vehicle tracking devices

[Dolly Llama]

did a quick google and saw plenty available at different price ranges

don't need lots of options
all I really need is one that can track the vehicle's whereabouts in real time


who knows anything about them and who currently uses them?

thanks

..L.T.A.

 

[BIG WOOD]

Who is it you're stalking? Is she hot?

 

[Dolly Llama]

Who is it you're stalking?

Woody, I'm a stud ....don't have to stalk ..they all love me


we have 4 company vans our top guys take home every night.
Like to be able to track where they're at during the day, when/where they're rolling and when/where they're parked

If I understand (and I don't) the little I've googled so far, some are real time and some update every 5 minutes to an hour or more???



..L.T.A.

 

[Brian H]

We use GEOTAB GPS in our vehicles. They are very accurate and update every 30 seconds, I think. You don't really need anything more precise than that. Most GPS tracking devices will give you a history you can search on as well. This way you can tell not only where your vehicles are, you can tell where they have been.

The GEOTAB GPS tracking devices also can send you real time alerts on speeding, excessive idling, hard cornering, fast acceleration and unauthorized device removal. I am fairly certain other companies offer similar options, so shop around for a good price.

We did a trial with another GPS tracking that only showed real time and not any history. We discovered quickly that it just wasn't enough info for us. It actually was more frustrating to not be able to review where a vehicle had been then to not have it at all.

 

[Cleanworks]

I wonder if privacy laws prevent you tracking the vehicles in off hours if you are letting the employees take the vehicles home. I have never agreed in letting employees have the vehicles overnight. You find them doing jobs on the side often but if you do let them, are you allowed to track where they go? Maybe finding info about them about their favorite titty bar, massage parlour or church?

 

[FredC]

I wonder if privacy laws prevent you tracking the vehicles in off hours if you are letting the employees take the vehicles home. I have never agreed in letting employees have the vehicles overnight. You find them doing jobs on the side often but if you do let them, are you allowed to track where they go? Maybe finding info about them about their favorite titty bar, massage parlour or church?

Looks like nothing prevents it although laws do protect against actions taken based on after hours tracking. Laws don't seem to have caught up yet.

The few things I read just said make sure you get consent. Some said a good practice to prevent issues is allowing it to be turned off after hours.

 

[Dolly Llama]

I wonder if privacy laws prevent you tracking the vehicles in off hours if you are letting the employees take the vehicles home.

, are you allowed to track where they go?

Dunno about privacy laws
But know Ohio is a “right to work” state.
Meaning I can you for no reason at all

I’m reasonably sure I could make it make it a condition of employment if they want their own van
But figure that’s a moot point, cause they all want a van and tracking wouldn’t change that


..L.T.A.

 

[FredC]

But know Ohio is a “right to work” state.

You sure about that?

and all that really means is you can't be forced to join a union............

I think you mean "at will" and there are still state and federal protections although there are none that would apply here that I am aware of

 

[Old Coastie]

This is why we hire lawyers, innit?

 

[Dolly Llama]

You sure about that?

and all that really means is you can't be forced to join a union............

I think you mean "at will" and there are still state and federal protections although there are none that would apply here that I am aware of

correct, Fredo

at will or whatever
as long as not a violation of state 'n fed law (discrimantion, etc) I can dismiss them for no reason

..L.T.A.

 

[The Great Oz]

We use In Touch GPS. $23 per month per vehicle, you pay a month in advance and there's no contract so you can drop them right away if you want. You can get a cheaper monthly rate from other companies by signing a multi-year contract. They do all the stuff you want from a GPS service provider.

If the employee understands the truck is not to be used to run to the store or tow their boat on weekends, you don't know or care where your employee is going on their own time. You have every right to track your own truck 24 hours a day though, and I think it unlikely that any court would find in favor of an employeeusing your equipment for any unauthorized reason.

 

[clean image]

I use GoTrackEZ. 1 minute updates. Pay I think 230/ yr. going on 7 years

The best is setting up Geo fence that emails when in and out / start /

I set up alerts when they idle over 10 minutes.. ( lunch)

 

[Desk Jockey]

I think you need to get them out of company vehicles. The cost of fuel, the liability if they get in an accident after hours, the poor image of your vehicles at the bar or strip joint or even just in front of the liquor store is not a good one.

Give them $1,000.000-$2,000.00 to get them off the tittie and get your trucks back.

 

[clean image]

My thoughts same as the jockey

Only advantage of techs driving is parking space. Some commercial spaces I been looking at only allow 1 or 2 vehicular per 1k sq ft

 

[Dolly Llama]

I think you need to get them out of company vehicles.

not on 72.948% of our jobs
example is the project we finished up last week

it's an hour from the shop, but only 15 to 40 minutes from the guys' homes

they drive direct to the job and their time starts when they get there at 8.
If parked at shop, they get to shop at 8 and times starts, then drive an hour to job

4 men, I've lost 4 hours of production as well as paid 4 hours seat time
and used more gas to boot

that don't make cents to me....


..L.T.A.

 

[Desk Jockey]

not on 72.948% of our jobs
example is the project we finished up last week

it's an hour from the shop, but only 15 to 40 minutes from the guys' homes

they drive direct to the job and their time starts when they get there at 8.
If parked at shop, they get to shop at 8 and times starts, then drive an hour to job

4 men, I've lost 4 hours of production as well as paid 4 hours seat time
and used more gas to boot

that don't make cents to me....


..L.T.A.

A lawsuit from a car accident when it was after hours wouldn't be worth the liability. Why risk the company needlessly. What if they were drinking or even sober but killed someone. Too risky for the increased production. Maybe pay their gas to use their own vehicles to get to job sites.???

 

[Fat Mike]

Most guys around here just drive to the sites unless it’s out of town and then it’s car pooled

Could always use a van/trailer have one guy come in that hour early to be the driver.

Makes me nervous having trucks out. I know a guy locally that got tboned by a car and two people died he was in a truck.
Thankfully he had a good lawyer but people found out he owned a business and went crazy trying to go after him. In his case not at fault but still cost a lot defending himself.

He told me that was the most stressful thing he’d been through. Guess his wife was pregnant too boot.

 

[Cleanworks]

A lawsuit from a car accident when it was after hours wouldn't be worth the liability. Why risk the company needlessly. What if they were drinking or even sober but killed someone. Too risky for the increased production. Maybe pay their gas to use their own vehicles to get to job sites.???

We had that happen here. Lady driving a restoration company van, t-boned a young girl in a small car, killing her. The lady had been drinking while watching a hockey game. That companies name was all over the news and still comes up once in a while. The dead girl's mother became a well known advocate against drinking and driving.

 

[The Great Oz]

Again, if you have vehicle tracking, you don't have to worry about your truck being parked or driven anywhere it shouldn't be. Tracking actually lowers your insurance rates, as you'll see inappropriate driving before it turns into accidents.

When comparing tracking service providers, I found they each had a feature that another didn't. I decided on InTouch for the lack of contract commitment and because the guy was honest enough to tell me that they all copied each other, so no one had an advantage for more than six months.

That being said, the InTouch real-time tracking can be slightly off if the screen isn't refreshed every two weeks or so. Momentarily disconcerting to see a truck parked 50 feet into a lake.

 

[bob vawter]

I got a phone tracker that can tell me when my old lady is standing in line at the store....
I can follow her anywhere.......

 

[Brian H]

One of the reasons we went with GEO TAB was that it also alerts when our Butler cleaning unit is turned on. These alerts can just be part of history or they can email the alerts to the department managers.

I am sure that anyone who allows employees to take a company vehicle home would have a waiver that states that vehicle to be used for company business only.

Oh and we did get a reduction on our insurance costs as well.

 

[Cleanworks]

One of the reasons we went with GEO TAB was that it also alerts when our Butler cleaning unit is turned on. These alerts can just be part of history or they can email the alerts to the department managers.

I am sure that anyone who allows employees to take a company vehicle home would have a waiver that states that vehicle to be used for company business only.

Oh and we did get a reduction on our insurance costs as well.

Big brother is always watching you.

 

[Dolly Llama]

A lawsuit from a car accident when it was after hours

what's the difference if accident is 3:59 or 4:01??


.L.T.A.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Major dipshit! Uhhh not major dipshit. But MAJOR, Dipshit!

If you can avoid being involved at all (4:01), why take that chance. Much better you hear about it than be involved!!!

 

[Dolly Llama]

oh...reducing risk by minimizing miles 'n time in company van .
I get that

you might of missed the part where more often than not there will be less travel time and miles from home to job compared to from shop to job and back to shop

glad you agree with me now .
shows you're getting smarter....

..L.T.A.

 

[Desk Jockey]

oh...reducing risk by minimizing miles 'n time in company van .
I get that

you might of missed the part where more often than not there will be less travel time and miles from home to job compared to from shop to job and back to shop

glad you agree with me now .
shows you're getting smarter....

..L.T.A.

Come on fooker! Defending a lawsuit will eat a second hole in your ash!

 

[Chris A]

We use GEOTAB GPS in our vehicles. They are very accurate and update every 30 seconds, I think. You don't really need anything more precise than that. Most GPS tracking devices will give you a history you can search on as well. This way you can tell not only where your vehicles are, you can tell where they have been.

The GEOTAB GPS tracking devices also can send you real time alerts on speeding, excessive idling, hard cornering, fast acceleration and unauthorized device removal. I am fairly certain other companies offer similar options, so shop around for a good price.

We did a trial with another GPS tracking that only showed real time and not any history. We discovered quickly that it just wasn't enough info for us. It actually was more frustrating to not be able to review where a vehicle had been then to not have it at all.

How does that work with the Butler's? Don't these things usually plug into the obd port?

 

[Brian H]

The ones I have seen do plug into the OBD II port. The GEOTAB use an adapter that plugs into the port and then duplicates the port so that you can still access the port.

 

[The Great Oz]

Brian,
Good to hear you're not having any problems with a splitter and the Butler units.

Different GPS reps said that we couldn't use an OBD splitter if we had a unit that controlled any part of engine management. Too many cases of ambulance and other PTO units, using the OBD port combined with GPS, causing electronic faults that in turn caused mechanical damage to transmissions and engine controls.

I sure would have preferred plug-in OBD to the hard wiring.