Does GPS Vehicle Tracking Equate to 'Big Brother?'

When people ask about my business, I tell them,might be tempted, especially if they're out of the
"My company offers GPS vehicle trackingboss's sight? A GPS tracking system records how
systems." Their response lets me know whetherlong each vehicle remains at one location; use it to
they are an employee or a business owner.keep them honest.
The first words out of the mouth of anAnother benefit of GPS vehicle tracking systems:
employee is: "Sounds like 'Big Brother' to me." Ohyou'll never make another phone call to find out
no, not 'Big Brother!' Visions of mind-controlledwhere your employees are--you can just look on
drones working like slaves come to mind and theythe map displayed on your computer screen. Also,
quickly walk away.your GPS tracking system will remind you when
'Big Brother?' What is wrong with a businessit's time to rotate tires, change oil or perform
monitoring their vehicles? Or making sure theirother scheduled maintenance. And, many
employees are doing what they're being paid toinsurance companies offer discounts of up to
do? Who owns these vehicles, anyway? Does the30% for vehicles protected with GPS tracking
owner have a right to know how they're beingsystems.
used?The employee also benefits when their company
Now, don't get me wrong. I believe employeesvehicle is equipped with a GPS vehicle tracking
should be trusted and treated as adults. But, ifsystem.
you've ever driven a rental vehicle differently than
the car you own, then you understand how an1. Hand-written driver logs are replaced with data
employee may mistreat a company vehicle.from the tracking system.
Take the speeding employee, for example.2. Using info from the gps tracking system, each
Employees who drive too fast waste youremployee's productivity can be quantified and
gasoline, wear out your vehicle prematurely andcompared; an employee's performance can be
sooner or later, drive up your insurance rates.more objectively measured.
A GPS vehicle tracking system can alert you3. Your dispatcher can look on a computer screen
when someone exceeds your pre-set speed limit.and locate all your vehicles immediately.
It's your vehicle, your fuel and your insuranceCustomers also benefit from GPS vehicle tracking
premium; a tracking system helps you regainsystems. Businesses can provide precise arrival or
control of them.delivery estimates, because the estimate is based
Who uses your vehicles after hours and onupon the actual location of the tracking
weekends? Is an employee using your vehicle todevice-equipped vehicle at the moment they call.
moonlight? Is he using your gas to move hisIf a customer questions when your employee
brother-in-law into a new apartment? You'll knowarrived or left --prove it to them using data from
if you install a GPS vehicle tracking device in youryour tracking system.
vehicles.Still think GPS tracking systems are tools of 'Big
How do you verify overtime claims? Maybe youBrother?' I guess it depends upon your point of
can verify the work was done, but when? With aview.
GPS tracking system, you can cross-check aThe concept of 'Big Brother' never comes up with
vehicle's location with the time of day it wasbusiness owners. The business owner will say:
there."How will tracking my vehicles help my business
Have you ever been tempted to take anmake more money?" They want to know what
extended lunch hour? Think your employeesGPS vehicle tracking can do for them.