GPS Fleet Tracking

Status
Not open for further replies.
IMO My company signs my pay checks they have a right to know where there truck is. I have left early a few days but only after I worked extra on a job that wasn't bid for overtime and I wanted to finish it. I usually document in my daily reminder and if there was ever an issue I can at least have something in writing I can pull out with out hesitation. Believe me I never taken time from my company and I try not to work for free but I am positive I have given them some time for free (going to the supply house on the way home, staying 10-15min late or showing up a little early to make sure my guys have something to do as soon as they show up. etc.)

With that being said I know there are some guys in my company that have left a job to take care of personal business and charged the hrs to the job. I also know of guys that will work 6 and charge 8. It might be good for my company to find out who is loyal and honest.

The guys that would complain or revolt or probably the guys you have to worry about.

On another note I worked for a sign shop that wanted to put camera's in there shop. It was never an issue of tools missing or stealing but the owner wanted to watch what was going on in his shop all day. Another shop in town had done it and few good workers there quit. This would have crossed the line for me. It is one thing when employers want to know that your are where you are supposed to be, but another to watch your every move and how you execute your work. If your are hired on your skills and ability it shouldn't be necessary to track your every move.
 
Energy-Miser said:
When you say mileage chart, are you talking about a chart that is manually filled out by the electrician/driver of the truck, or is it some sort of automatic device that charts and reports the mileage, speed, etc. of the vehicle? e/m.
Click to expand...

Its some sort of automatic person that proactively checks the fuel man reports, and periodically checks the odometers himself. The data that comes from the guy driving the truck is not always correct.
 
Rewire said:
I had a guy call about his lights flickering I went out and found his panel needed replaced,a fire in the utility room was put out with a garden hose soaking said panel months later corrosion had set in, I sent a man out the next day and he was done in 4 1/2 hours I billed for 6 that included my time. The customer complained about the additional time I told him that was my time for comming out the first time and he said "I thought you guys did that for free"
Click to expand...

If you would have billed him for the job instead of the time he wouldn't have cared about the amount of time billed for and you probably would have made a lot more. I was at a residential job the other day where the customer asked me if I thought it was fair that a plumber had come to hook up a grill and a shower head and sat and talked to her for an hour, and made 3 trips to get material and charged her for the whole 5 hours @ $65/hr. I think she's right to be concerned about paying hourly for 3 trips to a supply house and sitting around talking. She has no problem paying me. I gave her a set price. My price did amount to much more than what she had paid them per hour.
 
220/221 said:
I only have 4 service trucks and I feel it's worth the cost. The reports you can generate are very helpful with job costing. Windshield time is a very important factor. It's also easy to pull up everybodys current location If someone needs something. It saves a few phone calls.

It CAN help with billing/timecard issues. I had a customer complain that I was only at the job for ten minutes and billed $150.00 for labor (even though I QUOTED it before I did the work).

I sent her the log which showed me at her place for 1.25 hours (15 minutes of which was doing an extra GFCI troubleshoot)


As far as what the employees think, it's YOUR truck.... right? They are on the clock...right? As long as you don't nitpick them for stopping for a doughnut once in a while they will be OK.


Also it is not a matter of trust it's a matter of control and statistics. Do you track material purchases or does anybody just buy whatever they want and toss the invoice in the trash?
Click to expand...
Yes, we definitely keep track of purchases with PO numbers and try to keep material waste to a minimum. I get your point, same is true of time, and it should be used effectively. Not just for my benefit, but also for the benfit of all. I am not the kind to object for to a donut stop, or even a small erand along the way, specially when we are not behind and calls are met, so that will not be an issue. Let's say we tried it and that everyone is cool with it. Is the cost justified by the benefits? Last time I priced one of these systems, the price actually shocked my system!! Are there companies that don't necessarily have all the bells and wistles but are in turn reasonablly priced? After all I don't need to have location information down to the minute and to the nearest feet right? e/m
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top