Portable GPS

[tech_guy]

A friend with his own business is suspicious that his staff are using the company vehicles for personal use and are falsifying the logs to hide the fact that they are using the vehicles at night and at the weekends for personal purposes.

 

The problem is that the staff involved do jobs in the evenings and at weekends (it's a medical supplies courier business), as well as during the day, so tracking the usage is difficult. Company policy states that the vehicles must only be used by staff in the execution of their duties and must not be used for personal reasons.

 

He allows some of the staff to take the vehicles home as they usually start their working day at 6am and it saves an unnecessary journey into the depot first thing on most days as most of the orders are prepared the night before and the vans loaded ready for the drops the following day.

 

Anyway, to cut a long story short we're thinking of installing some sort of gps tracking system. I've had a look on the Internet and there's some lovely kit out there, but he's a tight wad and wants to do it as cheaply as possible, spending no more than £100 per vehicle (he has 10).

 

It needs to be a discrete system. Something that can't be tampered with, that allows realtime tracking over the Internet, and allows logs to be downloaded that details miles travelled and dates and times.

 

Has anyone any experience of setting this up and recommendations of what kit to use? Many thanks.

[laserblazer]

This is what Norman Surplus is using to plot his round the world gyrocopter trip. SPOT SATELLITE MESSENGER :: HOME PAGE No idea what the costs are but I guess they aren't cheap!

[Martin]

It needs to be a discrete system.

 

You friend needs to be careful is he is thinking of installing such a device without informing (and getting consent from) his employees, as he may get into trouble by "spying" on staff.

 

mb

[Martin]

See GPS Travel Tracker from Maplin for a very cheap (thirty quid a pop) possible solution, but...

 

Please note that if you wish to use this device to track another individual or their vehicle, you must do so with their full consent and knowledge.

 

mb

[Domino]

See GPS Travel Tracker from Maplin for a very cheap (thirty quid a pop) possible solution, but...

 

 

 

mb

 

Those kinds of things are made for you to track your holiday or similar, requires charging, powring on and off, connecting to a computer to download info, etc, etc.

 

really, to get any kind of useable functionality, you'd have to bite the bullet and pay the money to get something like this Live Vehicle GPS Tracker Free Delivery : Tracking Devices : Maplin

[Haptic]

My father actually has one in his company car that he has to have a key for. The idea being, the car won't start/move (cannot remember which) unless he puts in the key and turns it as well as the ignition key. This then links up to a computer in the office which tracks his movements. Full proof.....believe me he has tried! I will ask him at the weekend and get back to you tech_guy. The way they put it to him was, it is in the interest of his safety also that they know where he is.....mmmmm.

 

Chris

[K.C.Leblanc]

It might be worth having a dig around on this forum;

 

UK Business Forums - the UK's most active help and advice forum for owners, managers and entrepreneurs of small businesses and startups.

 

I'm pretty sure I've seen it discussed.

 

I would also hazard a guess that if word gets out that there's some form of tracking in use abuse will stop. Might he get away with only installing the kit on some vehicles?

[Educare_AV]

Would a strongly worded letter not be the cheaper option first. Maybe advising that the vehicle is only insured for works use and any accidents, not deemed as works business would not be covered.

[dhicks]

Company policy states that the vehicles must only be used by staff in the execution of their duties and must not be used for personal reasons.

 

Why not?

 

--

David Hicks

[Martin]

Why not?

 

--

David Hicks

 

...because it becomes a "company car" which is liable for (big) personal taxes (thus other admin overheads and probably extra insurance)!

 

mb

[Martin]

Those kinds of things are made for you to track your holiday or similar, requires charging, powring on and off, connecting to a computer to download info, etc, etc.

 

True, but not bad for thirty quid (and can give nearly three days coverage per charge )

 

Heck, the first GPS receiver that i bought (over ten years ago) was three HUNDRED quid (and eight hours of use and serial eight-sat tracking)!!

 

mb