GPS Tracking Solutions in Calgary

You may already know the benefits of having a fleet management system for your vehicles; or maybe you’re still using paper log books and record keeping, wondering whether a GPS tracking solution will improve how you do.

The good news is that many Calgary-based fleets — some of which operate locally with as few as three vehicles, others of which have hundreds of vehicles and cover vast distances between provinces and across international borders — find that a modest monthly outlay vastly improves their yearly bottom line.

Industries Served

It’s possible to find GPS and fleet management solutions for nearly any business that relies on rolling stock, including specialized solutions for field service management, contractors, utilities, and more; you’re sure to find something that suits your needs.

However, given the dominance of oil and mining in Alberta generally, and Calgary in particular, it’s worth noting that there are fleet management and GPS providers that offer solutions tailor-made for that sector.

Features

Each fleet management vendor approaches its product somewhat differently. For all those differences, some common features emerge. Depending on your industry, or the needs of your individual business, other features may be expected, including:

• Asset tracking
• Real-time vehicle tracking
• Activity tracking
• Custom forms
• Dispatch and routing
• Expense and cost controls
• Back-office reporting
• Accounting and payroll features
• Compliance and time-tracking tools
• Open API for integrations

Finally, you may want to consider full-lifecycle fleet management. A select few companies cover the full range of fleet management needs, including fleet policy, personnel management, asset management and operating cost management. In some cases, your fleet management needs can even be outsourced, eliminating the need for an in-house fleet manager.

Benefits

So those are the main features, but how do those features benefit your Calgary fleet? Among the key benefits are:

• Scheduled maintenance
• Limited fleet downtime
• Reducing the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
• More time on task, less idle time
• Preventing moonlighting and unauthorized use of assets
• Better cost controls on expenses like payroll and fuel
• Improving customer service through better dispatch, routing, and tracking

Is GPS Tracking Legal in Calgary?

Business owners may wonder about the legality of GPS tracking technology and telematics systems in their vehicles.

If the device is installed with the knowledge and consent of the vehicle owner, Canadian law views GPS technology as legal. If you’re a business owner, you are free to track your fleet as you see fit, and you’re under no obligation to inform your drivers they’re being monitored.

You may not, however, covertly install a tracking or telematics system in a vehicle you do not own (e.g., a competitor’s vehicle, or your spouse’s vehicle if they own that vehicle).

Fleet Management Vendors in Calgary

While many fleet management companies have headquarters or major offices back east in Toronto or Montreal, that doesn’t mean finding a local provider is impossible — or even difficult. Several fleet management companies maintain a local presence (and with that, local support) for Calgary businesses. Among them:

Driving Force

Driving Force offers analytics, remote management, fuel cards and outsourced solutions, in addition to sales, leasing and rentals.

Element Fleet Management

Don’t let Element Fleet’s global reach scare you off if you operate a small fleet; that presence gives them the experience to address a number of challenges that may seem unique to your business, but which they’ve likely seen and addressed before.

EMKAY

EMKAY provides full-lifecycle fleet services, including acquisition, telematics, safety, compliance, and green fleet solutions.

North Star Fleet Solutions

North Star provides a full range of telematics solutions, but specializes in compliance issues, including IFTA reporting and returns, customs issues, IRP, and other areas. Although they’re headquartered in Calgary, they maintain a presence in the States as well; that knowledge comes in handy if your business operates across borders.

Summit Fleet

Summit Fleet is provincial in the best sense possible. Rather than trying to be all things to all comers, they focus on western Canada, offering lease and purchase services, rentals, fleet management, and fuel cards to fleets of all sizes from their base in Calgary.

Case Study

AssetWorks’ Solution for the City of Calgary

Sometimes the challenges faced by a fleet go beyond simply tracking the whereabouts of vehicles. For Calgary’s fleet services department, an additional issue was the possibility of hefty fines and other penalties in the event of a fuel spill. The city approached AssetWorks to manage not only their fleet, but also their risk.

AssetWorks developed a bespoke solution that tracked not only fuel spending — thereby saving the city a significant amount of money — but also system fuel flow, monitoring tanks and pipelines for leaks. The ability to track that data alongside fuel spend and usage among sixteen fueling sites didn’t just give the city’s fleet managers peace of mind; it enabled them to move proactively when it came to addressing other issues faced by the fleet and its drivers.

Fleet Management and GPS Cost

With so many vendors serving Calgary, and with those vendors often offering multiple price points depending on the solutions offered, it’s very difficult to generalize what a fleet management solution will cost your business.

The picture is further complicated when you stop to consider the cost of hardware, plus variations in the size of fleets and the number and types of assets tracked. This is why it is recommended that you compare many fleet management options before making a final decision.

Finding the Right GPS Solution in Calgary

There are many factors to be considered when you’re searching for the right GPS solution for your Calgary-based business. On one hand, the features and technologies mentioned above come with associated costs; however, there are a number of clear benefits, whether you’re operating around the city, within your province or territory, across Canada, or across borders.

If you’re researching the right fleet management SaaS for your fleet, therefore, contact us using the form above and we will help you narrow your choices based on your business’s needs.