GPS fleet tracking software can be an immensely powerful tool. With this software, businesses, schools, and municipalities can make significant improvements to the efficiency of their vehicle fleets. The benefits of GPS tracking for your fleet of vehicles are well-established.
However, your employees, especially the drivers of your vehicles, might need some convincing about the benefits of using GPS technology on the vehicles they drive.
Introducing fleet tracking to your employees can be a challenge, as presenting such a program can seem like a personal intrusion or worse, an insult. The last thing you want is to have employees see GPS tracking as an impediment to their work. With this in mind, we here at RASTRAC thought we’d share a few tips for introducing GPS tracking to your employees:
Tip #1: Clearly Explain How the GPS Tracker Will Be Used
One of the most important things that you can do is to establish clear ground rules for when and how your organization will use the GPS trackers in its fleet vehicles. This is especially important if you’re going to be installing GPS tracking systems in vehicles that employees can use when they’re off the clock.
For example, say that an employee is provided with a company car to use on the job, and they are then allowed to take that company vehicle home to use for personal reasons, such as shopping or taking their kids to school.
Keeping the GPS tracking system in the vehicle active when the employee’s not on the job could be considered an invasion of privacy, especially if it’s done without their knowledge or consent.
By establishing a clear explanation of your company’s GPS tracking policy, employees can be made aware of your policies regarding the GPS trackers in your vehicle fleet, including:
- Whether or not tracking will be active 24/7
- How tracking data is stored
- How/if tracking data is used in employee assessments
- Penalties for tampering with the tracking device
Just to name a few.
The more detailed your explanation of how you’ll be using GPS systems for your vehicles, the better.
Tip #2: Emphasize the Benefits of GPS Tracking to Employees
Although many of the biggest benefits of using GPS tracking are catered to organizations, there are several ways that GPS fleet tracking software can benefit the drivers of your vehicles.
For example, GPS software can help improve safety for your drivers. No matter how well-maintained a vehicle is, and no matter how good the driver is, there’s always a risk that the vehicle will break down on the road or get into an accident.
GPS systems allow you to know exactly where the breakdown occurred and send that information to local emergency responders as needed. This reduces the time that the driver has to wait for help.
Another way that GPS systems can help drivers is by finding optimal travel routes to avoid traffic. This lets drivers reach their destinations faster, minimizing the frustrations of sitting in heavy traffic.
Emphasizing the benefits of GPS tracking to your employees helps to drive their acceptance of the system, which makes integrating the system less disruptive and stressful.
Tip #3: Avoid Accusatory Statements When Talking to Employees About Installing GPS Tracking Systems
Although one of the major benefits of using GPS tracking is that it can help eliminate fuel theft/fraud, it may be wise to avoid making any kind of statements that could be misinterpreted as accusing an employee of such fraud.
For example, stating to employees, even in a general announcement, that one of the reasons you’re installing GPS tracking is to combat fuel theft/fraud could be construed as an accusation. Ultimately, this will only cause hurt feelings and reduce employee engagement.
So, when you talk to employees about implementing a GPS system, be sure to reinforce that the system will help the organization. However, try to avoid making statements about employee theft unless it’s absolutely necessary.
These are just a few tips that you might want to keep in mind when introducing GPS fleet tracking to your employees.
Check out our fleet tracking eBook at the link below for more information:
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