as soon as a vehicle is stolen.

10. Reports

Download reports from your vehicle tracking system to analyse what could be done better in your business. Could costs be reduced in some areas? Could you make a saving for the benefit of your business? 

Produce the reports to other stakeholders in the company, featuring the data you need to justify your decision making. You can enhance the customer experience and success of your business as a result.

Furthermore, all reports and other data captures reduce the requirement for fleet managers to complete paperwork yet ensure safety compliance.

What Features Should I Look for in a Vehicle Tracking System?

At the very least, you will expect your vehicle tracking system to track the vehicles in your business.

However, many tracking systems come with additional features that can enhance and develop your business and your business operations.

• Hardware — the type of hardware you purchase can affect how easy or difficult it is to install to your business vehicles. 

Opt for hardware that simply plugs into the battery located inside the vehicle, installing the tracker yourself instead of requiring the assistance of a professional installation expert.

• GPS — ensure your vehicle tracking system uses GPS tracking to monitor and track vehicles at all times. When using GPS, you can utilise features such as geofencing to prohibit certain locations as well as ensuring real time tracking of vehicles.

• Safety tracking — look for vehicle trackers that monitor the safety of your driver and the safety of their driving performance. For example, if the driver has an accident, breaks down or needs any sort of help, the tracker should alert you.

A good vehicle tracking system should alert you to unsafe driving practices such as speeding. Such dangers can place the driver and other road users at risk so must be dealt with immediately. You can take action to reprimand the driver and implement necessary warnings.

• Maintenance tracking — Fuel levels and engine temperatures should be tracked by your vehicle tracking system, amongst other maintenance requirements. 

Such tracking ensures that you are aware when servicing or MOT are due, providing safe and roadworthy vehicles for your drivers and other road users.

• Alerts — ensure your vehicle tracking system offers alerts so you can receive notification of any problems that occur. Alerts ensure that you can deal with problems as they arise, enhancing effectiveness.

How Much Does a Vehicle Tracking System Cost?

A vehicle tracking system, or fleet management system, can vary and fluctuate in price.

You could use a system that you pay for monthly per vehicle and could benefit the smaller business with a few vehicles. 

However, larger businesses may find their costs reach several thousands of pounds per year when using vehicle tracking for many vehicles.

More and more businesses are adopting fleet management systems in their work operations. By 2029, the market for remote fleet management is expected to surpass $52.5 (£43) billion, a substantial figure that will continue to grow into the future.

How Can I Use Fleet Management in Business?

To track your vehicles and use fleet management in your business, purchase the vehicle tracking system that suits the needs of your business and ensure all mobile devices are installed effectively. 

You can find a tracking system suited to a business with a few vehicles or with thousands of vehicles, adapted for the requirements of your business.

Some tracking devices can be installed without the need of an expert, although larger, complex systems may need to be installed by system experts.

Once installation is complete, log into your account and you will see instantly the real time tracking of your vehicles, wherever they are located in the world. You can view the behaviours and actions of the driver such as erratic driving and idling, in addition to ensuring your drivers are travelling the quickest possible routes.

Furthermore, fleet managers do not need to be connected to an in-house computer to log into most vehicle tracking systems. You can use mobile devices to make tracking data accessible wherever you are and at any time of the day or night.

Reports concerning mileage, driver behaviours, and security can be downloaded onto Excel or PDF for your convenience. 

Who Uses Fleet Management Software?

Numerous stakeholders in a business use fleet management software to track, monitor and manage vehicles.

Fleet Managers

Fleet managers will use fleet management software on a daily basis, using the system more than other stakeholders.

Your fleet manager can log into the system to view in real time the location of each vehicle along with the vehicle’s unique data. Track fuel use, mileage and the maintenance of the vehicle, ensuring the driver is on task to reach their destination on time.

Compliance and Safety

Health and safety risk assessments can be completed using the system, ensuring that drivers have completed all training and are meeting the safe driving standards set by the organisation.

The working hours of the drivers can also be assessed to ensure sufficient breaks are being met.

Maintenance 

Managers responsible for the maintenance of the vehicles in the business can use the tracking system to ensure servicing and other inspections are conducted on a timely basis.

The organisation may require maintenance checks after a certain mileage has been reached. The tracking system records mileage and alerts can be set to notify the system when a level of mileage has been passed.

Finance

A vehicle tracking system can be used by finance employees to pay drivers the correct wages, pay for fuel cards, record driver receipts and adhere to tax and VAT requirements. 

At a Glance, Pros and Cons

Do you need a quick overview of the pros and cons of using a vehicle tracking system in your business?

Take a look at this section for a succinct summary:

Pros

✔️ Real time tracking — know where each vehicle is located at any time during the day or night. Vehicle tracking systems utilise GPS to include real time tracking of each vehicle so you can manage jobs and monitor driver performance at any point.

✔️ Safety — ensure your drivers are driving safely and keeping other road users safe. You will be alerted to dangerous driving and erratic behaviour so such actions can be dealt with immediately.

✔️ Maintenance — complete timely maintenance on your vehicles as a result of vehicle tracking. Know the mileage and other components of each vehicle so you can ensure your vehicles are safe, maintained and road-worthy.

✔️ Fast installation — depending on the vehicle tracking system you choose for your business, you could install the hardware within minutes without any expert help.

Cons

❌️ System failure — relying too heavily on a GPS vehicle tracking system can lead to chaos if a system failure occurs. As with all technology, systems can fail from time to time. Your business must have a back-up plan in the event of such failure.

❌️ Too much surveillance — drivers can feel as though they are being continuously watched when their vehicles are tracked. This could prevent some drivers from continuing with employment in your business.

❌️ Batteries — depending on the hardware and tracking system you decide to use, you could be reliant on batteries that need to be charged or replaced after a certain amount of time.

❌️ Errors — if the vehicle tracking system records erratic driving, yet the driver disputes this claim, how can the situation be resolved? Technology can make errors and interpret a situation incorrectly so this should be considered before disbelieving a loyal and responsible driver.

Best Business Vehicle Tracking Systems — Reviews

Which vehicle tracking system is the best option for your business?

Check out our review of the best business vehicle tracking systems currently available for you:

1. Tookan Fleet Management — Best for Delivery Companies

Features:

• 14-day free trial available
• Geofencing
• Alerts and notifications
• Reports
• Behaviour monitoring

Visit Tookan Fleet Management

Plans:

• Early Stage plan
• Startup plan
• Growth plan
• Standard plan
• Enterprise plan

The Tookan software package for fleet management is the best choice for delivery companies. With over 5 million users across 180 countries, Tookan is trusted by some of the biggest brands across the globe.

Tookan features include geofencing, reporting, alerts, management and behaviour monitoring, with the ability to use the software on the go with iOS and Android mobile devices.

There are five plans to choose from when opting for Tookan, tailored to the size of your business and the typical number of delivery tasks or journeys completed in one month. Furthermore, you can use an unlimited number of drivers in your business with zero extra costs.

Additional delivery tasks can be added to your plan on a pay-as-you-go basis, costing a very small amount for each task. You will receive phone and email support when you need it most, regardless of the size of your business. 

The Early Stage plan is a turn-key solution that incorporates pay-as-you-go pricing, perfect for a new business. For just £39 per month, you can utilise 200 tasks across each month and incorporate unlimited drivers. If you need to access further tasks, each task will cost just a few pence each.

The Startup plan from Tookan costs around £109 per month and is best for new businesses who are sure of their direction. You can use the software for 700 tasks each month for unlimited drivers. Furthermore, any additional tasks can be added to your plan at very little cost.

The Growth plan integrates with API and is a great choice for growing businesses. For £249 per month, 2000 tasks are utilised per month with further tasks costing a few pence each. Unlimited drivers are included, whilst this package also includes a customer booking form.

The Standard plan from Tookan is the dominant choice for established businesses. At a cost of £479 per month, 5000 tasks per month are included with further tasks costing a few pence each. Drivers are unlimited and two customer booking forms are included.

If you require a custom-made Enterprise plan, you can obtain data migration and 24/7 priority support with over 5,000 tasks per month. The Tookan sales team will find the best custom price and package for you and your large enterprise.

Each plan comes with a 14-day free trial, helping you to decide if the Tookan software plans are the best fit for your business. Furthermore, you do not need to enter your debit card or credit card details to access the free trial.

2. Detrack Vehicle Tracking — Best for Individual Vehicles

Features:

• Free trial
• Real-time proof of delivery
• Customer notifications
• Live vehicle tracking
• Contactless delivery

Visit Detrack Vehicle Tracking

Plans:

• Pro Plan
• Enterprise Plan

Detrack vehicle tracking offers live vehicle tracking for your business, complete with contactless delivery options and customer notifications. Real-time proof of delivery comes as standard, with the software compatible with iOS and Android devices.

With more than 1,000 customers, Detrack offers a free trial so you can see if this software is best for you. No credit card or debit card details are required and you can complete up to ten jobs per day whilst on the trial plan.

The Pro Plan from Detrack will cost you £24 per month for each vehicle used in the tracking system. However, you can save 10% off this price when paying for your package annually, equating to less than £22 per month per vehicle.

The Pro Plan is advertised as being ‘for businesses wanting to boost their last mile delivery’ and includes 24/5 customer support.

If you have at least 30 vehicles in your business that you want to track and monitor, the Enterprise Plan is the best choice for you. Billed as ‘ideal for large fleets requiring a tailored last mile delivery solution’, the Enterprise Plan is custom-priced to match business needs.

However, you will receive all of the features of the Pro Plan and more, suitable for your fleet of vehicles.

3. Whip Around — Best for Simple Plans

Features:

• Fleet management analytics dashboard
• Set schedules
• Track work progress
• Push notifications
• Reduce paperwork

Visit Whip Around

Plans:

• Basic Plan: zero cost for one user and one vehicle
• Standard Plan: £5 per vehicle per month
• Pro Plan: £9 per vehicle per month

Whip Around offers low cost fleet management software that is best for smaller businesses with fewer vehicles. Fleet managers can reduce paperwork and admin tasks in an instant, utilising the fleet management analytics dashboard to track all vehicles in real time.

Schedules can be set in addition to the progress of work tasks tracked, effortlessly maintaining your fleet of vehicles. Vehicle maintenance is linked to the software so you can ensure all vehicles are safe, maintained and compliant.

Plans from Whip Around start at the Basic Plan which is completely free to use. The Basic Plan is suited to one user and one vehicle, and is perfect for sole traders and new startups. No credit card or debit card details are required to acquire the free plan.

The Standard Plan from Whip Around costs £5 per vehicle per month, although can be obtained for less each month when the subscription is paid for annually. You can include unlimited users or drivers in your plan along with customised documents, dashboards and reporting features.

The Pro Plan is Whip Around’s expert option, costing £9 per vehicle per month, or £8 per vehicle per month when billed annually. Unlimited users are incorporated into the plan, providing driver profiles, integrations, time tracking and work order management abilities.

4. Route4Me — Best for Route Planning

Features:

• Free 7-day trial
• Live map tracking
• Connect to the app
• 24/7/365 support
• Driver analytics
• Zero specialist hardware
• Plan routes

Visit Route4Me

Plans:

• Route Management Plan: £149 per month
• Route Optimisation Plan: £189 per month
• Route Optimisation Plus Plan: £259 per month

Route4Me offers the standard features you would expect from vehicle tracking software plus additional route planning and management capabilities.

You can track your drivers and their data analytics across the dashboard with zero specialist hardware required. Live map tracking comes as standard, in addition to app connectivity and 24/7/365 support.

You can use your vehicle tracking software to create the routes that your driver needs to complete their tasks as efficiently as possible.

The Route Management Plan will cost you £149 per month to assist you in operating your business. You can collaborate across your organisation and gain real-time insights into your business. Connect your tracking to any app, tracking your drivers on a live map.

For a cost of £189, you can purchase the Route Optimisation Plan, accessing all features of the Route Management Plan as well as the ability to automatically optimise single-driver routes.

The Route Optimisation Plus Plan will cost you £259 per month and includes all features and capabilities of the Route Optimisation Plan. However, you will also gain automated optimisation on multi-driver routes as well as being able to utilise business rules in route optimisation.

5. Trakm8 Fleet Telematics System — Best for Dash Cam Inclusion

Features:

• Use for 2 – 1000 vehicles
• Real-time GPS tracking
• Live-streaming dash camera
• Simple mileage tracking
• Expense sheet creation

Visit Trakm8 Fleet Telematics System

Plans:

• £5.99 + VAT per vehicle for each month

The Trakm8 Fleet Telematics System is a good vehicle tracking system to utilise when you are looking for low prices. You will pay only £5.99 +VAT for each vehicle in your business. This is a monthly subscription and can be used for any number of vehicles between 2 and 1000.

You will receive real-time GPS tracking for the vehicles registered in your business. In addition, live dash camera capabilities are included so you can track and monitor driver behaviour and vehicles yourself.

Mileage tracking is simple, helping you to save time with reduced paperwork and admin tasks such as expense sheet creation.

6. Fleetio Fleet Tracking — Best for Low Prices

Features:

• Free 14-day trial available
• Maintenance tracking
• Reporting capabilities
• Scheduling and reminders
• Inventory management
• Minimum fleet: 5 vehicles

Visit Fleetio Fleet Tracking

Plans:

• Starter Plan: £2.50 per vehicle per month
• Pro Plan: £4 per vehicle per month
• Advanced Plan: £5.50 per vehicle per month

The Fleetio Fleet Tracking System is a good plan if you are looking for low prices per vehicle per month. You can secure the Starter Plan for only £2.50 per vehicle per month. However, you must register at least 5 vehicles from your business with the Fleetio system, totalling a monthly subscription of £12.50 for the Starter Plan.

As part of your subscription, you will receive inventory management capabilities for your vehicles as well as inspections and DVIR completion. Create schedules and reminders so your business operations run smoothly, whilst tracking maintenance to keep your vehicles on the road.

If you are looking for added extras, consider the Pro Plan at £4 per vehicle per month, totalling £20 per month for a fleet of 5 vehicles. As part of the Pro Plan, you will receive automated maintenance documents and API access. Sync your mileage, fuel consumption and location data in real-time and manage tasks efficiently.

The Advanced Plan provides all of the features of both the Starter Plan and the Pro Plan yet also includes work order management, parts management, purchase order generation, and webhooks. The Advanced Plan costs £5.50 per vehicle per month, totalling £22 per month for your fleet of 5 vehicles.

Leading Vehicle Tracking System for Business: The Verdict

If you are looking to lower fuel costs and manage vehicle tracking data and vehicle management, look no further than vehicle tracking systems. 

Our favourite specialist vehicle tracking provider is Tookan, offering multiple plans dependent on your business requirements. As soon as you opt for the most suitable Tookan plan, the vehicle tracking system bursts with data such as real-time locations, driving behaviours and mileage management.

A great choice for sole traders is the Basic Plan from Whip Around, offering a free tracking tool for one user and one vehicle. You will obtain all of the great features that a large business will enjoy for free despite your small stature.

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