Van fleet tracking for businesses.

For a business running vans, a vehicle's location is often the first part of an update. A map can show where a van has reported its position, while the job list and driver provide the detail about the work underway.

When arranging another visit, check the location and the current job together. A nearby van may still be occupied, while a vehicle further away may be ready to move on.

Journey history records vehicle movements. It gives you something to refer to when a driver or customer asks about an earlier journey, rather than relying only on memory.

For service and trade vans, that might mean checking the route between appointments or a return visit. For delivery vans, it might mean reviewing the route between stops. Read the journey alongside the job or delivery records to understand the work involved.

Mileage reports show distance recorded for the van. Start-stop reports provide vehicle activity information, with the exact detail depending on the tracking system.

Read mileage alongside the routes and work involved. Two vans can cover different distances because they serve different areas or carry out different work. Distance alone does not tell you whether one was used more effectively.

A tracker records information about the vehicle it is fitted to. If colleagues share a van, the rota or job record helps explain who was using it at the time.

If identifying the driver is important to your business, check how the proposed system handles that requirement. Do not infer a driver's identity from a vehicle location alone.

Some vans return to a workplace; others are kept at drivers' homes or separate depots. The fitting plan needs to reflect those actual locations.

A list of vehicle types, usual bases and availability makes it easier to arrange fitting without overlooking a van that rarely returns to the main workplace. Existing equipment should also be identified before a change of system.

The ICO says workers and passengers must be told about vehicle monitoring. If vans are also used privately, check its guidance on monitoring work vehicles when deciding how tracking will operate.

Read the ICO's guidance on monitoring work vehicles

Phace Track Manager is supplied by Phace Installations Ltd in Chudleigh and uses Track Manager Lite software. The available information includes map locations, journey history, and start-stop and mileage reports, with computer, phone and tablet access.

Devon is the primary area. Fleet enquiries from Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset are also welcomed, with fitting arrangements discussed for the vehicles and their bases.