Gps

[HVACJOEK]

What is everyone’s' opinion if your work truck is or would be equipped with GPS solely for the purpose of tracking your vehicle?? :cool:

[drk]

Think it would be great! It would do away with a lot of dead wood!

[jayguy]

i understand the logic, but who is going to determine where and when you went somewhere and if it was business related. would you save money by hiring someone to track down all of the techs movements in the GPS, compare that to the work tickets, pay the techs to explain where they were and why?

sometimes business is business. but sometimes business can be an "on your honor" thing too. sometimes i work overtime and i don't even write it down...sometimes the office pays me to go home because there isn't any point in sending me to a job for 15 minutes. i think GPS would fall into the last category. if i stop by my accountants office to sign some paperwork and it is a little out of the way...so what. if i drive a little farther to meet my wife for a rare lunch (nooner?), but i get my work done...is that really all that bad?

[tex~n~oz]

I agree with Jayguy but perhaps in a more outward way...

I usually don't input to employment related questions, but because this has directly affected me in the past, I couldn't resist..

Before the GPS systems they used radio-triangulation systems that did the same thing. It would triangulate your position and constantly send back your vehicle position to the office via uhf radio channels.

Placing a "big brother" system in someone's truck just screems "I don't trust you". My question is why?? Are your guys gettin their work done? Are customers complaining? There really needs to be a reason why you'd so closely monitor your employees unless you are just paranoid OR you have a bunch of men who love to f the day off..... or maybe your are a control freak and can't help yourself but to micro-manage.

I've personally quit two companies that have put those in the work vehicles. Even though my work vehicle wasn't on the menu.
I feel working for a company that blankets invasion of privacy isn't worth working for, even if its not my own privacy, but those I work with instead.

On the otherhand... If you have a tech who's getting complaints, QA is showing he's not doing work he's billed, or billing excess time to jobs, then fine, just sack him.

The whole idea of tracking is just freaky and goes beyond QA. It's delves into an unhealthy attitude of control and mistrust from a boss who's too lazy to get off his ass and see for himself.

Any tech who's at all decent in his work (intelligent) will be offended and shop you out for a company that shows a bit of trust.

The tech who's very average in his job, lucky to have one, doesn't mind an occassional ass-kissin session with the boss will be just fine. Or did I miss the mark drk?

Get rid of your dead wood by gettin outta your ez chair.

The above is just my opinion...

[alpha480v]

I agree to the GPS to some degree. If somebody wants to stop off on the way home to sign some paperwork , or grab a gallon of milk, that's fine. That would be a bad use for it. But if I'm a business owner and your taking my truck without permission on a Saturday to Home Depot and loading up with lumber, then there is a problem. Good use for GPS here.

[tex~n~oz]

alpha, if you are a business owner and you value your techs so low as to be concerned about them grabbing a load of lumber in your precious truck, (that they use to make you fortunes) then you don't deserve decent techs.

Where's the loyalty with a slum-lord boss who's so concerned about a few miles on the odometer and a bit of fuel?

[alpha480v]

alpha, if you are a business owner and you value your techs so low as to be concerned about them grabbing a load of lumber in your precious truck, (that they use to make you fortunes) then you don't deserve decent techs.

Where's the loyalty with a slum-lord boss who's so concerned about a few miles on the odometer and a bit of fuel?


I am not a business owner, as I made clear in my post. I said "If I was a business owner". I was at one time years ago. That's why I feel that I am qualified to post on this subject.

The point isn't about a load of lumber in the "precious truck". The point is that someone might be using that vehicle after hours in a non work related situation, and get in an accident, maybe hurting someone. All without the bosses knowledge or permission. Who is going to cover the damage, you? Who is going to cover the gas? The Wear and tear on the vehicle ? Do we send the bill to you?

Hell, Why stop at Home Depot? Let's allow the Techs to use the truck for groceries on Sunday, go to Aunt Jane's Funeral next week, and even take the truck on his vacation to Florida next month! He won't even need to buy a personal vehicle of his own. Think of the savings for him! He can just use his rich greedy bosses truck all the time, right?


You obviously never have been a business owner. You have no idea what the costs associated with running a business are.

[ZeroCool]

I guess we may as well get ready for it. As cheap as GPS is getting and as much as insurance companies like to screw with people it will be a certain eventuality in the future. Just as they put those back up alarms to save on insurance the tracking of vehicle speed and usage will make it a large deduction soon. Just like all advances some scum bag companies are going to abuse it and if they do you should be a good enough technician to leave and have a new job in twenty minutes. I dont care if guys stop by HD after work or go on the weekends, help their brother move etc. Good techs are hard to find and if that's all they do who cares? If twenty dollars worth of gas is going to break your budget... I mean there are limits..no going out of state or towing boats, even though we have, but good discretion is a must. We all know guys these things are made for though when you call at 2 pm and you hear dogs barking in the back ground or guys that want to bar hop at nite. At my last company they had a guy who got so drunk he had his buddy on a bucket in the front and his girl friend in the passenger side. He ran under a stopped flatbed cutting his Buddie and girl friend in half and did not know until the police stopped him five miles down the road.

Just like everything in life, a couple scumbags ruin it for everyone.

[onetime]

Normally the people how are against GPS are the ones who are screwing off or doing something they shouldn't be doing. Most owners don't mind the short trip to the bank, store, but when a tech drives 30 mi. to that free lunch at the supplier he has the right to be pissed. Vehicle cost and lost time can put you out of business.

[tex~n~oz]

I am not a business owner, as I made clear in my post. I said "If I was a business owner". I was at one time years ago. That's why I feel that I am qualified to post on this subject.

I was speaking hypothetically, but I guess you didn't get the gist.


The point isn't about a load of lumber in the "precious truck". The point is that someone might be using that vehicle after hours in a non work related situation, and get in an accident, maybe hurting someone. All without the bosses knowledge or permission. Who is going to cover the damage, you? Who is going to cover the gas? The Wear and tear on the vehicle ? Do we send the bill to you?

No.. You pay your part, the insurance company pays the previously mentioned claims. You just can't stand that someone might be using YOUR truck!! Here's a guy who's been making you $30+/hr all day and you're heart broken that he didn't beg permission to use your truck for a trip to the lumber yard!!


Hell, Why stop at Home Depot? Let's allow the Techs to use the truck for groceries on Sunday, go to Aunt Jane's Funeral next week, and even take the truck on his vacation to Florida next month! He won't even need to buy a personal vehicle of his own. Think of the savings for him! He can just use his rich greedy bosses truck all the time, right?

I'll address this one below..


You obviously never have been a business owner. You have no idea what the costs associated with running a business are.

Wanna compare Curriculum vitae?

Actually, my family owns a 3rd generation mechanical contracting company in the states that is VERY financially secure. The mean average employment in years for the company was 11.7 years per person (1996). I worked and learned from the best in the industry inside that company for over 15 years; leaving a top management position, on good terms, to travel the world. Why? Now is my time to go, do, and enjoy life as I've been blessed with the insight to realize that we only have ONE life on this Earth and I refuse to lay on my death-bed wishing more time to go and do the things I've always wanted...

I carefully choose who I work for as my reputation is more important to me than money and I have absolutely NO problem finding work in any country I choose to live in.
I pick medium sized, privately owned businesses. I refuse to be a number for the big corps.

I was paid a very handsome bonus when I left and therefore don't have to work for sustenance. I work because I enjoy it, though I'll be retiring soon.
*YES there was money left over from all those pesky employees using our work vehicles to go grocery shopping!!*

Do I understand business?? I am well educated with good business sense and I know full-well what the costs and overhead for any company are. Yes, including fleet costs broken down in cost/mile, cost/hour, lost investment income, alternate insurance liability, model/time/mileage depreciation, and even cost/year for personal use as compared to salary sacrificing benefits...
Guess what??? It's about $3.5k a year per vehicle..... including liability.
In fairness, it's probably more than that now as these are '96 figures, but the company charges more, so it remains on even keel.
If you wanna be completely above board, you add the vehicle as a salary sacrifice component and your employees pay taxes on the benefit.


I'll be brutally honest and say that your turning wrenches for someone else tells me that you didn't make the best business decisions. I'm not here to salt wounds but you did hand me the salt-shaker.

In my opinion, you sound like someone who would over-control, micro-manage, and be a bit hhhmmm.. "suspiciously" suspicious of his employees..

You so easily state:
Let's allow the Techs to use the truck for groceries on Sunday, go to Aunt Jane's Funeral next week, and even take the truck on his vacation to Florida next month!

And I say every teenage girl who's ever smoked marijuana has become a crack-whore. A completely unfounded and irresponsible suggestion that would rightfully anger most women in the world, yet you would be willing to make an equally irreparable statement about the men who make your company? Do you really think the owner is the company?
Do you realize the owner manages the company while the men make it?
NOW you condone putting a "silicon manager" in their vehicles so they can be tracked like dogs on an electronic leash?

I say maintain a friendly but professional relationship, implement sound QA, performance manage your techs, give them a few benefits and freedoms, and keep the GPS out of their phones and trucks. You can BS a GPS but you can't fool a quality control check.

[propmanage]

Normally you could say hey no big deal but as everyone knows starting something like this just grows. The power to monitor is just too much for some managers, supervisors or owners. You would think if the employees are doing you right then why fix what is not broken. No one is perfect and micro managing people only gives a bad taste. I could under stand it if it came down to some one loosing there job for abuse and after many warnings the good worker but abusive company truck user gets a gps. But if you can’t trust your people with your own equipment how can a customer trust them to have full run of there personal space honestly repair equipment provide an accurate bill while working in there place of business or home.

[madhat]

One of the reasons I quit a company was because of the GPS. I was down in Herdon in a section that was all torn up, passed the same stack of street signs twice. They office wouldn't tell me where I was at, and what direction to go in. They were too cheap to include a GPS screen I could use. They had no problem docking my pay for me being lost. Also when I parked the van in my garage the GPS signal disappeared, which they gave constant grief over.

[HVAC Teacher]

I think management needs the GPS. I can never find my boss, project engineer, or sales staff between 11:00 & 1:30 or friday afternoons.

[jayguy]

i think if i can rewire some of these rooftops to make them work in the middle of the night...i can figure out a way to rewire a GPS and make it "portable"...leave it on a job site 200 miles away and show up in the office:D

[techtalker]

just another thought about GPS.... Don't get me wrong, it can be abused, which everyone here has attested to. I don't think it is needed in most offices.

There are a couple of advanages that I can come up with:

a GPS system can help where a dispacher gets a call from a customer, he can look up on a map where everyone is at, and then see quickly who is in the best position to go to that jobsite. This system becomes more important as the number of technicians increase in a particular office. It is only one item of many to look at when dispatching a technician.

What about a system where the technician can look up where he is located, and get directions to the customer jobsite?

I'd say that for the cost of getting GPS into an office (usually about $30. per month per employee), that the price is too much for the little help it gives the office or the employee. and the downside is that every technician gets pissed off that they are getting spied on (which they are).

[HVAC Teacher]

GPS can be used in some good ways, but it is more of a watchdog idea. I remember my boss saw me heading home on the highway at 2:30. He called me and asked where I was: Told him at home. Asked: "Did I charge for 8 today?" - Yes. Then started to ream me out - I hung up!

Next morning I showwed up at the office & threw my keys at him. He never checked with the dispatcher. I took an emergency call @ 4AM. Had 8 hours + OT. I told him if he didn't trust me I shouldn't be working for him! :mad:

[jimbob73]

I totally agree with what tex~n~oz put into words. Well said! JMO

[slimwoodie]

pull the fuse ... intermittently .

ya know ...

it's really haed to find an intermittent problem .....:D

[drk]

They can look track me any time they would like I'm not ucking off so I don't have anything to be worried about! Those trips to HD on the weekends need to stop! That's my profit sharing they are taking away from me! Dead wood needs to GO!

[acjourneyman]

I wouldn't change my work habits if they threw GPS in my van, I work late some days , leave early others.My customers call me direct and I try to solve there problems over the phone and have a great relationship with them.The first time they chewed my ass out for something GPS related, I would throw them the keys and say see ya.

[acguy25]

we have gps on our trucks but i really dont pay attention to it my company uses it it to eep track of mileage we are a linc contractor and we get ertian amount of allowed miles we get paid for if i need the van for personal use i just call my supervisor and ask he doesnt care and my company really doesnt either

[HVACJOEK]

There is a company in Chicago experimenting with under skin implants, they say it can be used for medical Information... but then they also experiment with implants to track prisoners and such... I wonder if one day all us Techs. Will be tagged and tracked... I guess we have come a long way since "The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire" *** or have we? Seems like we are heading towards profits before people again...I think just like the those women that lost there lives do to greedy bosses, we also are at risk by being tracked in our work vans... drive a little faster or skip necessary rest periods could result in vehicular fatalities... :cool:


*** http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/triangle/triangleaccount.html

[jimbob73]

The thought of GPS gives me the same icky feeling I get when it's my turn to go ON CALL for a week.

Any trane techs on board that have company furnished nextels? I have been to several training classes and talked to other trane techs from offices in other states that have said they are being tracked through the nextel GPS?
Fact or Myth?

[duke of earl]

Slimwoodie is brilliant! We have GPS on our nextels but not our trucks yet. The bosses claim the insurance goes down 25% with big brother watching.I believe 10 more years and everyone will have it. It has "You belong to me" written all over it. For now we can leave and go somewhere else. By the way there has never been a better time to be a commercial service tech. I'm seeing companies offering big bucks to keep promising helpers. Fifteen years ago they wouldn't care if you left. GPS contributed to my departure from my last employer along with other things(lies,lies,lies,etc.)

[acjourneyman]

That is what it will all come down to is the lack of good techs.I figure a good service tech is around 15 years away from writing his demands down on a piece of paper and getting what he wants. A good tech is very hard to find and any company that doesn't have their heads up there corporation's ass realizes this now.In a decade they will all realize it but they will have to pay the big bucks to get a good tech.GPS or not, they won't let a good tech go that makes them money because it is next to impossible now to replace him.I have 15 years of centrifugal experience, screws, etc, you think I care about GPS, because there is at least 8 companies I could go to work for and not miss 1 hours pay.

[slimwoodie]

Slimwoodie is brill
Of Course, Son ....
I've had years of Fu**ery behind me ...:D iant!

the insurance goes down 25% with big brother watching

Absolute bull****

[The Doctor]

I agree with Jayguy but perhaps in a more outward way...

I usually don't input to employment related questions, but because this has directly affected me in the past, I couldn't resist..

Before the GPS systems they used radio-triangulation systems that did the same thing. It would triangulate your position and constantly send back your vehicle position to the office via uhf radio channels.

Placing a "big brother" system in someone's truck just screems "I don't trust you". My question is why?? Are your guys gettin their work done? Are customers complaining? There really needs to be a reason why you'd so closely monitor your employees unless you are just paranoid OR you have a bunch of men who love to f the day off..... or maybe your are a control freak and can't help yourself but to micro-manage.

I've personally quit two companies that have put those in the work vehicles. Even though my work vehicle wasn't on the menu.
I feel working for a company that blankets invasion of privacy isn't worth working for, even if its not my own privacy, but those I work with instead.

On the otherhand... If you have a tech who's getting complaints, QA is showing he's not doing work he's billed, or billing excess time to jobs, then fine, just sack him.

The whole idea of tracking is just freaky and goes beyond QA. It's delves into an unhealthy attitude of control and mistrust from a boss who's too lazy to get off his ass and see for himself.

Any tech who's at all decent in his work (intelligent) will be offended and shop you out for a company that shows a bit of trust.

The tech who's very average in his job, lucky to have one, doesn't mind an occassional ass-kissin session with the boss will be just fine. Or did I miss the mark drk?

Get rid of your dead wood by gettin outta your ez chair.

The above is just my opinion...

no, they just want to save money, and the margins are always the place to go with it..

what is it with y'all and "throwing your keys on the desk and saying see ya"???
gradualism, grasshopper...if they get you in the margins wqith gps, find ways to push back.. it's about respect, and I personally hate gps, but there are always ways about insuring your own survival if you are worth having as a tech at all.......

[simux]

Implementing GPS under the guise of less travel time and better customer response is like looking for the “pot o’ gold” under the rainbow. First off if you’re directionally disabled then a map is your best friend. You could also make a job book with directions to all your customers. The job book could have information on how to get to the site, where to park, who to contact, where equipment is located, and other pertinent data. When it comes to customer response times the closest vehicle is not always the best choice. There are so many factors to consider when dispatching a call. You have to consider expertise, equipment, supplies, and availability. To make a decision based on vehicle location does not make good business sense. It makes more sense to hire qualified managers that can balance the needs of the customer with the well being of their employees.

[supertek65]

I do not care about the gps!
I never own my own car!
I think of my work van as a benefit.
How many millions of white collar workers have a company vehicle?
Nobody is worried about them!

[The Doctor]

Implementing GPS under the guise of less travel time and better customer response is like looking for the “pot o’ gold” under the rainbow. First off if you’re directionally disabled then a map is your best friend. You could also make a job book with directions to all your customers. The job book could have information on how to get to the site, where to park, who to contact, where equipment is located, and other pertinent data. When it comes to customer response times the closest vehicle is not always the best choice. There are so many factors to consider when dispatching a call. You have to consider expertise, equipment, supplies, and availability. To make a decision based on vehicle location does not make good business sense. It makes more sense to hire qualified managers that can balance the needs of the customer with the well being of their employees.

right, and one of the first things out of their mouths is about how the closest tech will be dispatched and the customer will be so000o happy and they will be licking us when we come in so soon from the brilliant dispatching

and then reality hits and they realize if they send the closest guy he might burn the place down if he's the filter/helper/10$ hr. person.

second, if you got a problem with us putting it in the van it's because you're part of the problem. I've heard that each time gps comes up in a company too. I've never had a problem with GPS. then they actually installed them in our vans...

next they said you'll do less paperwork which is false, unless you just trust the computer and the chick making the decisions to actually be consistent.
(get it??? chick... consistent--HAR DE HAR HAR) and you are not given the guidelines they use as hard facts, just notice how your pay changes from one day to the next like where you leave when, it's all foxtrotted up
then on that same note, if you're on a job and you change tasks you have to stop and call in and let them know so they can change your time over in the computer.
which leads to the inevitable conclusion...same as it ever was.
you can't get them on the phone...they're in the sh-----r, they're on the other line, but the saleman who takes the message about when you changed over doesn't get them the message and they don't know when you changed..and you get the service manager on the phone next time and the same thing happens because he's too busy looking at the dots on the computer and thinking about his hobbies and prowling about on the internet so the dispatcher doesn't know when to change over and hell I don't remember either by the time she gets around to asking me 3 days later. so it doesn't save me any aggravation, IMHO:p

the more things change, the more they stay the same.
now they can see when I stop in starbucks (hey I use the drive-thru to save time):cool: and they can see when I stop in the rest areas..like I care.
yeah right, a real in-no-va-shen.
the dispatchers still make filter changes into emergencies and blow off customers who need ya so what good is it? I ask ya...
they can't put in the feature that would actually help us plot out our destinations from right in our truck, but they can tell us how to get there from the home office.:rolleyes: I don't need their help for that, I can smell me way thru most dinky towns, with all apologies to Richmond.
oh but we're gonna get youse guys laptops and scanners for those pissass little barcode stickers we've put on the units that will be faded away by the time the laptop and scanner get acquired.
I told 'em they had spent 1000 bucks so they could nickel and dime us.
don't get me started....:D

[mikelcs]

here's the deal. the truck belongs to your employer. if they want gps on it, who cares? when we are on the clock, it is the company's clock. if we are acting like the grown men that we claim to be, then why should we care who is watching! if we ALL acted, ALL of the time, like the grown men that we claim to be, then nobody would be watching! if you are good at what you do and you do not feel right about where you are employed, then move on! there are plenty of companies around, some with gps on their trucks, that show trust and respect to their employees who show the same! to all of those who feel so offended that a company would equip the trucks that they own, insure, and maintain with gps i ask "why does this make you feel so insecure? are you the grown men that you present yourself to be? if you are, then relax and let everyone watch, perhaps they'll learn something."

[propmanage]

:eek:

[simux]

First off we didn’t sign any deal or agree to GPS being installed in our vehicles. The company may own the vehicle but they don’t own us. Grown men stand up for their rights and don’t cower behind corporate policy. Next if your company has GPS, then they probably don’t trust you. They can give you all the reasons for GPS, but it comes down to a lack of trust and respect.

[freonrick]

yes they own the truck, I own the tools in the truck. almost 20 grand worth. I wash the truck and make sure it gets maintance done. I park it in a safe area after work at night and weekends at no cost to them. I take emergency calls at any time. If I need to go to the lumber yard or go get something at the store my co. dont care. Also it has a bill board on the side, its free advertisement. They would care if I took it to a bar or on vacation. If their is a problem employee then the owners need to deal with the that employee and not punish the whole group. I have seen too many rules change due to one bad seed. So change the rules for the good ones. Then they loose.

[tex~n~oz]

here's the deal. the truck belongs to your employer. if they want gps on it, who cares? when we are on the clock, it is the company's clock. if we are acting like the grown men that we claim to be, then why should we care who is watching! if we ALL acted, ALL of the time, like the grown men that we claim to be, then nobody would be watching! if you are good at what you do and you do not feel right about where you are employed, then move on! there are plenty of companies around, some with gps on their trucks, that show trust and respect to their employees who show the same! to all of those who feel so offended that a company would equip the trucks that they own, insure, and maintain with gps i ask "why does this make you feel so insecure? are you the grown men that you present yourself to be? if you are, then relax and let everyone watch, perhaps they'll learn something."

Oh this is painful coming a Texan..

I'm not an "ALL" and I don't need to act anything..

Don't you get it? It's not about the job, it's about TRUST and it's about PRIVACY...

If it were just that easy, then hell, let the cops come into your home and rummage through your drawers, let them tap your telephone, or maybe even put a video camera in your front room (and like everything else, eventually in every room). Afterall, you have nothing to hide.. right? You are a law abiding, full-time, red-blooded American citizen, you are obligated.. Right?

Maybe for you, but not for me thanks..

Four years ago I helped prepare my great-uncles body for burial. His whole body was a scar from a mortor hit and several rifle rounds he collected during the raids on Normandy. Though I've always understood the value of our freedoms and rights, it brutally hit home that there were men who shed their blood and lost their lives to ENSURE we kept em.
Now I get to sit here and listen to you guys defend your "profit sharing" or make excuses while defending your boss for selling you out like a bunch of untrustworthy punks.

Go beg your boss for your balls back or see if he wants to buy any of your other rights.

I demand my government TRUST me and give me PRIVACY until I've DONE SOMETHING to warrant otherwise and I DEMAND that my employer offers their employees the same or I'll take my toys off their truck and they can play business without me.

Unbelieveable... I realize how lucky I am to have been brought up in a good company where this was never even brought up or considered.

[mikelcs]

thanks to you all for your passionate replies. so i have been called a coward, a sell out, an untrustworthy punk, and ball-less. all because i am willing to stand on my own two feet and fear no man watching me because i stay on my path. after reading all of the posts here i think i recognize some of you, not all, but some. you are the ones who have no problem taking a part off your truck for personal use because the company owes you something more than what you agreed on for doing the job that you were hired to do. you are the ones who always have your hand out and as soon as it is filled by your employer you ask "what's next". you are the ones who are always talking of how somebody screwed you out of something. you are the ones who are convinced that the way to make yourself look better is to tear someone else down. you are the ones who caused employers to install gps on their trucks and to implement policies designed to protect the company. so you think you know me? i think i know you too!

[The Doctor]

thanks to you all for your passionate replies. so i have been called a coward, a sell out, an untrustworthy punk, and ball-less. all because i am willing to stand on my own two feet and fear no man watching me because i stay on my path. after reading all of the posts here i think i recognize some of you, not all, but some. you are the ones who have no problem taking a part off your truck for personal use because the company owes you something more than what you agreed on for doing the job that you were hired to do. you are the ones who always have your hand out and as soon as it is filled by your employer you ask "what's next". you are the ones who are always talking of how somebody screwed you out of something. you are the ones who are convinced that the way to make yourself look better is to tear someone else down. you are the ones who caused employers to install gps on their trucks and to implement policies designed to protect the company. so you think you know me? i think i know you too!

passionate replies, yes. the question is can we marshal this wonderful energy into something useful?
I don't like GPS one bit, because it has not made my life easier. But it was told to me that it would. So I shouldn't have believed them....my bad.

the next question is are we content? I can be content, because I am a man under authority, not at all perfect, but willing to acquiesce to the owner's wishes since I signed onto his vision of business in the first place.

At times, I have trouble marshalling myself, let alone others.
So it looks like GPS is here for awhile anyway.

[joken]

Here's my opinion. Large outfits like JCI implement programs like the GPS in the van because someone that has no clue is trying to justify there existence. The programs come and go. Techs come and go. In a small shop the owner knows his folks and there should be no need for a GPS unless the man is reaching for an excuse to terminate someone. Personally I would quit.

[propmanage]

If the employee participates as one of the family and provides a nice service for a reasonable compensation and brings in a profit for the company. If they respect the job and honor there commitment, then why should they be tagged like a wild animal and tracked with a transmitting device.

[mikelcs]

If the employee participates as one of the family and provides a nice service for a reasonable compensation and brings in a profit for the company. If they respect the job and honor there commitment, then why should they be tagged like a wild animal and tracked with a transmitting device.

you mean if they act like the grown men that they present themselves to be?in that case the employer will not waste his time even looking at the tracker installed on the company truck that he operates. thanks to the attorneys and the federal government, any policy and procedure applies to all employees, not just problem ones. if you want to solve the problem, get to its root. do not ever hesitate to push other employees to act right. if they represent the company that you work for, they represent you.

[tex~n~oz]

........ you are the ones who have no problem taking a part off your truck for personal use because the company owes you something more than what you agreed on for doing the job that you were hired to do. you are the ones who always have your hand out and as soon as it is filled by your employer you ask "what's next". you are the ones who are always talking of how somebody screwed you out of something. you are the ones who are convinced that the way to make yourself look better is to tear someone else down. you are the ones who caused employers to install gps on their trucks and to implement policies designed to protect the company. so you think you know me? i think i know you too!

I have free personal use of my vehicle, but that's beside the point.

What I don't get is that because we wish to uphold our dignity and not work for a company who refuses to trust us, we are instantly thieves, beggars, braggarts, dredges, tyrants and the reason for GPS in the first place.. Nice..

The real reason they are in the trucks??? Because people like you ALLOW it to happen.

[The Doctor]

you mean if they act like the grown men that they present themselves to be?in that case the employer will not waste his time even looking at the tracker installed on the company truck that he operates.

nice try, but I hate to have to break it to you about some of the companies that will use this. they're still looking at the marginal costs to find ways to make the company more money. GPS addresses the margins if ya think about it, so they're gonna do it.
the end result is something else, after they get done nickel and diming that part of it. as we can see, there are strong feelings regarding trust and respect generated.


thanks to the attorneys and the federal government, any policy and procedure applies to all employees, not just problem ones. if you want to solve the problem, get to its root. do not ever hesitate to push other employees to act right. if they represent the company that you work for, they represent you.
all employees create marginal costs when they drive.
some employers may not have problem employees, but software integration can include GPS, and if it's going to save the company some dough, you can bet your bottom dollar that it'll get used by a lot of them. IMHO

[propmanage]

If you have GPS and a good work control system then why pay a manager to manage. This not only inconveniences the worker but it replaces the manager :):)

[artman934]

my company has it on the company phones they give us, which in my opinion is no big deal. The only times i've heard of them being GPS'd, is when they cant contact you, no service or not ansering the phone. It all comes down to trust, with my shop, if you do right by them, they'll do right by you (there are exceptions of course, mainly my dispatcher who thinks he's assistant service manager)

[HVACJOEK]

I still think that GPS in the trucks for the sole purpose of tracking you is an insult to ones Honor and Integrity. My truck does have GPS, with or without it I don't misuse company equiptment... however when it was installed it did clean out the company of most of there top and long term technicians, those who remained lost there iniatitive. So happy tracking !!! I also am considering making a move probably JCI/York... what a shame when the GPS and owners are the only ones who saw more then one summer there. :cool:

[eric_air]

the last company i worked for has gps the office would call us if we were driving too fast . the gps is good from an owners point of view only so ? it's their vehicles. but i did not like it and i bring my lunch meaning i eat where ever and long deviations were the bosses target.

[gsxrsquid]

It is the bosses van and he can do whatever he wants. If he wants to know where I have been all he has to do is ask. I take My lunch breaks in My van and as long as it isn;t too far off where I am going I stop by the cigar shop to get stogies. they let Me take the van home though I don't because I live in the boonies on dirt roads but that is My decision.
If they want to know why I was at a certain place at a certain time they can ask. I have nothing to hide. If I have a problem I am free to quit like a number of people say they have. If you are so concerned about your privacy why don't you start a revolt against cameras everywhere you go, even on the road.
as long as my check is on time and they don't cheat me they call the shots.

When I hired on almost 6 months ago they were going to put one in my van and asked how I felt about it. I told him it was his van I didn't care. No gps in this van but he is getting another ready for me, maybe in that one. Hell, maybe one day when I can't find a place he can use it to guide me

just my 2 cents

[mikelcs]

exactly!

[dec]

I just tried one out late last night checking it out to see how well it would work.

Im not even interested in the tracking the vehical part. Honestly I never really looked into wether it can be used to track them. Im guessing I could look back and track the route the truck went like I can on the hand held.

I just tried one out to see how well it would work as far as not having to pull over and look at maps.

Now I was impressed as far as how visable the screen was , how easy it was to hear the direction comands, and how easy it was to follow diections.

Problem I had was it was taking me on way longer routes by keeping me on the more major streets, not being able to punch in a lot of streets ( being it didnt show they existed), Putting in a common street name and having to pick the street from 5 other cities, The GPS not knowing that you couldnt turn that way to get onto certain streets. I also found sreets that were on the map but not listed in the streets name list to put in to search for.

I also have to look into upgrade costs for downloading new maps in the future, All of the sudden Im guessing its going to cost a lot more then I was guessing.

Im holding back opinion of wether I think it is going to be an answer to replacing the map books. Maybe in some cases it will but not all. Im just going to keep working on finding all the little tricks to use it correctly on to find out why a lot of adresses are not on it.

One house last night I used to try to find has been there 30 years so its not like it didnt show on the map being its not new enough of a map installed in it.

As far as a tech saying they would walk if I put one in their truck ....... Any tech that knows me and has worked for me any amount of time knows Im not the type thats micro managing them.

The tech that would be telling me no way would be the guy Im looking for a way to get rid of being Im sure he would be more trouble then he is worth if he thinks a gps is a problem.

Just listening to the guys in here that think they are too good for a GPS or new technology ......... do you ***** if the shop calls you on the cell phone ??????? Their kinda monopolizing your time , arnt they lol.

Now I have to say I know a lot of shops probably do abuse it. I guess I dont relate to it being I have never been a big shop that I had to worry about guys out wasting time or out doing sidejobs. Usally those guys are history the minute you figure out they dont fit in.

If you are afraid of a GPS , you dont fit in. You have more problems than most shops want , most likely.

[propmanage]

:confused: Dec
I hear what you say and in your situation you maybe correct. You as the owner of a small shop can see everything and call all the shot. You probably treat the people nice and in return they do you right. The problem is when a nitwit or smart a…rss has that power or control and they miss managing it. We are talking about lively hood, the ability to provide food for the family and maintaining a quality of life with reasonable working conditions. Being micro managed to a point of no trust and squeezing every minute and getting every dime, eventually if squeezed too hard something will break. Hey after every salary employee has one GPS, why not every manager so the world will see how they take lunch and conduct there day or hey why not every politician so the public can see what they do all day who’s in the crapper and who’s not, who has the second job and does not.
The idea sounds like a smart solution but at what cost to the next generation. Will our kids work like robots are we going back to sweat shops? Hey what about installing the chip soon as the kids are born. I don’t think GPS is going away and that’s beside the point. I guess I am just feeling the land of the free slipping away. It’s always a good idea as long as it happens to some one else. But as soon as it happens to them the idea is not so good anymore

[gregorylc]

i don't like the idea of gps just like anyone else. on the other hand if you are where you should be at the time you should be there you have nothing to worry about.

[acjourneyman]

I have this thing in my head called a brain and I use it to think for myself and not be a sheep."Oh the boss wants to do this,,ho hum,Ok" can't make any waves or I will be fired, IE translates into have a set of balls.I served 2 apprenticeships and went to countless hours of training so I can say no, screw the GPS.If you don't trust me, fire me , don't bring in some system and BS us to say it saves money. 2007 GPS, 2017 microchips in your skin to detect if you are sweating enough to earn your wages.

[bustawrench1]

Hey, it's their truck, if they want to waste the money, let 'em. Personaly I think it would be better spent on some new tools and equipment, but nobody in the office ever really seems to care what we think anyway.

I worked for a guy that installed it on all 30 trucks. Never caused me any grief, but it turned out to be such a hassle for him that after 6 months he ripped it out and sent it all back where it came from. ( he never did figure out that a strategicly placed tinfoil wrapper off a cheese steak killed the reception and defeated the system ) ;)

Now they can GPS track you right off the Nextel phone on your belt anyway so GPS in the truck is obsolete. The software is available for a nominal fee from the dealer and they go right over the internet any time they want to know where you are. Of course I know a couple of guys who have allready implemented countermeasures to that little scheme. We are professional problem solvers, after all.

Do your job and you won't have a problem, just like anything else. If some guys can't deal with it, there are plenty more jobs than qualified workers out there.

And as a footnote, it's a pretty good bet that the guys who b*tch the most about it are probably the reason it got installed in the first place, just like 90% of the rest of the bs that rains down from the office.