# tracking crews



## LHK2 (Jan 22, 2007)

Does anyone use gps or anything else to track their crews during a storm?


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## clark lawn (Oct 7, 2005)

im currently demoing a new cell phone and program that has the ability to track employees, it also has a time card in it that i can download to quickbooks at the end of the week. i dont know any of the price specs yet as this is a brand new thing that they are offering.


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## kashman (Jan 13, 2004)

a cell is all you need . ring ring hey whats up where you at ok let me know if you have any probs


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## LHK2 (Jan 22, 2007)

Thats great when you have 2 or three trucks, but when you you have more than 10 it becomes a pain in the [email protected]@. believe me, when you start calling 15 workers to see where they are, you spend 1/2 hr calling.


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## stroker79 (Dec 2, 2006)

i do not have one but be getting one in the future. I used to work for www.teletrac.net and they have an awesome system. far more reliable than a cell phone or any other system. I would pull out competitors units all day long and install ours. call them and ask for a quote. make sure you haggle on rices though. they will quote you the highest price at first. tell them a "VSR" for the company sent you and that should get you a better price.


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## clark lawn (Oct 7, 2005)

the program i am demoing all i have to do is go to a certian web site and i can see were everyone (with the phone) is or has been for the last 10 min,24 hours, or 48 hours.there are 4 of us in the area that have the phones and we can see were they all have been. if you shut the phone off it will send me an email and i can turn it back on from the computer.


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## theplowmeister (Nov 14, 2006)

clark lawn What Co. is that with?


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## stroker79 (Dec 2, 2006)

with teletrac you can watch them on a map on the web in real time. you get a messege everytime the ign is on/off, pto on/off, dump up/down, strobes on/off, plow on/off, if the truck idles for a certain amount of time, it will shut off saving you fuel, you can watch to see where overtime is being spent, you can have/setup up to the minute reports of your trucks so that you can send along with an invoice to the customer proving they were there, police use these units all accross the country as hidden tracking units on suspects cars, you can have 2 way messeging in the cab, GPS guided directions, route navigation, custom forms setup for fert/squirt or salt usage that gets sent right to the home base (no lost paper work), can use it as a timeclock, Ill stop there, i was just getting started. 

It may sound expensive but i think its about $70 per truck per month. not a bad investment considering its all hidden unless you get the 2 way messege terminal so it can also be used for theft revocery. it happens all the time. also they can be used on trailers, they have thier own power supply (solar panel on roof).

The cell phone thing will work at first cause its new but you will find its gimiky after time and it wont do everything youll wish it could. I cant tell you how many times I have heard that we were putting these units in because the phone stuff doesnt work (mostly the nextel system). Teletrac units are so customisible its amazing. they can pop the locks for you, pop the truck all over the internet. even start the vehicle if you want it wired up that way. Also, they are on every Ryder truck you rent so watch out, haha.


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## iceyman (Mar 1, 2007)

hey stroker,,,, u b can be a spokesman for the company......:waving:


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## stroker79 (Dec 2, 2006)

haha, yeah i loved it there. i left cause we were growing too fast and they were slow to hire on new help. I was working about 80+ hours 6-7 days a week for about 6 months straight at one point and i just couldnt take it anymore so i quit. I loved what I did there and really enjoyed it. they have made a crapload of improvements since i left and the units can do even more now. the computer software is awesome now (still have friends that work there).

I actually am excited to get the units in my equipment once i have independant crews.


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## QuadPlower (Jan 4, 2007)

Stroker79, any idea what the install price would be?

The phone works if it is a subs truck. Give the guy a phone and keep track without the up front cost installing in his truck. You can also stick it under the seat or in a compartment and track random trucks you think are goofing off.

At some point I will be doing it. Can't rationalize it yet. But if I had 3 or more crews driving my trucks, diffenetly.


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## stroker79 (Dec 2, 2006)

QuadPlower;544173 said:


> Stroker79, any idea what the install price would be?
> 
> The phone works if it is a subs truck. Give the guy a phone and keep track without the up front cost installing in his truck. You can also stick it under the seat or in a compartment and track random trucks you think are goofing off.
> 
> At some point I will be doing it. Can't rationalize it yet. But if I had 3 or more crews driving my trucks, diffenetly.


that price includes setup and install typically. you can haggle pretty good with them.

I hear ya with the sub thing though. didnt really think of that part.


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## plowman4life (Jan 16, 2008)

we just use CB radios. we can talk to the garage(dispatch) or to other trucks. and since we are setup in crews i can find out the general area of many trucks pretty quick. and the cb radios dont die unless the truck does. then we have cell phone anyway.


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