Contactless Fleet Management: Tracking & Theft Prevention

September 11, 2020

Optimizing fleet management has always been a priority for freight companies. The logistics industry is constantly evolving—shifts in supply and demand, global events, and market pressures all influence how fleets operate.

Today, these changes are happening alongside the rapid adoption of technology. The smartphone is a prime example. It has reshaped how we live and do business. From freight company owners to fleet managers, drivers, and end customers, everyone now relies on technology to keep goods moving.

Key Takeaways:

• Contactless fleet management improves efficiency by replacing paper-heavy processes with digital workflows and automated check-ins.
• Fleet vehicle tracking provides real-time visibility, enabling managers to optimize routes, reduce delays, and quickly identify unusual activity.
• Preventing fleet vehicle theft requires technology such as GPS tracking, geofencing, and digital driver verification.
• Corporate fleet vehicles support daily operations, including deliveries, field services, and logistics, making their protection a top business priority.

Vector’s platform integrates documentation, tracking, and security tools to reduce costs and enhance operational efficiency.

What Is Contactless Fleet Management?

A corporate fleet vehicle is any car, van, or truck owned or leased by a business for work purposes. These vehicles support daily operations like deliveries, customer service, and field work. Managing them effectively isn’t just about cutting costs—it also means preventing theft and using fleet vehicle tracking tools to improve security and efficiency.

How Contactless Fleet Management Helps Fleets Adapt and Stay Secure

As such, contactless fleet management technology is helping decision-makers in the freight industry adapt to the industry’s demands and worldwide social distancing measures. In short, we know technology defines fleet management. But what does contactless mean?

Contactless in the current sense means “immediate closeness is not required.” Contactless deliveries (also sometimes called touchless) are common in the B2C sector. Just think about the Amazon Prime packages making it hard to open the front door. The goods arrived, you didn’t see the driver, but you have digital proof of the transaction. Now take that same, simple contactless concept and transfer it to the exponentially more complex (and traditionally, paper-heavy) world of freight, logistics, and warehousing.

More importantly, contactless tools do more than streamline paperwork. They also play a role in reducing risks, such as fleet vehicle theft, as digitized records, real-time monitoring, and electronic verification make it harder for thieves to exploit paper processes or falsify identities. Clearly, contactless fleet management is the next great wave of tech.

From the iPhone to Today: The Evolution of Contactless Fleet Management

Remember the time before smartphones? Hardly, right? The world truly changed on January 9, 2007, when Steve Jobs unveiled the first Apple iPhone. You may have seen Steve Jobs’ iconic iPhone-1 keynote presentation. In it, he first referenced the fact that in 1984, Apple introduced the Macintosh, which changed the entire computer industry. Then Jobs referenced the iPod, which Apple introduced in 2001, which didn’t “just change the way we all listen to music, [but] changed the entire music industry.”

Then, Jobs (famously) teased the audience that he was now introducing three revolutionary products of world-class technology. Jobs said, “The first one is a widescreen iPod with touch controls. The second is a revolutionary mobile phone. And the third is a breakthrough internet communications device.” After letting the crowd slowly catch on, Jobs confirmed, “These are not three separate devices; this is one device, and we are calling it iPhone.”

The iPhone, and specifically the App Store, subsequently provided the platform. Meanwhile, tech companies innovated. In the case of contactless fleet management, Vector became the industry leader in digitized document software, which has since been dubbed perfect-scan.

How Vector’s Contactless Fleet Management Redefines Innovation

Vector’s mobile Perfect Scan technology works across iPhones, Android devices, and even PeopleNet PCTs. But the real innovation goes beyond scanning documents. Vector integrates telematics, GPS, and fleet vehicle tracking with transportation management systems (TMS) and document management systems (DMS), giving freight companies full data integration across every touchpoint.

That means drivers, warehouses, back-office teams, and customers all have access to accurate, digitized documents and load information exactly when they need it. Workflows become smoother, cash flow improves, and visibility extends across the entire supply chain.

In short, Vector’s contactless platform combines three core strengths:

• Digitized documentation through Perfect Scan technology
• System-wide integration that connects warehouses, drivers, back offices, and customers
• Risk mitigation and theft prevention powered by real-time tracking, verification, and automation

Together, these innovations transform how fleets operate, making them more efficient, more secure, and better equipped to meet the challenges of a connected logistics world.

If we think differently for a moment, Steve Jobs might have introduced Vector’s three revolutionary products as such:

“The first product is perfect-scan technology that provides best-in-class digitized documents. The second is a customizable interface that allows those documents to be shared through complete system integration between warehouse, driver, back office, and customer that will streamline workflow—and cash flow. And the third is a breakthrough, contactless risk mitigation platform that will ensure the safety of entire swaths of the freight industry.”

Core Goals of Fleet Management

OK, so we can hear Steve Jobs’ voice in our heads while we consider contactless fleet management. But trucking and fleet management are old industries. Let’s briefly cover some fundamentals before we pivot back to how contactless protocols streamline fleet management.  Let’s cover what could broadly be described as the goals of fleet management:

1. Driver safety and retention
2. Fleet tracking
3. Overall risk mitigation
4. Improved efficiency and productivity
5. Reduced transportation costs
6. Optimal non-peak period driver use
7. Route optimization
8. Reduced staff costs
9. FMCSA compliance regarding electronic logging devices (ELD), hours of service, hazmat, and IFTA
10. Reduced vehicle maintenance costs

In addition to spinning those plates, a fleet manager’s role and goal is to increase cost competitiveness, drive revenue, and watch P&L. Fleet managers accomplish these goals by keeping a hawkish eye on optimization and key performance indicators (KPIs). In other words, beyond optimal capacity utilization, fleet managers are data analysts who also dabble in accounting and human resources.

Overall, fleet managers must wear many hats and utilize various tools to accomplish their tasks. Perhaps that’s another reason the logistics marketplace has welcomed the technological solutions Vector has brought to the table—because Vector is so customizable.

Preventing Fleet Vehicle Theft with Technology

Fleet vehicle theft is a costly and growing issue for businesses. Stolen vehicles and cargo don’t just represent immediate financial loss — they can also disrupt delivery schedules, damage customer relationships, and increase insurance premiums. Traditional safeguards, such as locks and fences, help, but today’s fleets need smarter, technology-driven protection.

How Technology Protects Against Fleet Theft

Fleet Vehicle Tracking

Modern GPS and telematics systems enable managers to track vehicles in real-time. If a truck deviates from its route or enters an unauthorized area, alerts are triggered immediately. Geofencing adds a layer of security by drawing virtual boundaries around designated zones.

Digital Documentation

Paper-based bills of lading and delivery receipts are vulnerable to fraud. Digitizing these documents through eBOL (electronic Bill of Lading) ensures accurate, tamper-proof records that reduce opportunities for theft via forged paperwork.

Automated Driver Verification

Criminals often attempt fictitious pickups by impersonating drivers. Contactless fleet management systems prevent this by verifying driver credentials digitally, checking IDs, and confirming broker-of-record details before releasing a load.

Customizable Security Alerts

Technology allows fleet managers to set real-time notifications for unusual activity — whether that’s a trailer moving outside of scheduled hours or a vehicle making unscheduled stops. Early detection minimizes losses and speeds up recovery.

Mobile Accessibility

With mobile apps, fleet managers can monitor their assets from anywhere, eliminating the need to be in the office. Remote access enables a rapid response to suspicious behavior, regardless of the user’s location.

Customer Success Stories with Vector’s Fleet Management Solutions

On the other hand, perhaps fleet managers appreciate the ability Vector provides to streamline everyone’s workflow. Then again, I think fleet managers prefer Vector’s automated payments. After all, who doesn’t like a streamlined cash flow?

But we don’t have to guess about what each trucking company values most about Vector. Instead, just head over to Vector’s testimonials page. You’ll see that it’s full of firsthand accounts about Vector and the impact it’s making where the rubber meets the road.

The Key Elements of the Contactless Logistics Technology Stack

Which factors are widely accepted as the key elements of the ideal freight technology stack? Any trucking company that wants to optimize for efficiency and properly prepare for success has a tech stack that features the same core elements. The ideal tech stack will resemble something like this:

1. Contactless/risk mitigation measures
2. ELDs (electronic logging devices)
3. GPS (global positioning system)
4. TMS (transportation management system)
5. Driver workflow
6. Mobile scanning for load documents
7. Automated billing
8. DMS (document management software)

Incredibly, Vector checks the box up and down the ideal logistics tech stack, either directly or through integration and partnerships.

The Future of Fleet Management: Contactless, Secure, and Tracking-Driven

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.“— Steve Jobs

We know that the national freight network is complex—it’s a system of systems. To thrive in this industry, we must constantly adapt to the demands of the market, technology, and safety. In other words, we must be innovative. Just as each version of the iPhone builds upon the last, we must continually improve.

The future isn’t just about digitization — it’s also about security. By combining fleet vehicle tracking, real-time visibility, and digital documentation, fleets can protect against fleet vehicle theft while optimizing every mile. In other words, the next era of contactless fleet management is about being efficient, compliant, and secure.

Ready to streamline your fleet management? Explore Vector’s solutions to enhance efficiency, reduce theft, and optimize your operations today!

This post was written by Brian Deines. Brian believes that every day is a referendum on a brand’s relevance, and he’s excited to bring that kind of thinking to the world of modern manufacturing and logistics. He deploys a full-stack of business development, sales, and marketing tools built through years of work in the logistics, packaging, and tier-1 part supply industries serving a customer base comprised of Fortune 1000 OEMs.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do fleet vehicles have trackers?

Most modern fleet vehicles are equipped with tracking systems that utilize GPS and telematics technology. These trackers provide real-time location data, route history, and geofencing alerts to improve efficiency and help prevent theft. While not all fleet vehicles have trackers, they are becoming increasingly common in professional fleet management.

2. Should you avoid fleet vehicles?

Not necessarily. Corporate fleet vehicles are often well-maintained, as companies adhere to strict service schedules to ensure operations run smoothly. Although some buyers may be concerned about higher mileage, many fleet vehicles are reliable and cost-effective options on the used market.

3. What does it mean if a vehicle was a fleet vehicle?

A fleet vehicle is one that was previously owned or leased by a company, government agency, or rental business for work purposes. These vehicles are typically part of a larger fleet used for tasks like deliveries, service calls, or transportation. For buyers, this usually means the car has been regularly serviced, though it may have higher mileage compared to privately owned vehicles.