Tracking technology is a sensitive topic amongst tradies and trade business owners. At Dr. DRiP we’ve had tracking devices installed in our work vehicles for some time now, but that doesn’t mean it was accepted with open arms.
When we first introduced the tracking device—it was to save time and money. We had eight trucks on the road, and the only way to track their location was for a dispatcher to call each tradie, multiple times a day.
It became an increasingly stressful situation. The manual tracking was time consuming, and didn’t allow time for other tasks. As a result, we were missing calls from potential clients or taking too long to respond, essentially throwing money away.
We always say — you spend big on marketing, but then don’t answer the phone? That’s Crazy!
We had to make a change
By installing the tracking device, our dispatcher could see all our vehicle’s locations on one screen — eliminating the need to make multiple calls a day. Now if a job comes in, the dispatcher can see who is close to the job’s location and send the closest person. This is a great benefit for our clients and a big relief for our dispatcher.
Now, that’s not to say we didn’t receive strong pushback from our team —The tradies felt we didn’t trust them, it was a punishment. However, once we explained the benefit, they better understood our decision was coming from a place of efficiency, not distrust.
Having said that…. We did ensure a third party installed our tracking device. When we installed ourselves, we found that the tradies who KNEW where the connection was, often unplugged them. Whether it was just them ‘giving it to the boss’ or their attempt to hide something… It didn’t sit well with us.
Now, none of our tradies know where the tracking device is, and therefore cannot disconnect it. It’s a disappointing reality that some people will try to cheat you out of overtime or take an unnecessary detour to waste time. This technology eliminates temptation.
Another added bonus is some insurance companies are now accepting dash-cam footage for accidents and theft
Many tracking devices now have the extra option of adding a dash cam. Tradies spend hours a day driving, which puts them at high risk of being involved in an accident. Having video proof that you were not at fault could save you from expensive excess fees.
Many dash cams also have a red blinking light, which may deter thieves from targeting the vehicle, if they can see a camera is actively recording. We only wish we had it when our ute windows was smashed to grab an iPad!
There’s a range of products on the market, ranging from $40 – $500 per device, so finding a product that fits your purpose is easy. Overall, if you’ve been mulling over if this is something you need — we promise you it is. Get smart, get efficient, and stop wasting time!
