please delete this post

Thanks for the clarification John, I hope no offense was taken and none was intended in both directions. I would not want someone reading this to interpret that you think the levels of skill and commitment required to be a good field service forklift tech are roughly equal to the skills and commitment required to keep your driving license from being revoked by the state.
I feel pretty sure that _you_ know that to be a good "road tech" requires far more than JUST "doing what is right", in the way of investment of tools and time to learn all the various the job skills necessary.
I just would not want any people who do NOT know "secret of where the skill resides", to decide that the skill is held in the logo on the outside of the truck, and not the tech inside the truck, and what it takes to make that truck a much more valuable asset than the same truck was worth, sitting on the lot at the new truck dealer, and to justify that mistake with the idea that the same privilege that got them the job as [insert no getting dirty job title here] can be used as justification for them to put any friend or relative that needs a job as a field service technical customer support specialist. I have seen way to many customers pay way too much for training someone who should have never been in the forklift business.
I also wanted to reiterate the idea that every tech owes it to the paying customer to -earn- the payment every hour, and not consider their continued employment as a privilege that just not really **** up entitles them to.
Far too often in todays business and political climate, I think people hear the word "privilege" and equate it to "entitlement", I know I have.

All that said, and now heading back to the topic at hand, I would really like to know more about the differences and abilities of the available GPS tracking units and their related software, and wonder if anyone has some links to the various manufactures, or if there is a GPS tracking equipment website like forkliftaction is for the forklift industry.

Ed,
Allow my to clarify something for you. My use of the word "priviledge" means some thing that is granted to one and earned via actions or deeds vs a right which is something grant by law. These definitions and use are consistent with the Webster's.

I choose a career in the forklift truck industry and always felt I was priveleged to hold every position I held. Likewise, I have a driver's license it is a priviledge to have and I have to work to keep it - it is easy just follow the rules and regulations. In my view one should do the same no matter what position one holds.

I agree with Ed. If you think you can do a better job then here are the keys now prove it. As road techs our main concern is taking care of our customers. We are the ones that collaborate face to face with our customers. I work for my customers and keep their intentions as a number one priority. I don't think a tech would make it long if he took advantage of his customers, with the economy the way it is we are all under the microscope. Don't think for a second that any customer of mine would tolerate any abuse of any kind.

So with that said what is GPS really for? A tool to keep us from cheating our customers I think not.

You are saying that you have seen that Crown sells the same man's moment in time to more than one customer?
Would that not equal to selling the same thing twice, when there was only 1 to sell?
"if the tech clocks 8 hours and only works 5 they say he is stealing"
The tech *IS* stealing (period).
If they say it or not.
I am just not sure if he is stealing from the company or the customer, but it is -not- good.
8 hours worked and 8 hours paid. fair is fair.
If someone else steals, don't complain that they don't share.
Don't let someone else's misdeeds be a justification for your own misdeed.

And John, you say "The privilege of being a road tech".
While I am privileged to work with some of the folks I have gotten to work with, I am not "privileged" to be a road tech. It is earned each and every hour. That does not mean that I am not thankful for the opportunity to earn it, but it is in no manner a "privilege", there is no "gift" of a job,the job (and payment for it) must be earned. Road techs are doing a job most everyone else does not want to even try to do correctly, that MUST be done correctly.
your mileage may vary.

Crown uses their gps as atool tomake moent fromthe customer and take it from the tech. Crown bills on the half hour to the customer and then makes the tech clock his time tothe five minute point. So at the end of the day the tech clocks 8 hours he is paid for and the crown gets to keep the other time. Which could anddoes add up to several hours they charge for that are not worked. But if the tech clocks 8 hours and only works 5 they say he is stealing from the company. Isnt this an interesting situation?

strange how these things take their own path.
I thought the discussion was about how GPS units effect the working environment for field service techs.
I have not seen anything so far that makes me think there is anyone "posting to talk about positives and negatives on the GPS units", nor do I think anyo of us have much knowledge about the differences between GPS units and their related software.

This discussion is about GPS not how to do your work orders right? I don't understand how Drlifttruck's post has anything to do about GPS. We are posting to talk about positives and negatives on the GPS units. I don't think any of us here would think of cheating our customers or employers. You better do a real good job in this economy, many us would fight for this job. So no problems over here in paradise "butter cup".

DWYSYD

Do what you say you did,.

NO worries mate!!!!!!!!!

Cheat your employer, get Fired.

Work order basics's:

1 Problem
2 Discussion
3 Solution.

Stay out of the Drive throughs and do the job that you are paid to do.

Shut up Butter Cup.

What is the problem here?

DOC

Obviously, GPS systems can be used to be a watchdog for those that like to abuse the privilege of being a road tech. GPS tracking is also used to track sales folks via company supplied cell phones. If you don't abuse it and give an honest days work for an honest days pay you should have any worries. If you worry about it then you need to worry.

There are benefits to using GPS systems - a few are:
1. Faster recovery of stolen service vans (not an uncommon occurance) with techs tools & all the other stuff before they find their way in a pawnshop. There is a lot of $$ tied up in those service vans.
2. Improved response times to customers needs - customers and their cash are kings in any business. Can be a competitive advantage to your company to gain additional business.
3. Yes, it is not uncommon for a company to have "slackers" in any part of the organization. Those on the road are harder to keep up with. They affect all in they company - meaning others have to carry more load to make up for their lack of productivity. Those folks can be weeded out quicker. With positive documentation the process is much easier. I like to get paid for what I do - seems fair.

I don't know about other states but in NH it is a state law that when you hire an employee you must put the wages and benefits that you offered the person in writing. Where is the trust there?
Most employers offer employee hand books that put in writing precisely what benefits the company will provide to the employee. You know, I have never had an employee put in writing what benefits our company will derive because of thier employment...Unless of course you consider the over their embellished resumes.
Trust goes both ways.

I have never had a problem with "being where you say you are" but I think the sad part about all of this is these systems are expensive and during economic times like this we would like to keep our jobs and not have our corporate owners waste money on equipment we don't really need. Honestly if you have employees you don't trust, don't you think it would behoove one to terminate the one or two offenders than waste tens of thousands and pay monthly charges to baby sit your untrusted employee or two? Getting these systems basically says " I don't trust you". I can't see how this would boost moral.

Is there a problem with being where you say you are?

Or doing what you said you did?

Never had that problem.

Doc

We used them more for dispatching than for tracking. Our system can show me where all my techs are at and who is actually closest to a call. If the dealer uses it in this way it is well worth the cost. Just to see who is showing up on the job would be a waste a good manager would know this anyway.

I work for a company which fitted trackers 3 years ago, all it has done is make the engineers drive slower to jobs and at the back end of the day instead of rushing a job and doing a job on the way home to get a good start for the next day, the engineers just take there time.It has shown up few d***heads,but if the service manager is doing his job he will still be able to catch these engineers out. We still get calls from the service dept asking where are you.