The introduction of GPS tracking devices by councils throughout Australia is proving to be something of a bitter-sweet business for fleet managers.
The sweet part is that the new technology holds great potential when it comes to increasing productivity, monitoring utility rates, guarding against theft and capturing a miscellany of useful fleet management data.
But the bitter part involves convincing drivers and operators that GPS tracking isn’t meant to check how often they stop for a smoko.
That ‘big brother’ phobia is clearly evident in the Fleet discussion forum on the IPWEA’s website, where a number of fleet managers have recently swapped notes on how to reassure staff that GPS tracking has a more noble purpose than petty prying.
For instance, the discussion thread’s initiator, Andrew King (Fleet Coordinator at South Australia’s Campbelltown City Council) admitted when we spoke to him that operator apprehension has slowed him down somewhat with ambitious plans to use GPS technology for exporting site-work data to council financial systems in order to analyse plant usage rates, job costings, vehicle depreciation and various other information.
“We are still going ahead,” says King “but it will be on a trial basis with five units over six months initially, and during that period we aim to demonstrate to operators the administrative, OH&S and other advantages.
“For example, GPS tracking can mean less paperwork for operators, and from a safety viewpoint, if a lone operator incurs an injury, we have an immediate location.”
Other contributors to the forum have given useful advice on how to placate operator anxiety. The general consensus is that the intended rationale for GPS tracking should be clearly recorded and circulated, and that it should state that the GPS information can’t be directly used for staff monitoring or disciplinary purposes.
Productive outcomes
But for those councils that have successfully overcome the anxiety hurdle and installed GPS tracking systems, there have been some productive outcomes.
For instance, since installing Navman Wireless devices in 35 of its vehicles 18 months ago, Tamworth Regional Council in NSW has seen improvements in both productivity and customer service.
We’ve seen a 30% increase across our road graders and plan to use Navman Wireless technology to create benchmarks across our entire fleet,” says Chris Davidson from the Executive Office of the council’s Regional Services Directorate.
According to Davidson the council provides services across 2000 km of unsealed roads.
“So it’s useful to be able to prove when and where services have been delivered, and to be able to respond to community enquiries about whether or not a certain stretch of road has been graded,” he said.
Tamworth Regional Council have also used GPS tracking reports to improve the routes their mower crews used and thereby improve productivity and reduce fuel usage.
Garbage truck monitoring is another successful example of GPS technology, as evidenced by Dubbo City Council’s recent installation tracking devices on its four-strong fleet. The council’s Manager of Fleet Management Services, Steve Colliver says the units enable the council to monitor collection routes and adjust them whenever efficiency gains are identified.
Another council which has successfully used GPS tracking to monitor equipment ranging from street sweepers through to mowers is Mackay Regional Council. They started out with BIGmate tracking devices on just three street sweepers, but now have close to 50 BIGmate units on equipment ranging through to mowers, slashers, spraying equipment and graders.
“The operators have been actively involved in the selection and development of the system and have full access to the information available,” said a council spokesman.
“Also, the paperwork has been reduced, because previously each operator had to manually fill out detailed running sheets. But now the process is automated by the operator simply pressing the relevant buttons.”