Naturally, a business owner would want to protect his investment. For a vehicle rental company, the way they protect their investments is with signed contracts, insurance, and sometimes, tracking devices.
Why Would They Track Your Rental Van?
Fortunately for you, your rental company doesn’t really care where you drive their vehicle, as long as you pay for their service and return the van in one piece and on time. However, if the van were to be stolen, they could use their tracking devices to find it. If they do use tracking devices to protect their investments, they need to tell you before you sign their agreement that they’re able to track the vehicle. Otherwise, it should make no difference to you.
Why Wouldn’t A Rental Van Have A Tracking Device?
Rental vans companies might like the idea of using tracking devices to find their vehicles if anything were to go wrong. However, it can get expensive. Think about it – if a rental company owned a fleet of 300 cars, they would need to pay for, install and maintain 300 units. That can get very expensive, and they’d need to push their prices up.
For fear of charging rates that are higher than their main competitors, they might opt not to track their vehicles because they don’t want to lose customers, or drive their clients to their biggest competitor.
The Benefits Of Tracking Your Rental Van
Other than the cost of a tracking device or GPS unit, there are many benefits for both you and the rental company if they install tracking on their vehicles.
As much as your rental company doesn’t care if you’re moving or transporting stock, they don’t want their vans to be used for illicit or illegal activities. A tracking device could help them avoid being implicated in a crime, or if their vehicle was being used for something unlawful. Tracking devices also help them recover stolen and missing vehicles relatively quickly.
Lastly, as the driver of a rental van, you would appreciate the additional security that a tracking device could provide. If the van breaks down in the middle of nowhere, you don’t need to worry about giving accurate directions for roadside assistance to find you. Some GPS tracking devices also include SOS buttons or automated alerts in the event of an accident.
When you hire a rental van, you can ask whether they include GPS tracking devices to their vehicles. They’re fitted to rental cars for your protection, as well as to protect the rental company’s investments.
