March 2008, Fleet Financials - Feature
How to Defuse Driver Resistance to GPS
By Chad Simon
Paying for Itself
Mike Lanning, president of Desert Services, located in Scottsdale, Ariz., has been using GPS Insight for the past 2½ years because of the integration, customization, and service level provided. He says the GPS provider is on the cutting edge and one of the first companies to integrate with Google Earth.
With 38 vehicles consisting of water trucks, street sweepers, and roll-off trucks for temporary fencing, Lanning initially was interested in monitoring maintenance and mileage. He also can track location in real-time, route drivers to a specific job, and prove an employee was at a particular job on time or used the truck after hours.
"Just from that tracking, the system pays for itself. It prevents fraud from the customer and the driver side; you can’t dispute the evidence," says Lanning. "For the most part, 90 percent of our drivers are all doing the right things and they don’t care. The ones who complain are up to something and they’re the ones you need to watch anyway."
The system helps save money in a number of ways, including fuel. Drivers are efficiently routed to jobs closest to them and the number of trips is minimized.
Vehicle Misuse Tracked
Josh Zimmet, executive administrator for BLS Trucking, Inc., based in Dayton, Ohio, was initially looking to cut fuel costs and save money. He started using NetworkCar in February 2007 because it offered diagnostic information.
"Having the diagnostic data, which reads the truck’s information directly from its computer, sold us on NetworkCar," says Zimmet. We knew our trucks were being used for more than their intended use at night and on weekends. We knew tracking our trucks and knowing where they were at all times would eliminate unauthorized use. The savings so far show that we are going to be at or ahead of our predicted return on investment in less than one year."
Management tracks speed, idle time, odd-hour usage and locations, and fuel mpg. The system also offers truck computer alerts, which helps minimize costly breakdowns, particularly in difficult to access locations.
The fleet currently consists of 210 trucks, and drivers are mostly responsible for short-haul of lumber and building materials, as well as appliance delivery. For the most part, GPS use was generally accepted, according to Zimmet.
"We did have some drivers who were a little apprehensive. After we explained it was best for the company to have GPS and it actually protected the drivers against false claims, it was accepted," he says.
Among the benefits of NetworkCar, Zimmet says data is available 24/7 on a real-time basis. He knows where all 210 trucks are at any given time and where they have been. He can determine whether they are running and how fast they are traveling.
"We’ve had drivers who, because of the GPS data provided, have not been ticketed at the scene of an accident," says Zimmet.
"This year, we’ve had many claims that our trucks have caused damage at a particular location, and by having the GPS data with time stamps, we proved we were nowhere near the location where we had been accused of causing damage. These savings are not calculated into our ‘savings studies’ and are considered ‘hidden’ savings, but they definitely are evident," adds Zimmets. "Ultimately, at least with our company, what is good for the company, as far as savings are concerned, ends up being good for our employees. When introducing GPS, fleet managers should be honest with their employees."
Tags: @Road,
BLS Trucking,
Desert Services,
driver,
EasyTurf,
GEM Plumbing,
GPS,
Networkcar ,
Nextel,
Plumbing Plus and Remodel Works Bath & Kitchen,
Productivity,
Xora