03/09/2015
Mobile apps that take control of mileage, expense claims and even accident reporting are helping fleets manage costs - from the first turn of the ignition key to a driver’s evening meal. Find out which apps are enabling fleet managers to use alternatives to telematics, satnav and traditional reporting methods below.
RAC
Keep an eye on the roads with this free app. It’s another weapon in your arsenal of traffic-problem countermeasures, providing clear and simple info on breakdowns, road problems and updates as they occur.
Price: Free, Android, iOS
Eco Maps
Keep an eye on fuel efficiency and up your eco responsibility with this simple map app. Eco Maps works just like a standard mapping/journey planner app, but it plans its routes with an eye on eco friendliness. Drivers can plot their routes on the go, choosing between multiple fuel-effective options.
Price: £1.49, iOS
TomTom
Now you don’t need to spend company cash on TomTom’s best GPS devices - just invest in the mobile app. TomTom supercharges your driver’s mobile mapping, incorporating all the high-end functions of a business-class GPS into the phone. Updates are instant wherever the phone has a WiFi or mobile internet connection. Intelligent routes and traffic updating help conserve fuel.
Price: Starts at £29.99, Android, iOS
Greenroad Smartphone Edition
Greenroad’s app does away with the need for telematics. Using the technology already incorporated in the phone, Greenroad assesses a driver’s manoeuvres and gives immediate assessments, using a traffic-light scoring system to send feedback. Risky driving generates data, which is sent straight to Greenroad.
Price: Free, Android, iOS
MyCarTracks
An app that takes the place of an affordable fleet tracking solution, MyCarTracks is as simple as turning your phone on and activating the app. After that, the smart battery saver function ensures MyCarTracks is only operational when you need it to be. GPS is taken care of using the same app, so fleet managers don’t even have to invest in separate satnav.
Price: Starts free, add-on packages can be paid for, Android
Waze
Social media can be an extremely useful tool for drivers on the go, allowing them to share information about accidents, traffic congestion and other road problems. Waze is social media designed specifically for drivers.
Price: Free, Android, iOS
JustPark
Never waste time searching for a car park again. JustPark is trusted by over 750,000 drivers worldwide and is Europe’s leading provider of pre-bookable parking. You can reserve a space where you want, when you want and for however long you need
Price: Free, Andriod iOS
ParkRight
Driving in London is made less of a nightmare with ParkRight, a smart little app that collects live data from parking spot sensors in the West End. With 3,000 sensors to interrogate, ParkRight is able to tell drivers where there are available spaces right now.
Price: Free, Android, iOS
Mileage Log+
Enter the start and finish point of a journey, with readings from the odometer, and drivers will quickly and simply generate business and personal mileage reports to Dropbox. Fleet management can download the reports in Excel.
Price: £7.99, iOS
What apps do you use for your fleet? Let us know on Twitter or LinkedIn.
Accident Report
In the event of an accident, a driver may not be thinking clearly. With Accident Report, that’s not a problem. Good for on-the-scene control and subsequent data collection. Accident Report collects all the information needed at the point of an incident from the exchange of insurance details to collating photos of the scene and recording its location.
Price: Free, Android
