Prevent Company Vehicle Abuse with GPS Tracking

May 7, 2012 - PRLog -- According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 16.5 million Americans hold multiple jobs. Theoretically, there’s nothing wrong with employees earning extra money on the side, as long as there is no conflict of interest with their primary employer. Realistically, however, many workers are moonlighting without their employer’s knowledge, putting their revenue and reputation at risk when performing unauthorized jobs on the side. It’s this unreported, unauthorized moonlighting that can be the most financially damaging to a company.

Employers have to be cautious when dealing with the issue of side jobs. Prohibiting it outright can lead to issues of privacy, but the employer needs to protect their assets as well.

Consider Dan, an HVAC repair company employee who is dispatched to fix a customer’s air conditioning unit. After diagnosing the problem, Dan presents the customer with the estimate for the repair, which the customer thinks is too high. Dan tells the customer that he can return after he gets off work and perform the repair for a significantly lower price. Dan completes his other scheduled stops and leaves work in the company vehicle as he normally does. Instead of going home, however, Dan returns to the customer’s house in the company vehicle, and uses the company’s tools to perform the repair, pocketing the cash paid by the customer.

Dan used the company vehicle, fuel, tools, and any replacement parts in order to fix the customer’s  A/C unit, and the company received nothing in return, because they never knew the job was completed.

There are also potential hidden costs associated with jobs like this. Because Dan showed up in a company vehicle, the company’s reputation is at stake, especially if he performs sub-standard work. Also, the company may still be liable for insurance claims resulting from injuries to either Dan or the customer that happened while performing the job, or as a result of the repair.

Many companies are employing GPS tracking to combat these types of occurrences. Once installed in the vehicle, the GPS unit reports back to a centralized system, usually located at the company’s headquarters. There, depending on the system, dispatchers can locate their vehicles in real-time on an interactive map, or even view a history of where their vehicles have been driven over a specified period of time. Service vehicles are often one of a company’s most expensive assets, and a GPS system, properly installed and administered, can make keeping track of them tremendously easier.

While knowing the locations of the company vehicles is a clear advantage, it is only one of the many cost-saving benefits enjoyed by companies using a GPS system such as those provided by GPS Fleet Solutions. For over 11 years, GPS Fleet Solutions has been a premier provider of GPS fleet tracking products and services. As a leader in the distribution of GPS tracking, telematics, and fleet management technology, their goal is to help their customers maximize their fleet’s efficiency with the quickest return on investment.

For more information, visit GPS Fleet Solutions at www.GPSFleetSolutions.com or call 855-300-0526.