When you own a fleet of vehicles, you understand the importance of keeping operating costs low and productivity rates high. GPS tracking devices can help you reach that goal by providing a link between you and your vehicles, so you can keep tabs on fuel costs, driver behavior, idle times and route efficiency.

With GPS tracking, you can:

• Track and manage your vehicles at all times.
• Keep tabs on driving speeds to prevent speeding tickets and reduce legal costs. The true cost of a speeding ticket in some states can be over $1,000.
• Keep track of cargo to prevent employee theft and ensure deliveries get where they need to go.

There are many GPS car trackers on the market today. Here are four of the best-rated models out there:

1. Zubie

While ideal for new drivers, Zubie also makes a great GPS tracker for company vehicles, particularly if you’re concerned about driving behavior.

Zubie monitors speed, acceleration, hard braking and real-time GPS tracking. It also sends out alerts when drivers are traveling at excessive speeds or driving recklessly.

And if you’re looking to cut down on fuel costs, the device also has a Fuel Finder feature that helps locate the cheapest fuel nearby.

Along with driving safety, Zubie also lets fleet owners know when check engine lights come on, when vehicles need oil changes, when batteries run low and when it’s time to fill up on gas.

If you have an Amazon Echo, you can integrate the tracking device and ask the Echo where your vehicles are any time you want.

The only drawback is that the company’s user agreement may give them permission to share your data with third parties. There’s also no easy way to see your data on the computer.

Zubie is affordable though, and its yearly subscription price is a bargain compared to other services.

2. Optimus Real Time GPS Tracking Device

The Optimus Real Time GPS tracker pairs with a dedicated app that allows users to keep an eye on their vehicles in real-time and at any time.

Optimus can send out alerts for speeding and low batteries. Owners can also set up geo-fencing and be alerted when drivers travel outside a designated route.

Fleet owners will appreciate being able to look at their data history to compare trends and address issues.

The battery-powered tracker has a two-week life, and the company is known for its top-notch customer service.

But the Optimus isn’t perfect. It can only transmit data where there’s cellular coverage, so this is not an ideal solution for fleet tracking if your drivers roam into areas with sketchy cell service.

3. Vectu Portable Tracker

The Vectu tracker is battery powered and pairs with the myApsenta app, which is available on both Android and iOS devices.

Vectu sends owners alerts through the app or text message for unauthorized movement and geo-fencing. History reports are also available, but only for 90 days.

The device comes in three colors (grey, blue and white), so you can better track your vehicles without things getting too complicated.

Vectu offers a highly affordable subscription service, but the device has trouble connecting at times and takes a full six hours to recharge.

4. The Mileage Ace

The Mileage Ace may be better suited for fleet owners who need accurate mileage logs, like trucking companies.

This tracker device eliminates the need for drivers to track miles by hand, which saves time and prevents costly human errors.

Once a vehicle returns from a trip and has WiFi access, it will automatically upload data without the driver needing to do anything.

The Mileage Ace isn’t a real-time tracker, so it may not be ideal for keeping tabs on speed and driver behavior. But for mileage tracking, it’s highly accurate.