GPS trackers are one of the fastest-growing devices on the market. The market size was worth $2.19 million in 2021 and is expected to be valued at $6.38 million by 2030, according to Straits Research. Using GPS trackers has helped many businesses manage its service vehicle fleets as it makes deliveries or performs services.
Pool companies are no exception to this trend. Across the U.S., these companies are placing GPS tracking devices into fleets to monitor driver performance and collect data that can measure growth or highlight areas that need improvement.
American Pool, the largest pool management company in the country, has approximately 700 vehicles operating across 31 locations in 17 states, according to Eric Rowell, director of risk management for Amenity Collective, American Pool’s parent organization. Rowell says American Pool decided to use GPS trackers after it began monitoring company assets.
“Like most companies, we have shifted from primarily using GPS to track assets to using it to improve driver behavior,” he says. “We use our vehicles frequently to transport material and equipment to our various client locations … So, GPS is a very integral part of what we do to help drive our safety culture.”
American Pool has been using the devices for about eight years, Rowell says, but it’s not the only company doing so. Others include Pearl Pools and Poolman Aquatics Group.
While these companies use trackers sold by Geotab and Land Air Sea Systems, American Pool turned to the Roswell, Georgia-based, GPS Trackit. Jeff Alsop, the manager solutions architect at GPS Trackit, says safety is at the core of its clients’ needs.
“Safety of their culture, their reputation, the community and then also their drivers safety, too,” Alsop says.
According to Alsop, safety is maintained by tracking the driver’s speeding, rapid acceleration, excessive braking and more. Even idle time is noted. GPS Trackit created an incentive program with a scorecard that uses data from the tracker to promote safe practices among pool company drivers.
This can lead to healthy competition among employees, Alsop says.
“What a lot of them will do is take our risk factor cards or our scorecards, do a weekly printout and put it in a break room, and you want to be at the top,” he says.
Alsop adds that once clients implement this program, there is a noticeable decline in speeding.
To Rowell, safety means more than just tracking driver’s speed; with GPS Trackit’s devices, he also monitors vehicle locations and identifies any driving behaviors that need correction.
“I monitor vehicles to determine where they’re located,” he says. “And that vehicles are being used for company purposes, so that they’re not being used after hours.”
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Weekly reports are produced with American Pool that track and compare each of the company’s offices to see how well fleet drivers are doing. In the long run, those comparisons are used to address irregular driving behavior.
GPS Trackit’s customer service is the other piece that makes monitoring and comparing possible, according to Rowell.
“The primary thing that I like about GPS Trackit is their high level of customer service and their focus on the individual needs of our account,” he says. “We frequently have unique questions or challenges that their team can almost always help us come up with a unique solution. They’re very receptive to feedback.”
Despite the device’s benefits, there could be some downsides. Alsop says the trackers can be expensive, perhaps becoming a luxury for some businesses. However, without a system, a business with a truck fleet may struggle to know how well its drivers are doing.
Where do Alsop and Rowell see this technology five years from now?
Rowell says he looks forward to moving away from physical GPS devices that can become unplugged or damaged, instead using GPS technology built directly into vehicles by manufacturers. Alsop, though, is excited about the use of video technology.
“I think it’s going to be more commonplace as we move forward,” he says. “One of the No. 1 priorities for companies that I’ve seen is safety, and that inherently enhances your safety profile and your safety culture by adding in dash cams.”
