Small business owners have a seemingly endless list of things to manage. From inventory and orders to employees and customers, a manager's attention can be spread thin, and important things can be overlooked.

Many different types of businesses rely on fleets to get their products or services to their customers. For businesses that are dependent on their fleet, managing these vehicles can become one of the most costly challenges.

How a fleet is managed affects labor, fuel and operating costs, as well as customer service, productivity and safety. The most simple and cost-effective solution to fleet management is to utilize fleet-tracking software. Fleet-tracking software not only makes managing a fleet easier for business owners, but also allows them to cut costs along the way.

Improve productivity

One of the most beneficial features of fleet-tracking software is the ability to track routes. Some solutions allow you to optimize routes, which can help decrease fuel costs by ensuring that your vehicles take the most direct route to their destination.

Having your vehicles take the shortest and quickest routes can also improve delivery time, which will benefit customer service. This will enable you to give more exact delivery or arrival time estimates, because you will be able to look at route history to determine how long a route will take.

Reduce costs

Fuel costs can also be decreased by reducing idle time. Ford Motor Company estimates that every hour of idle time is equivalent to driving 25 miles. Knowing where your vehicles are and what they are doing will allow you to decrease idle time and save gas.

Improve customer service

Another advantage is that you will always know where your vehicles are. This is important in case of customer emergencies. If a customer ever calls needing assistance as soon as possible, you will know what vehicle in your fleet is closest to that customer, letting you direct that vehicle toward the optimal route for the fastest response time.

Increase safety

Always knowing where your vehicles are also helps ensure road safety. The International Organization for Road Accident Prevention estimates that 90 percent of all road accidents are caused by human error. GPS tracking gives you the ability you to monitor vehicle speed and create a speeding policy — based on severity and frequency of violation — to reduce driver error and increase safety.

If your business depends on a fleet, manage it with the attention and resources it deserves. Fleet-tracking software can help you turn a costly and labor-intensive part of your business into a productive and cost-effective one.