Stevenage-based electrical contractor Best Electrical estimates it is saving £26,000 a year after installing GPS tracking technology into its fleet of 10 cars 18 months ago.
The system, provided by FleetMatics, enables it to monitor precisely the location and status of its cars. Director of operations Robert Ranson says: "We were getting massive claims for overtime and had no way of checking it. It was not that we distrusted our drivers, more that we simply wanted better accuracy."
Some training was required for office-based admin staff - provided free by FleetMatics - and there was a need to explain to drivers why the technology was being installed.
"There were some murmurs around 'you don't trust us', but if people don't have anything to hide, there is no problem, is there?" says Ranson. "The most significant change for us has been a reduction in overtime claims. People were never allowed to use their vehicles outside work, but now we can see it.
"We can check someone has parked their vehicle on a Friday night and it has stayed there. The system will also tell us if a driver starts up the car and leaves it running in the driveway, or if they have been sat by the side of the road taking a two-hour break."
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