GPS tracking is one of the most important additions for any fleet management company to make. Whilst this is a ubiquitously used technology, some have concerns around the legality of tracking employees during their time at work. Today then we are going to both look into the benefits of GPS tracking, as well as breaking down some of the legality issues around how this kind of software and technology is used in the workplace.

Let’s take a look then, at all you need to know about fleet tracking software for business.

What Are The Benefits of Fleet Tracking For Business?

The reason why so many companies look to use GPS fleet tracking is that there are simply so many benefits to both employer and employee. The main benefit of this software is that vehicles can have their location tracked in real time, which increases the safety of the driver and gives the employer full visibility of their fleet. Beyond this there are clear benefits with regards to finding the fastest route for the drivers which increases efficiency and provides further customer satisfaction.

There are additional benefits beyond location tracking which businesses can count on too. For example the GPS software sends back a huge array of data to the business about how the vehicle is being managed. This kind of information helps with regards to driver management, further increasing their safety. Not only this but businesses can use that kind of information so that they can have a solid maintenance plan which means that their vehicles last longer and saves them money in the long run.

Is It Illegal For Employees to Be Tracked?

With regards to the legality of tracking vehicles, there are some caveats here that we have to bear in mind. If the employee is going to be using their own then tracking can only be done on the vehicle during office hours. Not only this, but consent must be given by the employee before any kind of GPS tracking device is added to the vehicle. Now in the case of a company vehicle, this can be tracked at all times that the employee is using it. Once again however it is important that even in the case of using tracking on company vehicles, that consent is given by the employee.

The consent that is required here will be built in to the contract which the employee signs. Should an employee not wish to sign the contract then it is likely that they simply will not be able to carry out the position. GPS fleet tracking is critical in business and if employees are not prepared to sign up then getting the gig could be tough for them.

There is no doubt that any kind of tracking done in the workplace, providing consent is given in the right way, is completely legal and widely accepted by anyone working within a company which manages fleets that need to be tracked at all times.