Here's a story one of our customers told us recently.
This business owner suspected that his employees were using company vehicles at odd times, and worse yet, clocking more hours than they were working. Like most business owners, he was often out of the office dealing with customers and suppliers. He needed to verify his suspicions. Time wasted by his drivers was no different than money stolen from his business.
So what did he do? One weekend he installed GPS tracking units on his vehicles without telling his drivers. He was out of town again on Monday and Tuesday, but guess what he discovered when he looked at his tracking reports on Wednesday?
On the days he was out of the office each of his service trucks returned to the office no later than 3:30 PM, but the drivers didn't clock out until 5:00 PM! This sent 1 ½ hours of billable time straight down the drain for two different crews. GPS tracking saved 6 hours in payroll in the first two days of tracking. Now that's a good R.O.I!
But wait, it gets better. His GPS tracking reports showed that one driver took a truck at 6:00 PM on Monday evening and drove 34 miles round-trip -- to move his buddy's vending machines!
Needless to say, this business owners small investment in GPS tracking payed for itself within days. As an owner, you only have one set of eyes. You’d like to trust all of your drivers, but reality keeps getting in the way. GPS tracking will give you the peace of mind that comes with knowing what's happening with your vehicles instead of guessing. And this knowledge can add up to a lot of money in a hurry.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Vehicle Tracking: Cell Phones Cause Distraction for Drivers
One of the major benefits of GPS vehicle tracking is increased driver productivity. But what if your tracking device has become another distraction for your drivers?
Many businesses have turned to cell phones to track their drivers. Where this can be an easy solution for a business, it often opens a digital “Pandora’s box” for it's drivers.
Smart Phones have become smart enough to track a vehicle's location, but also smart enough to update one's Facebook page and view pictures of the kids. Businesses may be providing their drivers with the only web access they have throughout their day. The temptation to “reach out” to friends- text a spouse, or check sports scores- is often too great for many drivers.
Research by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute showed that a truck driver looking down while texting for a mere six seconds while motoring at 55 miles per hour will travel the entire length of a football field, and not realize they traveled so far.
The Harvard Center of Risk Analysis estimates that each year cell phone activity contributes to:
636,000 motor vehicle crashes
330,000 injuries, and
2,600 fatalities.
Many companies have already adopted polices banning their drivers from using cell phones in an effort to reduce the number of injuries and the rising costs associated with workplace distractions. These employers understand the potential liability connected with this behavior. Lawsuits have been settled for millions of dollars in favor of people hurt or killed by distracted drivers.
In fact, several politicians and the American Transportation Association have already introduced legislation aimed at banning texting while operating a vehicle. The proposed “Avoiding Life-Endangering and Reckless Texting by Drivers Act of 2009” bill will penalize states in violation of the law, with the risk of losing 25% of their annual federal highway funding.
Do your business a favor…track your vehicles, but do so with a device that does not interfere with your drivers’ daily duties or tempt them to play with “apps” during their work day. The end result will be a safer, more productive work environment.
FoxTrax GPS Fleet Tracking
Clever solutions for vehicle tracking
www.FoxTraxGPS.com
Many businesses have turned to cell phones to track their drivers. Where this can be an easy solution for a business, it often opens a digital “Pandora’s box” for it's drivers.
Smart Phones have become smart enough to track a vehicle's location, but also smart enough to update one's Facebook page and view pictures of the kids. Businesses may be providing their drivers with the only web access they have throughout their day. The temptation to “reach out” to friends- text a spouse, or check sports scores- is often too great for many drivers.
Research by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute showed that a truck driver looking down while texting for a mere six seconds while motoring at 55 miles per hour will travel the entire length of a football field, and not realize they traveled so far.
The Harvard Center of Risk Analysis estimates that each year cell phone activity contributes to:
636,000 motor vehicle crashes
330,000 injuries, and
2,600 fatalities.
Many companies have already adopted polices banning their drivers from using cell phones in an effort to reduce the number of injuries and the rising costs associated with workplace distractions. These employers understand the potential liability connected with this behavior. Lawsuits have been settled for millions of dollars in favor of people hurt or killed by distracted drivers.
In fact, several politicians and the American Transportation Association have already introduced legislation aimed at banning texting while operating a vehicle. The proposed “Avoiding Life-Endangering and Reckless Texting by Drivers Act of 2009” bill will penalize states in violation of the law, with the risk of losing 25% of their annual federal highway funding.
Do your business a favor…track your vehicles, but do so with a device that does not interfere with your drivers’ daily duties or tempt them to play with “apps” during their work day. The end result will be a safer, more productive work environment.
FoxTrax GPS Fleet Tracking
Clever solutions for vehicle tracking
www.FoxTraxGPS.com
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Some Creative GPS Vehicle Tracking Deals Are Risky
As industries go, the GPS vehicle tracking industry is relatively new. As such, many providers are quickly coming up with creative pricing models to attract new customers. Some have even gone the way of cellular providers, offering high-tech devices (tons of apps!) at highly reduced prices, but with a lengthy contract.
Two questions arise for businesses with the need to track their vehicles:
(1)What to you really need in a device, and
(2)Should you enter into a service contract…even if you get enormous up front discounts?
To address the first question, think about what you are trying to accomplish.
Do you want to stop unauthorized driving?
Do you want to reduce the number of "Where are you calls?"
Do you need to know who is closest to an address right now?
Do you want to log stop times for billing or cost accounting?
Do you want to log mileage for billing or cost accounting?
Do you want to spot overlapping or inefficient routes?
Do you want your drivers to know you can see what they're up to?
Situational awareness is the real necessity for most businesses. Bells & whistles are nice, but not a must-have, and often a distraction. With today’s technology, businesses can purchase devices that provide enough information to answer the questions above for under $150.
Now to our second question, “Should I enter into a contract…for any reason?” No! The answer is “no”. The list of reasons is long but includes:
1.You shouldn’t have to…there are GPS vehicle tracking providers that offer service with NO contract
2.In today’s economy, you never know when you’ll have to scale back. In fact, it’s good business practice to be prepared to do just that. A contract locks you in, and by nature is not flexible.
3.You may have a future need that your existing provider can not support
4.You may simply find a better deal
5.Technology changes quickly. So do payment options in new industries. Your device, and payment plan, may be obsolete before long.
A GPS vehicle tracking system is an investment when you have more than a few vehicles. Make sure you reduce your risks by choosing a plan doesn’t lock you in.
Two questions arise for businesses with the need to track their vehicles:
(1)What to you really need in a device, and
(2)Should you enter into a service contract…even if you get enormous up front discounts?
To address the first question, think about what you are trying to accomplish.
Do you want to stop unauthorized driving?
Do you want to reduce the number of "Where are you calls?"
Do you need to know who is closest to an address right now?
Do you want to log stop times for billing or cost accounting?
Do you want to log mileage for billing or cost accounting?
Do you want to spot overlapping or inefficient routes?
Do you want your drivers to know you can see what they're up to?
Situational awareness is the real necessity for most businesses. Bells & whistles are nice, but not a must-have, and often a distraction. With today’s technology, businesses can purchase devices that provide enough information to answer the questions above for under $150.
Now to our second question, “Should I enter into a contract…for any reason?” No! The answer is “no”. The list of reasons is long but includes:
1.You shouldn’t have to…there are GPS vehicle tracking providers that offer service with NO contract
2.In today’s economy, you never know when you’ll have to scale back. In fact, it’s good business practice to be prepared to do just that. A contract locks you in, and by nature is not flexible.
3.You may have a future need that your existing provider can not support
4.You may simply find a better deal
5.Technology changes quickly. So do payment options in new industries. Your device, and payment plan, may be obsolete before long.
A GPS vehicle tracking system is an investment when you have more than a few vehicles. Make sure you reduce your risks by choosing a plan doesn’t lock you in.
Monday, January 4, 2010
GPS Vehicle Tracking: Active vs. Passive Reporting Systems
With a variety of GPS Vehicle Tracking solutions on the market, is an Active or Passive reporting system best for your business? Let’s compare the differences:
Passive Tracking Systems
Passive tracking systems have the ability to store GPS location, speed, and headings. If you choose to use a passive system, your employees keep the system in their vehicle for the duration of their trip and once the vehicle returns, the device is removed. Passive tracking systems store tracking data in memory on the device. In order for you to view the information, you will need to pull the device from the vehicle and connect it to your computer. From there, you can look at the data every month or so, and compile reports on your employees. These systems cater to businesses who only need to track their mileage or who don’t need immediate data about their vehicle locations.
Active or “Real-time” tracking devices
Active tracking devices require no manual interaction to send their data, i.e., you don’t have to remove the device from your cars each time you want information. These devices use a wireless network to send you real-time updates throughout the day. An active tracking device instantly tells you where the vehicle is - which can be critical for many businesses. Real time tracking devices allow you to locate your vehicles on a map and actually watch the vehicles’ movements as they occur.
Active tracking is the best choice for businesses interested in improving the efficiency of their deliveries and monitoring their employees. An active tracker may have geo-fence abilities, which will alert you when the vehicle enters or leaves a specific location. These systems can also help prevent theft and recover stolen vehicles, or alert you if your employee is not in a predetermined location.
Simply put, if you've spent time developing your business and money purchasing the cars in your fleet, it is in your best interest to ensure your employees are on track and not wasting company time and money. If knowing what your employees are doing with your vehicles at any given time is a key component in running your business, an Active Reporting System should be your tool of choice.
Passive Tracking Systems
Passive tracking systems have the ability to store GPS location, speed, and headings. If you choose to use a passive system, your employees keep the system in their vehicle for the duration of their trip and once the vehicle returns, the device is removed. Passive tracking systems store tracking data in memory on the device. In order for you to view the information, you will need to pull the device from the vehicle and connect it to your computer. From there, you can look at the data every month or so, and compile reports on your employees. These systems cater to businesses who only need to track their mileage or who don’t need immediate data about their vehicle locations.
Active or “Real-time” tracking devices
Active tracking devices require no manual interaction to send their data, i.e., you don’t have to remove the device from your cars each time you want information. These devices use a wireless network to send you real-time updates throughout the day. An active tracking device instantly tells you where the vehicle is - which can be critical for many businesses. Real time tracking devices allow you to locate your vehicles on a map and actually watch the vehicles’ movements as they occur.
Active tracking is the best choice for businesses interested in improving the efficiency of their deliveries and monitoring their employees. An active tracker may have geo-fence abilities, which will alert you when the vehicle enters or leaves a specific location. These systems can also help prevent theft and recover stolen vehicles, or alert you if your employee is not in a predetermined location.
Simply put, if you've spent time developing your business and money purchasing the cars in your fleet, it is in your best interest to ensure your employees are on track and not wasting company time and money. If knowing what your employees are doing with your vehicles at any given time is a key component in running your business, an Active Reporting System should be your tool of choice.
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