If you work in snow removal you know the phone calls. Customers want to know where you are in the run. The phone rings constantly. You call your driver, then call the customer back.
The communication gap between dispatch and drivers makes updates genuinely difficult. Drivers are busy clearing roads, so reporting progress is not their priority — and if they did it continuously, nothing would get done.
Solving that starts with modern GPS-based tracking. There are two approaches: hardware GPS trackers, and GPS software such as a phone app.
This article compares them for snow removal work, and shows what tracking a fleet with xRouten looks like in practice.
Software or hardware?
Plenty of situations call for driver tracking, from taxis to construction vehicles. This article is about snow removal specifically.
You can of course call your crew, or send a text or a message, to find out where they are. Compared with the options below, those are inefficient ways to monitor progress on a route.
Tracking with GPS software
GPS software is simple to introduce into a fleet. All you have to do is download the app and install it on the devices you already have.
Most snow removal operations choose software because it is the cheaper option. Usually there is only a subscription to keep the service running.
Besides affordability, real-time tracking is the other major advantage. The software gives you an overview map showing where your drivers are at any moment. You can follow them through their routes without calling.
Context is worth more than position alone. Software built for snow removal gives you the position in the context of the route: not only where a driver is, but how far through the route they are, which customers are still ahead of them, and which are done.
One drawback is that you have to get every driver to use the software on their phone. Choosing something with straightforward setup helps. Another is cellular coverage. If your drivers work in areas with little or no signal, the software will not track their progress during that time — though modern apps buffer the track and upload it when signal returns, so the record is not lost, only delayed.
Tracking with GPS hardware
The main difference between vehicle GPS trackers and software is simple: they are physical. A GPS tracker is a hardware device you put in each vehicle.
Unlike software, GPS trackers are not limited by cellular coverage. Good trackers rely on satellite communication to handle tracking, which is valuable if you operate in areas with poor cell service.
GPS fleet tracking can also be insurance against theft. If you own valuable snow removal equipment, installing trackers means stolen vehicles can in principle be located. Alternatively, a key fob with GPS tracking tells you who is driving which vehicle at a given time.
Vehicle tracking is also popular with businesses that want information about driving behavior for safety reasons. Various products let you monitor braking, rapid acceleration, speed and so on. Some trackers include geofencing, so a dispatcher is alerted in real time when a vehicle leaves its assigned area.
If you run a mid-sized snow removal operation, tracking hardware may not be the answer, because it is often considerably more expensive than a standalone app. Besides the software cost there is hardware cost: you have to buy physical devices, maintain them and replace them over time.
Some hardware options
There are many reputable companies selling vehicle GPS trackers. Samsara, for instance, is an IoT company offering tracking hardware that works with a range of vehicles from cars to trucks, with plug-and-play installation. Most established telematics vendors offer something comparable, usually with an annual hardware and SIM cost per vehicle.
How tracking and route optimization work in xRouten
xRouten has a straightforward interface that makes it easy to follow your drivers' status. Routes are simple to plan, optimize and manage, which takes a lot of work out of the office. And your drivers can drive the resulting route live from the app.
Route optimization
You can have xRouten optimize a route once all the stops for the day are in. The algorithm takes special requirements into account, so make sure you have entered things like whether a stop needs normal or high priority.
Then press Optimize route. From there xRouten calculates the optimal route based on factors including traffic and the priorities you set.
Monitoring progress
Driver locations update continuously for as long as the route is active. Once a driver finishes for the day, tracking stops. Vehicle positions appear as circular markers you can follow live on your overview map.
Driver tracking through route planning software means you do not only know where your drivers are, but where they are in the context of the day's route. That saves a great deal of customer communication and gives you an overview you did not have.
What we think
We know we are not neutral here. But we do believe software is the better answer for driver tracking in snow removal.
It is a low-cost investment, and you can always switch away from it later if you decide you prefer hardware. The software also keeps improving. It is easier to introduce — most drivers already use their phone to find the next address. With physical GPS trackers you have to install those trackers in your vehicles or on your drivers' keys, and maintain them.
Software like xRouten also brings other important functions alongside tracking: route planning, route optimization and navigation.
Where hardware wins is coverage-poor territory and theft protection. If you regularly work in areas with no signal at all, or run high-value equipment that has been targeted before, a tracker earns its place — and plenty of operations run both.
Whichever you choose, better GPS-based driver tracking will improve how your snow removal operation runs. It lets you make your processes leaner and meet your customers' needs better.
If you run a snow removal business and are looking for a simple, low-cost way to keep an eye on it — and make the routes more efficient at the same time — start a free trial of xRouten.
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