It’s no secret that in the past decade food trucks have become more popular across the United States. Long gone are the days when food trucks were an afterthought and food truck owners are only looking to improve. Many are expanding their business and new tools to be completive in the crowded market.
If you’re looking to take advantage of this new wave of popularity and want to expand your capabilities, then you need a food truck GPS. We believe that a GPS system can help your business become more efficient and profitable.
What Can GPS Technology Actually Do?
GPS technology has been improving significantly in the past decade. GPS fleet management is being incorporated into industries such as bussing, trucking, maintenance vehicles, and other transportation heavy sectors. It not only provides turn-by-turn directions, but key features such as maintenance prevention, fuel tracking, and more.
The food trucking industry is also turning to GPS technology to take advantage of these features as well. It’s an investment to get the most out of your truck or fleet of trucks without breaking the bank.
How Can Food Truck GPS Improve Your Business?
Theft Protection
One of the most useful features of GPS systems is the ability to track a fleet of vehicles. While this has many implications, it is imperative when dealing with theft. Having a food truck GPS enables you to track a vehicle even when it is stolen. You can contact law enforcement and recover your vehicle immediately. Most GPS systems come with software to track all vehicles within the system. Additionally, some systems come with theft protection or alarm systems to prevent robbery as well. You don’t have to hope that someone will find your vehicle for you. Protect your investment with a food truck GPS.
Track Food Trucks and Staff
Have multiple food trucks in your fleet? Operate a restaurant, but want to expand to offering food trucks? A GPS fleet management system can help. You can track the movements and whereabouts of your food trucks in real-time. You can update customers about where you’ll be located for the day. As well as, moving trucks around between large events or to new hotspots. This is also a great tool to help manage staff in between jobs or planning around events. You can keep track of all of this with a food truck GPS.
Follow the Law
Did you know that in some states it is required that you have a GPS system on your food truck? It’s true, in places like Chicago it is required that you have a GPS device on your truck. If you are launching a new food truck for the first time, you may want to opt for a GPS system. While it is not commonplace to see laws like this in most cities, that doesn’t mean these types of laws can’t spread.
Help Customers Find Your Food Truck
GPS information is crucial for helping customers find you even after you’ve moved locations. You can schedule trucks and or coordinate with vendors more easily for events all from the application. You can also share this information on websites that track where food trucks are located. These websites and applications will pull location data from your GPS application or through social media posts that contain the coordinates. Popular sites to share your information with:
However, for apps such as Uber Eats, Grubhub, etc., you’ll still need to input those addresses manually for your food truck.
Track preventive maintenance
The blessing and curse of having a food truck is that you or not tied down to one location. You can move and find customers wherever they are. However, if your vehicle breaks down that takes away all the advantages of running a food truck.
Some GPS devices are equipped with the ability to set reminders for preventative maintenance on your food truck. Preventative maintenance is important because it can save you thousands of dollars in downtime. If you would like to spend extra money, there are GPS devices that will Identify what's wrong with your vehicle in the case that it does breaks down. If you want to keep your business running smoothly then you need a food truck GPS system.
Route Optimization and Fuel Reduction
Looking to make sure that your routes and time management are as efficient as possible? A GPS system can help you do this by managing multiple trucks all from one console. You’ll be able to track fuel usage, travel times, route optimization, and fuel purchases. Some software enables you to input your gas card into the software, which will automatically catalog all our purchases for tracking. The more vehicles you have, the more necessary it becomes to manage them all from one application.
Additional Reading: Is GPS Fleet Tracking for HVAC Companies Necessary?
Types of Food Truck GPS
Most types of food truck GPS systems will be a combination of two components.
- Physical tracking device
- Software
The physical tracking device will be the one capturing the data and hooked up to the engine of the vehicle. It will automatically start when the engine kicks on and can monitor your vehicle throughout the day. The software portion is where you can assign tasks to drivers and review data for your business. Companies also offer mobile applications along with the software so you can access your records even while on the go.
Food Truck GPS Price
You can buy a one-off food truck GPS system for around $50. However, these systems will be barebones and won’t include some of the necessary features that you need. It is in your best interest to select a reputable supplier of GPS devices that handles needs from different business sectors. They can help you optimize the device for your needs and provide you with a wide array of products. These types of suppliers can charge over $100 for devices so you’ll want to receive multiple quotes.
If you’re ready for a food truck GPS system, then 360Connect can help. We help customers find high-quality suppliers in their area! Just fill out our form and sit back and let the quotes roll in.
Want to read more?
Electronic Logging Device (ELD) | 360Connect