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Q: Not many people know that Tracker provides fleet management/monitoring services… A: Tracker actually enjoys a significant share of the monitoring market. We developed this capability in support of our core business, which is of course stolen vehicle recovery. We have developed our tracking and monitoring solution locally and employ some the best engineers in the industry. To illustrate this point, our engineers have now developed a tracking unit with a 10-year battery life and instal- lation that requires a single connection only. This is unique in the industry. Not only does it result in a quicker installation, but it is less intrusive (in terms of the vehicle’s electrics and electronics) and allows us to conceal the device deeper within the vehicle.
Q: What do Tracker’s monitoring services aim to achieve? A: Too often service providers in the tracking industry say that they provide comprehensive fleet management services, whilst in fact they offer only a small component thereof. Our services focus on protecting one of the most important resources in any business, ”capital”. We are in the game of capi- tal protection i.e. driving down costs associated with fleet abuse and enabling the fleet manager to achieve efficiencies through information. We do this by focusing our monitoring and report-
ing on the following critical components: driver behaviour, vehicle usage and its exposure, fuel man- agement and vehicle maintenance management. As an organisation that understands the differ-
ence between information and intelligence, we will soon be offering our customers a sophisticated ‘dashboard’ which, at a glance, will reveal the status of their fleet and where potential savings and improvements can be made. Providing basic data is not good enough. There is a world of difference be- tween offering information and offering real insights that provide true and tangible value.
Q: Is it important for smaller fleet owners to have monitoring devices fitted or is it really just for bigger fleets? A: There are good reasons why both should have monitoring devices fitted. All fleet owners require monitoring services if
they are serious about being successful. I am an avid supporter of the saying, “What gets measured gets done”. Not having information reminds me a bit of the ostrich syndrome where if I don’t see it, it does not exist. Information empowers people and with the information that Tracker provides, it posi- tions fleet owner, big and small, to make informed decisions. Without the information they are unable to address vehicle abuse and/or correct undesired behaviour/trends. Tracker aims to be the fleet manager’s partner, regardless of the size of the business. A driver
Tracker is about far more than just finding stolen vehicles. It also offers monitoring solutions for fleet operators INTERVIEW: TRACKER’S MICHAEL VAN WYNGAARDT
abusing a company’s trust or being wasteful of company resources is just as damaging in a small business as it is in a large organisation. In fact, sometimes vehicle abuse or route inefficiencies can have such an effect on cash flow in a small business that it can close the company’s doors in a matter of weeks.
Q: What impact does driver behaviour have on the cost of running a fleet? A: Trucks and machines don’t drive or operate themselves and the manner in which a driver treats/drives the vehicle will directly influence its lifespan, its maintenance costs, fuel consumption and ultimately the cost of running said vehicles and bottom-line profit. Tracker provides driver scorecards which fleet managers can use very effectively in managing their drivers and correcting undesired behaviour. It also impacts significantly on road safety, as business owners or fleet managers can quickly step in and correct reckless driving.
Q: What differentiates Tracker from its opposition? A: Tracker is the largest and most successful tracking company in Africa. From a technology and expertise perspective, we are part of a global vehicle tracking family with operations in 30 countries around the world. In fact, Tracker’s technology invented the vehicle tracking industry in the United States in 1986. With more recoveries that have led to more arrests, no tracking company has done more to fight crime in South Africa than Tracker. We are also the only vehicle tracking company to benefit from a formal partnership with the police which means that, in addition to our own recovery fleet, we have our recovery technology installed in more than 1200 vehicles and almost 50 aircraft. One of the key ingre- dients to ensuring long-term customer relationships is consistency… being able to consistently provide reliable products, great customer service and sup- port at value for money prices. Tracker has proven itself over and over in this regard. Our footprint/reach in South Africa enables us
to achieve world class recovery rates and, from a support point of view, we are literally around the corner from most of our customers. We don’t profess to be everything to fleet manag-
ers, our niche focus is to provide stolen vehicle recovery services and monitoring and reporting services relevant to driver behaviour, vehicle us- age, fuel usage and vehicle maintenance.
Q: What advice would you give to fleet owners who do not avail of monitoring services? A: You may think that you can’t afford monitoring services. In a recent instance we did a simple exer- cise with a potential customer whereby we focused on the estimated percentage efficiency improvement (provided by the customer) that he may achieve and from that established that the improvement of
efficiencies will result in him recovering the cost of the monitoring service in three months. When we then compared it to the long-term benefits that his business would gain, there was simply nothing more to say. The decision was obvious. Another important point to consider is that while product features are important, after-sales service and support are equally critical. Don’t let price be the only factor that influences your purchasing decision. If the price you are quoted is “cheap”, think twice. After all, the old adage of ‘you get what you pay for’ certainly applies here. You can’t afford not to have quality tracking and monitoring devices fitted to your fleet. I always encourage businesses to pay a visit to the tracking companies’ offices, meet the people, get a feel for the culture and the operation, then make an informed decision.
Interested parties may contact Alex Vorster on 011 215 1916 or email
avorster@tracker.co.za for more information.
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