GPS tracking? (GrandPAH)

David_5

We are using http://www.corpten.com/site/prod_memtrak.html and have been satisfied with it. It is not real time. The data is automatically downloaded when the vans return to the shop. We only had to pay the purchase price, there is no other fee. We didn't upgrade for several years and have no problems. I had all the servicemen install the boxes in their vans. Some still drove when they shouldn't have. They are gone now. It is helpful to say to a customer we have a record of the time the van was at your location, you are welcome to come and see it. No one has taken us up on our offer. We also have found servicemen have made mistakes and we correct and apologize. This purchase was money well spent.

David

Dave Yates (GrandPAH)

vehicle tracking???

Any experience with these units? Sure would appreciate some insight from anyone currently using GPS systems. E-mail if you'd rather not discuss in public.

Derheatmeister

Verizon has something called Chaperone Service for Kinds...

They also have it for Adults/Business...But if you are trying to Trace the Vehicle, yes you'll need a GPS system.
But you maybe already know this..
Just some Thoughts. HM

JohnNY

I'm using Fleetmatics.

I let everyone in the company know about it beforehand and presented it as a dispatching tool.

Still, I fired one of my top mechanics about a month after having the units installed.

After that, everyone fell in line.

I couldn't get this one guy to stop using my van at night for personal use or side jobs or whatever.

Someone told me, before I bought the service, to ask myself how much I really want to know about what goes on after work hours. It seems many others have lost good guys to what the GPS has revealed.
Once you have it installed, you have an obligation to yourself and your company to react to what is brought to light.
It was a complicated decision for us.




If you want to talk about it, give me a call: 212-980-0909

I will say that now, since the dust has settled, I can't imagine being without it.


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JohnNY

Verizon

We had the Verizon service but on the weekends the guys would leave the phones at home and *poof* there went our tracking abilities.

The vans could've been in Mexico for all we knew.

There are also inexpensive services that let you download information from a device hidden in the vehicle once a month or so, but that's not real-time tracking.
It's half a service in my opinion.

Real-time tracking is what you want.

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Derheatmeister

Verizon IS Real time,I've demo'ed it. Still like you said it's not the vehicle that you are Tracking..

John Mills_5

We use

At Road (www.road.com)

I like the concept, just not real fired up about this company. We mostly use for time sheets. I usually keep a map up so I can see where the guys are. Sometimes there is such a delay that they are at their next call before the map changes. Have had some problems with the units, that's pricey out of warranty. Calling for support is a pain as many in tech support don't speak our verbage very well.

I can attach a jpg of the map and report if you'd like.

Gary Hayden_2

Finding Lois or is it Looking for Lois?

Is she getting harder and harder to keep up with As you get older and older and older! Was it the cruise - to many flights up and down looking for her. They say those cruises can be life changing. Ok enough fun. - back to work.

Dave Yates (GrandPAH)

Hah!

Working off the Lbs gained last week while relaxing in the Caribbean! Having just passed the birth milestone, or is that millstone?, I can say the chasing gets easier as we age(g). Soon it'll be shuffling!

I too have/had reservations about tracking vehicles and our new Nextels can be GPS activated. But, as mentioned anyone can simply leave the phone and drive away.

We've had a report about an employee using our vehicle after hours - extensively. On occasion, an employee will ask if they can use our vehicle to pick up materials and I've never refused providing it's for their personal use (the project materials, that is). On occasion, we'll get a customer complaint regarding the time billed to their job. "He was only here for 15-minutes." when, in fact, he installed two water closets, a boiler and new A/C! OK, that's a slight exageration, but there have been times when it's blatantly obvious the customer is lying through their teeth while deadbeating a bill. Still, there are other times when I can't tell & we adjust bills to satisfy the customers. Sure would be nice to have rock-solid proof one way or the other.

MIke_Jonas

Try..

hvac-talk.com. I spend time there almost every day. Search GPS and you'll have about a days worth of reading to do. It will give you many and varied opinions and points of view. Don't forget it will help if the vehicle is stolen.

Paul Fredricks_5

We use At Road. Mostly it is used for payroll. Each morning the techs times are taken from at road and past on to the payroll person. If a tech is using the truck for personal use we'll spot it then (and we have in the past, though usually because he stopped at his buddies for a few cold ones, not for side work). I don't believe we've had to let anyone go because of it. A short one on one in the office usually cures the problem.

Think of it not as big brother watching, but as a business tool.

We get calls all the time from customers who say the tech was only there for 15 minutes. A quick review of At Road and we know if that's true or not.

GPS? Our company couldn't live without it. And no matter what they say, the guys that argue against it the most have the most reason to fear it IMHO.

Tombig_4

GPS

We use Tele Trac. Its really a great tool. We use it every day. You can send text messages to the trucks like" Meeting at shop tonite.Mandatory for all". There are 30 or so pre programmed messages as well. Start job---End Job--Send Tow Truck--Homeowner on site--etc,etc. The trucks even can send free form text back to shop. It runs in real time.Updates every 10 minutes automatically. Tells you when the truck is turned on and when it is turned off(so on hot days you can see if they are sitting in the truck with the A/C on). Its fantastic.

GW

I use Networkcar

$20/mo/unit, cheap for live time.

I use an out of state vendor, Mt. Olive Wireless, Terry has been great to deal with.

One guy amazingly ignored my 'heads up' that they were installed when he came on a couple of years ago, but because i'm a nice guy I only canned him after I caught him moonlighting.

You know your group; I bet you can know right now who may leave upon installation of gps, and who will leave down the road for some "other" reason, but GPS was an underlying issue. It's your company, your choice... if you think 1/2 your co will bail, start looking for new help, and install gps when the stars line up properly.

gw

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