Tracking the Fleet

NickfromWI

King of Splices
Joined
Mar 30, 2005
Messages
4,992
Location
Snowless California
So I have a small fleet. Total 4 vehicles. I'm finding more and more that I want to know where people are. Did they leave the first job yet? Are they stuck in traffic?

I googled options and there are tons of them and I can't seem to tell them apart from each other. Honestly they all look annoying to deal with. I just wanna pull up my phone, open an app or a webpage, and see where everyone is.

Anyone use something reliable and easy to use?

love
nick
 
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  • #3
Each guy uses their own smart phone. I don't expect them to carry 2 phones.

I did think about getting an old iPhone, mounting it in the truck and just using find-my-friends. It would cost me $30/month/vehicle though. There's gotta be a more affordable way to do it.
 
...the Ski Area I used to work for installed GPS in the Snow Cats... Tracks drivers even the intervals when machine is not moving for whatever reason
 
The GPS that I installed in my chipper after the first one was stolen, has the option of adding a programme that lets you keep track of your fleet via computer if you have a GPS in every vehicle.

I keep hoping the thieves that stole my old chipper will run off with this one.
No luck so far.
 
Nick
We use Jobber software and it has a tracking feature, when jobs are assigned employees start and finish the job within the system letting you know at the office or a mobile device through the google maps feature where they are. We are just starting to use this feature so its still new to me but so far so good, as long as they start and finish the job it will mark where they are on the list of jobs assigned that day. Just how we are doing it.

Cheers
Ben
 
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  • #11
Ben- I looked into that feature when it first came out, but at the time I wasn't interested. Thanks for the reminder. I'll check it out. This just might be what I needed.


love
nick
 
Just back from Chicago. There have stings for cell phones. A 'homeless guy' spotter jabbering to himself will call into the row of chips down the road.
 
All they have to do is pull over to the side of the road to talk. It's not like they're going to a fire or the ER.
 
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  • #15
It's a different world here in this LA. Even pulling over the truck can be an ordeal. Finding a parking space for a car can be a chore sometimes- much less 2 adjacent spaces to fit the chipper, too


love
nick
 
Fleet tracking sounds like a good gig for large companies with an impersonal environment. Small companies are more personal and I think sometimes trust and patience goes a long way with guys when they are out of sight. If the work is completed in a timely manner and target numbers are being reached, adding that spy factor could make men feel like they aren't trusted. Just the flip side of te coin. Food for thought.
 
Around here we get intersection 'stings', basically cops hiding behind concrete pillars etc and popping out at red lights to see if anyone is yabbering or texting. Also, if you have the keys in the ignition, you can be busted for distracted driving, even picking up your phone to look at the display can get you a ticket.
 
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  • #18
True. My thing is- if I get to the clients house before the crew, I'd love to say, "they're still wrapping up the first job. It'll be a while" or "they are right around the corner, they'll be right here."

Or if client calls the office, the office mgr can see in a sec where they are rather than "hold on, let me call and see if they pick up then I'll call you back as long as no one call and interrupts in the 60 seconds until I call you back..."


love
nick
 
Last place I worked we had GPS in every truck and the skid steer etc. Real time tracking, email warnings when speed limits exceeded, idle time exceeds 5 minutes, sudden starts / stops, printable location data trail. Its so nice when a client calls and says the crew didnt show up 2 weeks ago, 30 seconds at the computer and you can say yes, they were there 9 days ago for 41 minutes in the 1 ton and the crew consisted of tom, dick and harry, they arrived at 1:18 pm.
We used Fleet complete.
 
I feel ya Nick. I've had the same issues. Crew doesn't always have a phone in their pocket or can't hear it. Text is good but gps doesn't require someone's attention on the other end. Also when someone calls the office wondering where the crew is Meg could just look it up
 
I've priced 2 ways, a proper set up is many thousands of dollars. Even with a community repeater
 
Simply have your guys download gps app. on their phones. You can check where they are at any time and is is free. Works great.
 
What if they don't want the boss tracking them at night? Can they turn it off after hours, or set parameters like 7 AM to 5 PM M-F?
 
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