Well, GPS has a good point and a bad point but anywhere you put it its just put you on the spot whether you are working or just passing time. There are many ways to justify work but electronics cannot change the actual check whether or not a mechanic does his job or not. To me, GPS users are persons not trusting or does not have proper control on their operation. Service is about connecting to people and building relationships and I don't think that GPS can improve that. In the end it is what we can do for our company that matters. If the company treats us well then there is no need for GPS, only proper monitoring based on loyalty.

I figured since I started this post I will update what is going on at my company. The company has implemented about 5 or 6 GPS units on service vans and are "testing the waters". I had a few questions/ideas about GPS that I have been throwing around so here they are:

1. Our service manager has never spent 1 day in a road van. Is there any possible way that he could implement a GPS system without **** off the good techs, because he has never been on the road, how can he possibly know how to manage a road service and use GPS the "right" way?

2. I instinctively know who the bad techs are and who the good ones are. Why doesn't management pick up on this? Let the good ones do what they are good at and keep tabs on the bad ones. Is management the problem or am I just full of myself thinking I can pick out the good and bad techs?

3. Can you run a service business with over 60 road techs without GPS? I mean gas is $4 a gallon. At about $115 per fillup, GPS is a relatively small expense, or is it?

Any comments would be helpful.

from what i have personally seen it (the GPS) is nothing more than a TOOL. Just like a scan tool there still needs to be an interpretation, of the data. yes there are ways to fake a GPS out. There are ways to fake out a RFID, There are even ways to fake them **** phone gps units. but when the boss asks why you went off of route, and you told him customer 'Z' wants to buy a new (or used) truck, or even a full service plan. do you think you have to worry? What do you think his response to a "three martini lunch (out of route) would be? if it resulted in a multi unit sale? the people who buy into the GPS unit and other methods have bought into the scam.... we will watch your employees for you, because you cant figure it out during the interview process. Just be who you are and keep smiling

Not only are GPS units used to locate service vans (sometimes a nice benefit when the van with the techs tools are stolen often the van w/tools is recovered in short time by authorities), GPS tracking is also loaded on company supplied cell phones for sales people. Yes, they gripe about them too - especially those that hold to the belief that customers do not want to see sales people on Fridays, especially after noontime or rainy days and the like.

Life is simple if you are doing your job and doing it well , timely and efficently, take care of company assets like they are your own, no matter how small they may seem (a million dollars is made up of a whole bunch of little pennies), there is not a whole lot to worry about. Don't worry or follow the other guy who may not be doing the same, worry about your own house and family and your employer.

My 3.5 cents worth (penny now cost 5 cents to produce) so I guess I could say my 17.5 cents worth.

"takes 2 days for a simple breakdown"
Its not me is it eddie??????

Signal blockers are ok just for disruption,but if a modern tracker cannot dial home for any reason it will still log where you have been and when it can, it dials home.So the Boss will always know where you have been,going to and how fast.

If u have tracker in your van proshadetree all it means is the lazy guy wont sit at the side of the road he will sit on the customer site and kill time that way doing nothing and yes your right the lazyones do have a good abilty at writing there timesheets out to make them look as if there were busy we can all do that if we wanted but at the end of the day the manager that is closing down the jobs should be able to spot the pattern and no roughly how long it takes to do jobs in different enviroments.In a lot of cases the manager is probably aware of the lazy ones but its ok saying get rid of them but how long will it take to replace them.
If you think u have problems we have one guy at our work will go to break down be there 2 days later for a simple breakdown that would take good engineer 2 to 3 hours to fix and he gets away with it all the time were i come from it can take months to fill a engineers position

My gripe was not one thing changed.You had ones who keep the doors open working and ones who were ridding the milk wagon.If anyone sees John getting away with murder they will start to slack off to.Ask my how I know.
If Gps would help get the ones who dont do spit off the clock so real techs could have their jobs Id be all for it.
I think we could lose 4 lazy guys and pick up 1 good tech and replace them all.Not the guy who has the magic pen do all his service work but his lifts harldy run but just a guy who stayed constant and done his job.Off my soap box now..

I dont no why people worry about a tracker in your van if you are doing your job properly there isnt a problem it only effects people that like say there there when there somere else or they have started late or go home an hour early and at the end of the day if you need of early or have an appointment for something if you tell your manger 99%times he will let u.
Most companys like the tracker because they can prove the van was on customer sites for a certain amount of time if there is a problem in the billing.
Further more when managers look at the times of the tracker there not interested in the guy that had an extra 5 mins lunch or a guy that has slept in buy 15 mins the there looking for constant pattern like the guy always sleeps in or is always knocking of early or the guy is constantly doing private errands during work ours.
But one thing i would say in the defence of mobile engineers if its so important to track engineers what about the managers shouldnt they be tracked as well to see what they are doing after all most managers in this game are mobile as well and how productive are they in visiting there customers and mobile engineers and are they abusing there company fuel cards at night or weekends and thats why a fair system would be to track everyone that has a company vehicle and that way everyone is in the same boat.

They wont give me a hitch.I have to get new engine and floors in her first.Then just dock near the cust.Think anyone would notice a service van sitting on the dock?
Cant say without GPS things have changed lazy ppl are still lazy.

Well pro, since the GPS is gone, it will be easier to pull the boat.

pulling fuse out shows up as tampering with unit. its only for after hours u need to block location. noting worse than fixing yr own customers trucks after hrs and having yr boss sending a sales rep to yr location the next day.

Ill supply one for free pull the fuse out and ride on.

hi all i can supply a gps blocker from 80 euro works off 12volt cigg lighter output. blocks all sat signals.including sat nav.

i am out of time i understand that it is 1234 from back to front i think my oil pump might be a gear off and the wires are crossed. i am going behind a none mechanic what is the best way to do this with out pulling the pan ?? and where are the timing marks on the pulley

i need some help with a cat forlift with a pusho motor??