Fleet vehicles don’t just move goods — they move your cashflow, reputation, and customer promises. When one truck goes missing, breaks down unexpectedly, or arrives late with no explanation, the real cost isn’t only repairs. It’s missed deliveries, overtime, penalty clauses, and stressed teams trying to “make a plan”.
Basic tracking helps you locate a vehicle. Advanced tracking (telematics) combines location with vehicle and driver data so you can manage performance, risk, and compliance in one view — especially important when you run multiple vehicles across multiple routes.
A useful way to think about it:
Tracking tells you where the vehicle is. Telematics tells you what’s happening — and what to do next. (This is the difference between reacting and running a controlled operation.)
South African businesses face a tough reality: commercial vehicles are targeted. Tracker’s Vehicle Crime Index reporting has shown business-owned vehicles are significantly more likely to be targeted than privately owned vehicles.
That’s exactly why insurers pay attention to strong controls. Better visibility and safer driving behaviour can mean fewer incidents, fewer claims, and more predictable operations.
Theft and hijacking response
When something goes wrong, time is your enemy. Advanced systems can trigger alerts for:
And because recovery rates reported by tracking providers can be high (depending on conditions and response), fast escalation matters.
Operational control win: clear incident steps, quicker response, better documentation.
Real fuel control (idling, routes, and waste)
Fuel leakage often hides in plain sight:
Telematics helps you spot the patterns and change them (with coaching, route planning, and measurable targets).
Operational control win: fuel becomes measurable, not mysterious.
Driver behaviour that reduces risk (and downtime)
Advanced tracking can highlight risky behaviour such as harsh braking, speeding, and aggressive acceleration. Over time, coaching and enforcement typically improves safety — and safety reduces claims frequency (which is why insurers like this data-driven approach).
Operational control win: fewer incidents, fewer repairs, fewer missed delivery windows.
Maintenance scheduling before breakdowns happen
Instead of waiting for a breakdown and losing a day (or a week), telematics can support:
Operational control win: planned downtime beats emergency downtime — every time.
Better asset utilisation
Most fleets have underutilised assets:
Fleet asset management is about maximising the ROI of every asset across its lifecycle — and modern guides stress visibility as the starting point.
Operational control win: the same fleet can often deliver more, with fewer “surprises”.
Audit trails, proof, and customer confidence
Advanced tracking supports:
Operational control win: fewer arguments, faster resolutions, stronger service levels.
Use this as a practical spec list when comparing options:
If you’re running heavy commercial vehicles, tracking isn’t just a “nice to have” — it’s part of a modern risk plan.
As part of its Heavy Commercial Vehicle insurance solutions, Miway Business Insurance offers clients free basic tracking devices and preferential rates on optional advanced tracking systems.
If your fleet is growing (or your risk is), it’s worth reviewing whether your tracking and insurance are working together — not sitting in separate silos.
See Miway Business Insurance options for fleet and truck cover and chat to the team about what tracking level makes sense for your routes, vehicle types, and risk profile.
