How Digger Trackers Benefit the Construction Industry

GPS trackers are often mistakenly thought to benefit just the trucking and delivery industries. However, vehicle trackers have proven to be invaluable for a number of sectors, especially the construction industry. Vehicles and machinary don’t need to be on the road for hours at time to benefit from GPS technology. Digger trackers and excavator trackers are a worthwhile investment for any construction company. 

This article will discuss the five key ways the construction sector can benefit from using vehicle tracking systems. 

Why the Construction Sector Needs Digger Trackers 

Construction contributes nearly £90 billion to the UK economy, which accounts for about 7% of the annual GDP. Alarmingly, there’s been a surge in construction site theft since the first Coronavirus lockdown, and it’s easy to understand why. Excavators, dump trucks, cranes and backhoes are all valuable pieces of equipment, making them the perfect targets for thieves. 

Construction site theft can have major repercussions. If even one vehicle is stolen from a construction site, the entire project could come to a standstill. Not to mention the thousands of pounds a company would have to pay to purchase a new vehicle. 

But the construction sector shouldn’t invest in GPS trackers simply for anti-theft reasons. Construction sites can also be dangerous places. If vehicles are being misused, that could be harmful to workers. Because construction companies have vehicles on multiple sites, it can be a headache trying to manage all of the vehicles in a safe and effective manner without GPS vehicle tracking.  

9 Key Benefits of Using Digger Trackers 

Excavator trackers and other machinery trackers can greatly benefit the construction sector. The following section breaks down the primary reasons construction companies should invest in GPS vehicle tracking for construction vehicles. 

1. Theft Prevention 

Construction vehicles are incredibly expensive and may be needed on multiple project sites. If construction vehicle theft is a concern, utilising GPS trackers (like excavator trackers) is a must. Digger trackers let you set custom alerts, called geofences, that notify you if a digger or another vehicle is being used outside of a designated area. If you suspect a theft in progress, the real-time tracking feature of the digger trackers will show you exactly where the vehicle is so you can report its location to the police.  

Read more: What To Do When A Van or Machine Is Stolen

2.  Monitor Drivers 

Vehicle misuse is another major concern in the construction sector. With digger trackers, you can set alerts, called time fences, to be notified when vehicles are being used outside a specified time frame (such as working hours). With construction vehicle trackers, you can also review routes retrospectively to see if employees are using work vehicles for unsanctioned personal trips. 

3. Project Management 

Managing a fleet of construction vehicles can be extremely difficult since different vehicles are needed on different sites. Excavator trackers show you the real-time location of all your vehicles. This makes it easy to send vehicles from one site to the next without having to call the site manager to confirm the location of each vehicle first. Because of this, projects can be completed more efficiently, easing the already strenuous task of managing a job site.  

4. Vehicle Maintenance 

If construction vehicles are not maintained properly, the risk of workplace injury can increase. Excavator trackers and other construction machine trackers automatically log the miles of each vehicle in your fleet. With this information, you can easily schedule routine maintenance checks on each vehicle to ensure that the proper safety precautions are being taken. 

5. Accurate Accounting 

Using paper logs to track vehicle usage on construction sites is time consuming and leaves room for human error. Digital digger trackers are a smarter choice since they show you how many miles each vehicle has driven, which project site they were on, when and more. With this data, you can more accurately bill clients and provide them with proof of work, if needed. 

Discover: Vimcar’s Fleet App

6. Reduce Fuel Consumption

Every digger, big or small, requires fuel to operate and complete its tasks. The challenge here is to ensure that the digger is consuming the fuel in the most efficient way possible. With fuel costs rising across the UK, business owners are turning towards installing a GPS digger tracker to help manage their fuel consumption.

Installing a digger tracker can help you to reduce your overall fuel costs through:

• Reducing engine idle time
• Optimising digger usage on site
• Maintaining accurate records
• Performing proactive digger maintenance

7. Cut CO2 Emissions

Construction companies that stay up to date on their maintenance tasks ensure that their diggers emit minimal greenhouse gases. A digger tracker can be set up to send automated maintenance alerts to ensure that you don’t miss preventative services like oil changes and emissions tests so that the equipment runs as eco-friendly as possible.

Other ways that a digger tracker helps with cutting CO2 emissions include:

• Optimising routes to reduce the distance covered by the digger
• Using the right size of digger for the job
• Monitoring drivers to minimise idling
• Being conscious of regular digger maintenance to operate cleaner, environmentally friendly equipment

8. Streamline Operations

The comprehensive data and reports available from your digger tracker can allow you to increase your overall efficiency and streamline your operations. For instance, accurate timesheets provided by the tracking system can minimise inflated overtime claims to ensure your clients get the correct bills.

Here are the various ways that a digger tracker can boost its ROI by boosting your efficiency:

• Use past GPS data to schedule digger jobs and streamline project delivery
• Track digger usage to improve safety and limit accidents
• Manage all your operations from a single place to quickly identify and resolve any issues
• Increase visibility to track your diggers to ensure you are getting maximum ROI

9. Schedule Maintenance Checks

The modern digger tracker system features automated maintenance attributes that will create a more convenient and safer experience for your team. Automatic maintenance aspects will also simplify the entire process, and you will be certain that all the diggers in your fleet meet safety and quality standards.

Here’s how you can leverage a digger tracker to schedule maintenance checks:

• Set up custom maintenance reminders and alerts to avoid skipping vehicle inspection, maintenance, and repairs
• Keep accurate records to monitor and analyse digger performance and identify significant issues or deviations from the expected output.
• Use the digger tracker data to establish optimal maintenance schedules to reduce the impact on your general operations.

Embracing the numerous features and capabilities of intelligent digger tracker systems like Vimcar Box can unlock efficiency improvements, bring about time savings, plus other benefits. Contact Vimcar today to learn more about this easy-to-use digger tracker and how it can benefit your construction business.

Read more: What is a Vehicle Fleet Manager?

Which Construction Vehicle Tracker Is Right for Me? 

GPS vehicle trackers don’t just benefit the delivery and trucking sectors. Construction companies can also benefit from vehicle trackers, like excavator and digger trackers. These digger trackers are useful at preventing theft, monitoring vehicle usage, managing projects and more. 

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