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Leelanau County Road Commission (Michigan) are considering whether or not to implement GPS fleet tracking on their plow trucks. The final decision has not been made yet, but Road Commission employees have already shared mixed opinions. “This is going to be a big purchase for us. I’m putting together a request for proposals because we’re going to need to seek bids on this,” said James C. Johnson, Road Commission engineer.

Road Commission’s vice-chairman John Popa shared his thoughts. “We’re not some big company that has thousands of employees. We have managers that are already out on the road and visiting the different job sites, or checking roads in the winter. I don’t know that we need this,” he explained. He did see some benefits, however. “It would show if a driver isn’t getting through his plow route the way he should,” added Popa.

“They haven’t really talked to us about this. I personally don’t mind. They’re selling this as a way to increase efficiency and lower costs. All I know is someone is going to have to keep track of this, which is another expense,” offered Bruce Kilinski, a union steward for the Road Commission’s Suttons Bay garage. Despite the conflicting opinions, everyone seemed to agree that the GPS fleet tracking system is a valuable management tool.

“Other Road Commisions, as well as private companies, have found increases in productivity, including the ability to better respond to emergencies,” said Chairman Lee A. Bowen. He is for implementing a GPS tracking system for the fleet, after doing some investigating of his own. He spoke to the manager of the Wexford County Road Commission, which have already begun using GPS systems on their trucks. “He saw an increase in productivity, I think it’s an option worth exploring,” said Bowen.

Article Written by Marisa O’Connor