Rocky Mountain Tracking

By Greg Bartlett

Business owners whose services include types of delivery using company vehicles should consider a GPS fleet tracking system.  Whether you manage a pizza delivery business, a floral delivery business, or appliance delivery business, GPS fleet tracking devices can help you make sure you and your employees are making the most effective use of time and resources.

Any business that requires employees to be out from under the direct supervision of a manager may consider such an investment to be worthwhile.   In most states, employee surveillance is considered to be illegal if the employee has not been informed, and many types of employee monitoring devices (hidden cameras, e-mail and internet monitoring, etc.) have at times been called into question.

GPS devices are not considered to be as invasive and have even been upheld as legitimate by legal authorities.  The benefits of GPS navigation systems are clear for companies and small businesses where employee driving and delivery is necessary.  Home repair businesses, home health care services, maid services, plumbers-many types of jobs require employee travel.  Navigation devices can help companies cut costs by determining the most direct routes, safest routes, routes with only right turns, etc.  GPS fleet tracking devices are just as beneficial for these companies and small businesses.

In an ideal world, every employee is honest and efficient with company time and resources.  Sometimes, however, the temptation to stop on a personal errand on an official work delivery might be too great.  Using the company car or gasoline for personal errands en route (or maybe a little more out of the way) can be a problem.  GPS will help you keep your employees accountable and honest and will conserve your company’s valuable resources.

The way GPS tracking devices work is through a series of satellites orbiting in outer space.  The satellites determine latitude and longitude of the individual or vehicle wearing the receiver.  There are active systems that constantly download the location of the receiver to the internet or mobile device.  There are passive systems that give a detailed log of where the receiver has been.  Either system would be ideal for fleet tracking.  If you can’t monitor the moment-by-moment activities of your employees, then the passive system will give you a recorded log for you to examine at your convenience.  If you are the owner or manager of a business that requires employee travel, then consider an investment in a GPS fleet tracking system.

By DONNA SANTI / guest columnist

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-          Donna Santi is a creative writer for LandAirSea Systems, a Woodstock, IL-based manufacturer and distributor of expertly-engineered GPS tracking systems, software and accessories. For information about LandAirSea, visit www.landairsea.com. To contact the writer, email donna.santi@landairsea.com

Vehicle Tracking is finding great success in the business world. It might have even turned a corner, from being a benefit, to a necessity.

Globally, there is about $2.5 billion spent on GPS receivers and software, and by 2013, that spending will jump to about $13 billion annually, according to ABI Research in London, a marketing and consulting firm.

Now a new poll seems to back that bold prediction. A 2010 survey of transportation, service, utility and construction companies revealed that more than half of those businesses are now using GPS tracking systems; with the largest reported benefit being more efficient operations.

The news should bring smiles to the faces of the many manufacturers and dealers of vehicle tracking technology. Also widely encouraging is the poll’s look at the future market: Among those companies who do not yet utilize GPS tracking systems, almost 90 percent of them said they were aware of the technology’s benefits and were considering investing in it.

One out of every two businesses is using GPS tracking in its fleet management department, and the majority of the others want it. What could be better news?

The survey was conducted by a vehicle tracking and fleet management organization in the United Kingdom. One hundred and fifty companies were surveyed with fleet management supervisors or top administrators being the respondents. The sizes of the companies’ fleets ranged from 10 vehicles, to more than 1,000; the average being less than 100 vehicles.

Fuel prices are creeping up once again, everyone’s looking for a greener way of living, and the economy is forcing many business people to make the most of the resources they have, or buckle under. GPS tracking system solutions help in all three areas.

Following is a breakdown of some of the survey responses.

What Current GPS Tracking Users Had To Say:

• 9 in 10 said they were satisfied with their choice of GPS tracking system.
• 8 of 10 said vehicle tracking helped them reduce operational costs.
• 6 of 10 said the tracking system increased productivity.
• 5 in 10 said employee performance improved.
• 5 in 10 said their tracking system resulted in better security.

What Those NOT Using Vehicle Tracking Are Saying:

• 6 of 10 thought GPS tracking would offer a good return on investment (ROI), meaning it is money well-spent.
• Four in 10 said vehicle tracking did not fit the needs of their particular business.
• Four in 10 perceived GPS tracking systems to be too cost-prohibitive to their budgets.

The surveyor conducts its poll every other year. The 2008 poll revealed that one in four businesses was using vehicle tracking technology. Theoretically, the number of GPS tracking users doubled in just two years.

Source: FleetDirectory.co.uk , CNNMoney.com

By Greg Bartlett

When you came into work this morning, your first task - after getting coffee - was to find out where your drivers are.  You do that every morning, and every morning your assistant tells you the same thing.  These drivers checked in with their location, these forgot, and these said they were somewhere but based on their schedule, they should be somewhere else.

For a company whose primary purpose consists of getting vehicles to different places, whether for delivering goods or people, knowing where each driver and vehicle is located is vitally important.  You need to know whether your driver will get to a stop on time, or if by taking too long at previous stops the driver will get there late and will disappoint the customer yet again.  Furthermore, knowing the location of your vehicles means you can better manage company time, resources, and expenses.

Fortunately, GPS monitoring can keep track of your fleet for you.  When you come in work in the morning, you can just check the computer and see exactly where your drivers are.  For instance, you’ll know when a driver is late because he spent three hours at lunch the day before.  Because it records any movement the vehicle makes, GPS tracking will also let you know if employees use company vehicles for personal usage.  Some companies have found that their employees used company vehicles to take a boat to a lake or to play poker instead of mending roads.

GPS monitoring even has more advantages than just locating each of your vehicles and informing you about their location, speed, and any stops made.  For instance, some GPS tracking systems allow the user to remotely lock the doors and shut off the car if it is stolen.  One company was able to recover $300,000 worth in stolen vehicles in less than an hour because of the GPS monitoring devices they had installed in the vehicles.  You will also be able to find out if your drivers accidentally missed a stop or if they are taking less efficient routes, which translate into wasted gas and time.  GPS tracking has repeatedly saved companies money and time by helping them determine the best routes, which improves mileage, increases customer relations, and saves the company money.

Instead of guessing that your vehicles are in a particular spot, you can know exactly where they are and what stops they’ve made.  Managing your fleet effectively is possible - and much easier - with GPS monitoring.

By Harriette Halepis

WBZ Boston, Lowell, Massachusetts, January 29, 2010 - The state of Lowell, Massachusetts, recently proposed that all Lowell police cars be fitted with GPS trackers. Other states that have outfitted state-owned vehicles with GPS trackers have managed to increase productivity and emergency response time. However, the Lowell police force is not allowing the installation of GPS trackers without a fight.

Due to planned protests, the annual awards ceremony that is usually held in the Lowell memorial Auditorium had to be cancelled.  Those who are a part of the Lowell force feel that the installation of GPS trackers would be a violation of personal rights, though City Manager Bernard Lynch doesn’t quite see the situation in this manner.

Instead, Lynch argues that the city “…wants to make sure that…police officers are doing what they’re supposed to be doing… (WBZ)“ While this may sound paranoid to some, the fact of the matter is that many other states through the nation have found that city employees spend a lot more time tending to non-work related tasks then they do to work related tasks.

Further, tax payers don’t see anything wrong with ensuring that police officers are actually working for that tax money. As one resident put it “it’s tax dollars at work. You see a cruiser sitting on the side of the road, at least back at dispatch, they know where they are (WBZ).” This resident isn’t the only one, many people within the Lowell area wonder whether or not police officers are spending their time wisely.

As for those members of the Lowell police force, a press release that was sent to the Lowell Sun states that “the chief has proclaimed his lack of trust in our members by proposing the GPS system (WBZ).” At this time, no further comments have been made by force representatives. Thus, the proposal has not yet been implemented, though both state officials and city taxpayers would like to see the proposal set into motion.

GPS trackers installed in police cars across the nation would not only ensure that police officers are respecting state time, but they would also ensure that stolen police vehicles are returned in a timely manner. Also, back up crews would likely be able to reach officers in distress faster with the help of a GPS tracker.

by James Neely, freelance writer: click | HERE | to check out GPS products from Rocky Mountain Tracking

Creating an environment in which your business can succeed is very important.  That is especially true in the economic climate in which businesses are operating today.  Once you establish a baseline of activities that you must perform to help your business succeed, then you can add the tools that you need to make it happen.

These tools include a fully integrated GPS Tracking system.  Here are four ways that it can help you build your business:

Managing Growth

You know what the most difficult part of managing your business is?  Growth.  Your day-to-day operations are running smoothly and then all of a sudden you are asked to increase your service area or offerings.  If your business uses mobile or movable assets, then GPS Tracking systems will help you with the growth process because of the ability to manage them in a timely and efficient manner.  No longer will adding additional assets produce a sinking feeling on the part of your managers.

Increasing Customer Response

Being able to respond with instant feedback from a GPS Tracking system will help you turn your operations with ease to help keep profitability at the forefront of what you do.  When you track assets with GPS Tracking systems, you can know instantaneously where assets are located.  If they are missing or stolen, authorities can be notified to their exact location and they can be recovered within hours, not days, weeks or months.  You are able to keep running without having to sacrifice because of an incident of theft.

Keeping Service ‘Priority One’

GPS Tracking systems put customer service at the highest levels of business operations.  This is especially true if you are involved heavily in the delivery of goods or products via fleet solutions.  Other businesses that can benefit from these systems are people transportation systems as well.  There is no better way to manage routes than with a GPS Tracking system.

Repeat Customers

The most efficiently operated business invited use and customer satisfaction that keep them coming back for years.  Making use of the GPS Tracking system benefits helps your company stand out from your competition and makes you almost impossible to beat with it comes to delivering customer satisfaction.

Implementation of a GPS Tracking system has never been easier or more affordable than it is right now.  Adding one to your operation is no longer a nice thought or gesture.  It is mandatory and it is time to get on board.  Here’s to your success.

Rocking Mountain Tracking has the best line-up of GPS Tracking devices to meet any need.  Take a look at their products and options for the best fit for your business.  You will find knowledgeable sales persons in helping you get the best unit to meet your requirements.

By Harriette Halepis

Just a few months ago, Haverhill, Massachusetts, Highway Superintendent James Flaherty (along with his son, Kevin) was charged with abusing his position. Flaherty was caught awarding city construction jobs to private companies that were, in fact, owned by the Flaherty family. In short, Flaherty was effectively stealing city funds.

This scandal sparked a lot of debate within the city of Haverhill, and recently Mayor James Fiorentini decided to install GPS trackers on city fire trucks. This decision was spawned by the numerous citizens throughout the city who have reported seeing city fire trucks parked in odd places for long periods of time.

The new GPS tracking system will track the location of fire trucks in order to discourage firefighters from taking too much free time during work hours. In addition, the city hopes that these trackers will also help to reduce response times while also conserving fuel.

Presently, the GPS trackers have been installed on all city fire vehicles – except for any department deputy or inspector vehicles. At the moment, city is hoping that the cost of the GPS tracking system ($5000) will benefit both citizens and firefighters.

This is not the first time that a major metropolitan center has decided to use GPS trackers in order to track city vehicles. Many municipalities around the globe are discovering that finding out exactly where city vehicles are during any given workday is a lot easier with the help of a reliable GPS system.

By Greg Bartlett

New York City has implemented the use of GPS tracking devices to monitor the actions of all of their building inspectors. In the last month, the city-issued cell phones of all 379 building inspectors for New York City were updated to include GPS tracking.

These GPS tracking devices allow supervisors to watch the movements of the inspectors over the internet. The information from the tracking devices can be viewed on a map or chart or in a text report form.

GPS tracking devices like these that are used to monitor employees can show the faithfulness of any particular employee. Those who slack off will either be discouraged from wasting time by the knowledge that they are being monitored, or they will be caught and punished for their lack of work.

Not only will these devices insure that the inspectors are where they are supposed to be, but they will also provide an accurate record of each work day that can be compared to time cards and the employees’ reports.

Although building inspectors may not think that their job is vitally important to people’s safety and be tempted to file some false reports, these GPS tracking devices will most likely discourage that from being done. These devices would have been very beneficial last year when one of the city’s crane and elevator inspectors made a report for a crane that was never inspected. Less than two weeks later, the crane collapsed and seven people were killed.

GPS tracking devices could prevent these kinds of accidents because it would be very clear to a supervisor that the employee never visited the site to make the inspection.

There are a few disadvantages to this system, however. Some of the inspectors are cautious of this new program because they are worried about it invading their privacy and their home life. However, the GPS tracking capabilities will be turned off after work hours.

The main disadvantage to New York City’s new system is that cell phone tracking does not work as well as vehicle tracking. The battery life is shorter and more susceptible, the signal that is sent is weaker, and the device is also easier to tamper with. Since these inspectors are already driving city vehicles, it might have been a better option to equip the vehicles with GPS tracking devices instead, but only time will tell if the city of New York will be happy with their new GPS tracking program.

By James Neely

Knowledge is king when it comes to business. You might think that you have a handle on your business, but if you rely on assets that are out of your sight, then there is always a question in the back of your mind about how they are being used and/or abused. Who watches out for these assets and what kind of verification can you obtain in support of their use?

A vehicle tracking system for all of your moveable assets is a must in order to increase your knowledge of your business operations.

Know your employees. Your most expense commodity in business is employees. Payroll makes up a huge chunk of your budget, yet, you cannot get along without them if you run a business that requires deliveries and adherence to schedules. Part of knowing your employees means knowing what they are doing while on company time with company assets. You can gain greater control over both with the implementation of GSP Tracking systems.

Know your business activities. When you make customer satisfaction the top priority in your business, you had better know every detail that helps get you there. That includes locating company assets, being able to follow routes, making changes in stops and monitoring the time that it takes to complete tasks. All of these intricate details and more are delivered to you via GPS Tracking systems.

Know your customers. Customers vary in the way that they deal with expectations of your business operations. Sometimes you will get valuable feedback as to how you are doing and other times not. Then, you can be caught totally off-guard by a customer who leaves and takes their business elsewhere. That is a part of being in business. But, you need to make sure that it had nothing to do with your operations and performance. You can obtain information to support that from a GPS Tracking system.

Know your limitations. Knowing what you are not that good at can help you work to make improvements in that area. This might mean getting a better handle on your operations and the details that you need to monitor. Then, you can turn it around and make a limitation vanish in place of a positive for your customers.

Know your profitability. Whether you are focusing on on-time deliveries or compliance by employees, your bottom line remains your number one priority. Knowledge will help you get there and remain in a constant mode of change. GPS vehicle tracking systems will be the structure with which you deliver better business at a better price with more profit. What more can you ask for?

By James Neely

Running a service oriented business that depends on deadlines and punctuality; you cannot have a better tool to help you reach your customer goals than a GPS Tracking system. These come in a variety of sizes and options but all supply one purpose: to help run your business in a more efficient manner. Here is how it works:

Arrival times. You can check arrival times of your service personnel and verify their compliance to appointments. If one is consistently late, you have the evidence to prove or disprove the infractions and you are able to handle the issue based on facts, not emotion. For your clients, arrival times can be verified and then included with invoices to confirm adherence to contract obligations.

In-transit tracking. Is there too much time being taken between stops? Are there any stops between calls that are unauthorized? How you handle these issues depends on your policies established in your performance guidelines. But proper enforcing of rules can help increase customer satisfaction, especially when a service pattern has been established with a client.

Time spent at locations. Does a service call or stop take too long? Are there mitigating circumstances that cause this or is it because of other employee issues? With a GPS Tracking system you have the facts to back up the length of time spent at customer locations.

Track efficiency. You can look at a complete day and see where your efficiencies are and where you need to focus more resources or effort. It could be that better scheduling will produce better results. Viewing routes and miles driving on a map helps you make determinations for setting coverage areas.

A GPS Tracking system will become the managing instrument that you use to make sure that your business runs smoothly and without major problems. Service personnel will appreciate the attention to their jobs and scheduling. There will be fewer disconnects between management and field personnel when one of these systems is implemented.

Put to use a GPS Tracking system in your business and watch your business run smoother and with more efficiency. Take a step back and imagine how much more you can accomplish by using the features that are available to you. As a business person in this day and age, you cannot be too careful about maximizing profits. Making money is about paying attention to details and a GPS tracking system performs that operation perfectly well. Try one today and you will not be sorry.

By James Neely

Ever feel like you are going in multiple directions at the same time in your business? Wonder what it would be like to actually be able to sit back and watch your operations function without you having to constantly be there to ‘baby sit?’ If you have significant capital invested in assets you can with a GPS Tracking system which is installed in your equipment.

You do not have to be a fancy operation or have lots of money to be able to afford these systems. Units start at just a few hundred dollars and will be invaluable to your business. Here are the things that they offer to you as a business owner/operator.

Provides instant feedback. Think about your operations. When have you been the most nervous? When new employees are using your assets in order to perform their jobs? Now you can be sure that they are doing well by monitoring for speed, direction, location and information on stops. What better way to train those new employees to become better at their jobs by providing feedback that they can see and hold in their hands?

Helps you schedule your fleet. When you are working out scheduling, sometimes things have to change because of customer demands. With a GPS tracking system, you can see when drivers are close to customer locations and re-route them based on customer demands.

This puts you into a better position that your competition of being able to deliver better service. And that translates into more consistent business over a long period of time. There are few things more valuable than customer loyalty. Use whatever methods that you can to help cultivate this environment by implementing these systems.

Makes maintenance tracking a breeze. Do you struggle to keep maintenance scheduling? If so, you can use a GPS Tracking system to monitor miles driving an hours on the road. Sure you can use the odometers for monitoring mileage, but if you use a GPS Tracking system for the same information plus duration of service and the type of driving conditions in which the vehicles are driven, you can schedule maintenance sooner on vehicles that appear to be in more heavily used circumstances. These are the ones that will develop problems sooner. How about being able to maintain them proactively to keep them on the road with fewer down times?

Puts your assets under tight control. With a GPS fleet tracking system it is all about control. This helps your business in so many ways that it is almost impossible to pick the most valuable. But, once you have these systems functioning for you, you will wonder what you ever did before. And that is the best feeling of all.