Usic Getting Gps In Trucks

**greek1** · February 26th, 2010, 09:47 PM

i found out today that here in illinois usic is putting gps in our trucks to track us and make sure we are doing tickets and turning our trucks off at each locate. what a joke.and they are going do "live audits" where they look at gps and come to the ticket we are at to make sure cones are out and we are doing the job correctly.so supposedly they are installing these in may 2010 .I CANT WAIT

**greek1** · February 26th, 2010, 09:53 PM

how about some better raises for us instead of gps

**ProfessionalLocator** · February 26th, 2010, 11:19 PM

Originally Posted by greek1

how about some better raises for us instead of gps

Dream on.

**ProfessionalLocator** · February 26th, 2010, 11:23 PM

Originally Posted by greek1

i found out today that here in illinois usic is putting gps in our trucks to track us and make sure we are doing tickets and turning our trucks off at each locate. what a joke.and they are going do "live audits" where they look at gps and come to the ticket we are at to make sure cones are out and we are doing the job correctly.so supposedly they are installing these in may 2010 .I CANT WAIT

The new USIC trucks, and their gps, is part of another thread.

New USIC Trucks

**FiosKing** · February 26th, 2010, 11:28 PM

good luck wityh those "live audits" nearly impossible to get there before you leave we have had gps for over 2 years now

**locate_this_will_ya** · February 27th, 2010, 01:13 AM

Originally Posted by greek1

i found out today that here in illinois usic is putting gps in our trucks to track us and make sure we are doing tickets and turning our trucks off at each locate. what a joke.and they are going do "live audits" where they look at gps and come to the ticket we are at to make sure cones are out and we are doing the job correctly.so supposedly they are installing these in may 2010 .I CANT WAIT

So what is wrong with a company wanting to make sure you are doing your job correctly?
Don't get me wrong I hear what you are saying about them giving better raises but having gps in your truck isn't really a big deal. Unless you are one of those locator's that spend more time screwing the system than actually working.

**sprayandpray** · February 27th, 2010, 06:46 AM

Originally Posted by locate_this_will_ya

So what is wrong with a company wanting to make sure you are doing your job correctly?
Don't get me wrong I hear what you are saying about them giving better raises but having gps in your truck isn't really a big deal. Unless you are one of those locator's that spend more time screwing the system than actually working.

Originally Posted by ProfessionalLocator

The new USIC trucks, and their gps, is part of another thread.

New USIC Trucks

Check the original thread and you will realize there are several reasons to doubt this move to GPS.

**boozerr** · February 27th, 2010, 08:33 AM

Originally Posted by sprayandpray

Check the original thread and you will realize there are several reasons to doubt this move to GPS.

early last week someone was coming to a PA office to install GPS according to local manager...it is coming and in some areas coming soon.

**ProfessionalLocator** · February 27th, 2010, 10:31 AM

Originally Posted by sprayandpray

Check the original thread and you will realize there are several reasons to doubt this move to GPS.

Yes, there are 77 replies in that thread. A big issues is that while costing millions how gps results in lowered productivity .

So when productivity drops and expenses increase where are the losses made up?
Is it from the pay and benefits of the managers who made the bad decisions?
No, they do not cut their own pay and benefits.
Is it from the stockholders?
No, they have the power to fire the managers who made the bad decisions.
Is it from the employees pay and benefits?
Think about it.

**big boots mcghee** · February 27th, 2010, 11:38 AM

Anyone that does their job even remotely close to how the company asks has nothing to worry about. The panic you hear is of those guys that can't follow the simple expectations that are already out there, and many of those guys are the reason that gps installation has seemed like such a novel idea to the suits in the first place.

**ProfessionalLocator** · February 27th, 2010, 12:02 PM

Originally Posted by big boots mcghee

Aothing to worry abounyone that does their job even remotely close to how the company asks has nt. The panic you hear is of those guys that can't follow the simple expectations that are already out there, and many of those guys are the reason that gps installation has seemed like such a novel idea to the suits in the first place.

No one disputes that bad employees is why management got the idea of putting gps into the trucks. No one disputes that management thinks it is a good idea.

Many dispute, and make a good case, that it is an overall good idea. Much of the dispute is that it will cost millions, cut productivity and result in pay and benefits cuts to the good locators. This gives something to worry about for anyone that does their job even remotely close to how the company asks.

See the other threads for some very well made arguments.

**big boots mcghee** · February 27th, 2010, 12:57 PM

Originally Posted by ProfessionalLocator

Many dispute, and make a good case, that it is an overall good idea. Much of the dispute is that it will cost millions, cut productivity and result in pay and benefits cuts to the good locators. This gives something to worry about for anyone that does their job even remotely close to how the company asks.

I had my supervisor tell me that in test areas for the gps they've actually seen productivity go up. The thought behind it is that you don't have guys milking tickets on their rides to/from the field.

In my opinion though, I think, at least in my area, productivity will take a dip. I think too many guys will run the risk of being exposed for taking too many shortcuts, or going "old school" on the low profile tickets, and as they each try to correct this their overall numbers will take a hit.

**ProfessionalLocator** · February 27th, 2010, 02:44 PM

Originally Posted by big boots mcghee

I had my supervisor tell me that in test areas for the gps they've actually seen productivity go up. The thought behind it is that you don't have guys milking tickets on their rides to/from the field.

In my opinion though, I think, at least in my area, productivity will take a dip. I think too many guys will run the risk of being exposed for taking too many shortcuts, or going "old school" on the low profile tickets, and as they each try to correct this their overall numbers will take a hit.

I think you have hit the nail on the head.

In areas where there is mass abuse of self direction for the purpose of gaining money not earned the productivity will rise. If it will rise above the costs of gps is to be seen. But in that area the real problem remains in place. The managers of that errant area did not do their jobs like the managers in your area did. The problem is still in place and will lead to new problems later. They have taken care of the symptoms but not the cause.

When a house is falling you start repairs at the foundation and work up. When a company is in trouble you start at the top and work down.

**ProfessionalLocator** · February 28th, 2010, 09:55 AM

Originally Posted by big boots mcghee

I had my supervisor tell me that in test areas for the gps they've actually seen productivity go up. The thought behind it is that you don't have guys milking tickets on their rides to/from the field.

In my opinion though, I think, at least in my area, productivity will take a dip. I think too many guys will run the risk of being exposed for taking too many shortcuts, or going "old school" on the low profile tickets, and as they each try to correct this their overall numbers will take a hit.

One thing I did not mention on my previous reply is the people who milk tickets will continue to milk tickets, they will just us gps to make it look like they are not milking tickets.

They will just adapt. They will keep reading material in the truck, a hand held video game, talk on their private cell more instead of moving the truck to the next job when finished with their current job. Instead of spending 30 minutes or more siting some place doing nothing they will just add five minutes to the jobs they can. Then the gps will show they are diligently doing their job and working at full productivity. These are people that do not want to work and still will not want to work, they will find a way to not work. They can even use the gps to document proper production while they are goofing off creating overtime for the jobs they are not doing.

Suppose the foreman sees that the job they spent 20 minutes on is a remark of a ticket they marked last week. So the get called on that and told not to milk the tickets. The reply back is no, they were not milking the ticket. Company policy is to tone all tickets even remarks. That to re-read the drawings and re-tone takes just as much time as it does to do the original ticket. That the gps report they are reading shows they are doing their jobs as ordered. All the while they just sprayed fresh paint on the old marks and goofed off for 15 minutes at that location.

While the gps will stop many at first and get rid of the ones not smart enough to circumvent it they will soon adapt. They will talk to each other, usually over the company phone, and share techniques on how to use the gps system to their advantage.

When you have an employee problem so large that you think gps is needed on the entire fleet of vehicles then the problem is not in the locating industry one gps will correct. The problem is motivation and morale and the failure to obtain the level of this that is required.

**big boots mcghee** · February 28th, 2010, 11:14 AM

Originally Posted by ProfessionalLocator

One thing I did not mention on my previous reply is the people who milk tickets will continue to milk tickets, they will just us gps to make it look like they are not milking tickets.

Sure, you can easily adapt throughout the heart of the work day. Maybe a 20 minute ticket all of a sudden takes 30 minutes, or an hour long ticket takes 90 minutes, etc, and as long as you're at the job you're supposed to be at it's no big deal. I was talking about the guys that like to start their tickets from home and then drive into work, or the guys that hold all of their low profile tickets until the end of the day and then clear them out on their drive home (or from their couches). Those guys will have a tough time answering why they're all of a sudden completing 5-10 less jobs a day.