[Moderator David@stives]

I want to keep an eye on my vans on the road and some of the trackers look ok

Just want to know if anyone here uses one

Dave

[matt]

ive used them in the past

1 of my last firms i worked for had them, and as i was the IT guy ( employed as a carpenter, but i was the only guy who knew my way around PC's , before any1 points out im a lair ), i used to use the system alot

very easy to use, and handy

i have issues with them though and the next job i was offered for a different comapny had them and i turned the job down and told them why, if you emply some1, you should at least respect them and trust them ( not you personally dave, people in general )

[poleman]

Get a cheap £20 pay as you go mobile from Tesco find a good place in your van to hind it, then make sure its on charge all the time, and then go online here www.followus.co.uk al do a google for "locating a mobile phone"

[Steve CM]

i use vehicle trackers, and i have found it is an essential key to running a good efficient business.

make sure you pay extra to get real time tracking, i tried the cheap ones to test the water, but the were proving to be a pain in downloading the info everyday. you can also find weak spots in your earnings to bring it inline with the rest of your work by monitoring how long each contract takes.

its smart business to me

[sjm]

I want to keep an eye on my vans on the road and some of the trackers look ok

Just want to know if anyone here uses one

Dave

You can get locked up for that  some call it tracking , others . . . . stalking 

[matt]

Get a cheap £20 pay as you go mobile from Tesco find a good place in your van to hind it, then make sure its on charge all the time, and then go online here www.followus.co.uk al do a google for "locating a mobile phone"

i used to use followus for tracking my van

the area it points out is not that accurate, something like a 5 mile radius in the country, infact just to prove a point i have just tracked my phone now

its on my kitchen worktop, followus says its about 10 mins drive away  : :

[jeff1]

Get a cheap £20 pay as you go mobile from Tesco find a good place in your van to hind it, then make sure its on charge all the time, and then go online here www.followus.co.uk al do a google for "locating a mobile phone"

i used to use followus for tracking my van

the area it points out is not that accurate, something like a 5 mile radius in the country, infact just to prove a point i have just tracked my phone now

its on my kitchen worktop, followus says its about 10 mins drive away  : :

Blimey Matt, How bigs your kitchen 

[Blue Sky 2]

Hi,

I have used trackers in the past, very good for tracking your van and employees however, mine were working out to about £50.00 per month, it is some time ago now (about 8 years) so prices may have come down.

I did become a bit paranoid by the whole thing, I had 14 vans working back then and spent a lot of my time watching the computer to check up on their movements. I got rid of the trackers as soon as the contract expired.

You must be feeling a bit unsure of the people you employ to be thinking of installing trackers, I do not blame you, I have had a lot of experience of employing people and any employee out working on their own or even a crew I would not trust. I do not wish to sound hard or distrusting but DONT trust any employee.
After I got rid of my trackers I used to pay so many hours or part of an hour per job, so the more jobs they got thru the more hours they got paid and the more income for the company. I did not pay the employee until I had a completed job sheet signed by the customer and payment in full, even if it was an invoiced job on 30 days.

Hope this helps. Its the hardest part employing and expanding your business.

John

[Helen]

I want to keep an eye on my vans on the road and some of the trackers look ok

Just want to know if anyone here uses one

Dave

Dave you have obviously got some new staff. so light at the end of the tunnel from a few weeks ago for you
Exactly what do you want to monitor and why. perhaps there is another way rather than trackers which are not 100% foolproof

[Moderator David@stives]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Firstly to Helen yes I have now got new staff, I have got 2, my son and  another lad working together and things are looking good, Hopefully taking on another soon with a general manager so i can concentrate on bringing in new work

The main reasons for the tracker are

1/ As someone already suggested to work out any weak spots in income ie travelling times etc, as i work in a rural area this is an area where i could improve productivity, especially in charging a premium for travelling time.

2/ I want to get to know the working practices of my staff , how many breaks and how long, i have said they can take breaks when ever they want as long as the work gets done, I also pay form the minute they turn up to the minute they go home as long as they play fair.

3/ I let the lads use the van to go the gym after work as long as they pay the mileage, and one of the lads takes the van home in the evening, but this is on the stipulation that is all its for and they dont go off nightclubbing etc. With the lads both being 19 years old anything can happen so just want to be kept in the picture.

I trust my staff (As much as you can trust 19 year olds) but just want to moniter my vehicles movements

Dave

[dave0123]

how much is ur van insurance 

Must be abit am only 22 and i pay around £700 - 800 

[Moderator David@stives]

I pay about £400 per van

[Dean Taberner]

£463 per year and im 28