State Of The Fleet Market

SPONSORED CONTENTWHAT ARE THE TOP 3 CHALLENGES YOUR BUSINESS FACES TODAY, RELATIVE TO YOUR VEHICLES AND TECHS? (Choose any 3)make adjustments. Quite frankly, I don’thave to pay an operations manager. Thistakes care of it for me.”ACCIDENTS ancehave to rely on the crew leaders to tell usthat the oil needs to be changed,” he adds.Beyond this, safety is another benefit offleet management systems, from operatingvehicles to protecting equipment. Trump’sutility vehicle that is equipped with a watertank for maintaining the city’s hangingbaskets has GPS, as does the company’stractor bat-wing mower.Phil Glaser can’t imagine running hisbusiness, Capital Landscape Management,without fleet management technology.From routing efficiency to improving customer service, he and his wife/co-ownerKatarina Glaser have also located a stolenvehicle, dispatched nearby crews to handlerequests and proved a driver’s innocence inan accident situation.Glaser adds, “It’s all about accountabilityand shaving down costs.”ON THE MOVEDuring a reasonable, half-hour lunchbreak, crewmembers at BHK Lawn Maintenance might stop at Royal Farms convenience stores to pick up something cool todrink and a sandwich. That’s not a problem.“But if they are taking 25 minutes of thepaid lunch in the store to get food, they’renot eating it in five minutes,” Wallett says.Fuel cost/consumptionLack ofaccountabilityHe doesn’t use GPS tracking as a BigBrother tool. But it is a tremendous efficiency monitor. He has met crew members inthe Royal Farms parking lot to remind themthat desired bonuses and wage hikes canonly happen when the business is runningefficiently and profitably. “We do a couplemillion a year and we have to compete withbig companies,” he says. “If you want tomake money, that’s fine — but customersare only going to pay so much, so you haveto pick it up in efficiency.”Wallett says his style is laid-back butstern. And the efficiency message resonateswith his people. “It’s easy when you showthem the numbers, and start comparingcrews and performance,” he says. “Theyall have the same equipment and the samenumber of people. All the crews are level-loaded, so it’s a competition. I tell themit’s like a football team.”Wallett pulls GPS information weeklyand records time spent on properties in asimple Excel spreadsheet. “At the end ofeach week, I know if crews are meeting theirgoals or not,” he says. “I know my per-hourrate. We sell hours. The GPS accounts for allof those hours and all downtime.”BHK Lawn Maintenance has gas on site,so crew members don’t need to stop to fuelWHAT ARE THE TOP 3 WAYS GPS TRACKING HELPS YOU MANAGE YOUR FLEET?4IncreaseaccountabilityProvide proofof serviceMore efficientroutingImprove vehiclemaintenanceEnforcingsafety policiesReduce fuellabor costsOctober 2021RoutingEnforcingsafety policiesA crew is running late to an account, sothe driver hits the gas, pushing the speedlimit and beyond. Or, another vehiclerolls through an intersection, causing thecrew leader to hit the brakes to prevent acollision. What does GPS have to do withthese situations?GPS with in-vehicle cameras protectdrivers in cases where an accident occurs.The system helps curbs behaviors likespeeding. And ultimately, it can save acompany’s reputation.“If there is a vehicle accident, we can pullthe data and show within the parking lothow fast the truck was going,” Glaser says.“We can say, ‘No, he was not speeding. HereProofof serviceup. “I don’t mind them stopping to getwater, but I don’t want them in the storefor 30 minutes.”The way Wallett explains this is to showthem the spreadsheet and how downtimeis deadtime for the business.Idle time is also recorded, and this isimportant for helping crew members understand that not only is sitting in the truck a timesuck; it’s not all that good for their energy levelor health, Glaser says. “We explain if you areworking outside, you can’t be getting in andout of the air-conditioned vehicle because it’sbetter for your body to live with that temperature,” he says. “On the flip side, we don’twant them to shut off the truck in winter whenthey are plowing, no matter what, becausewhat if it doesn’t turn back on?”Framing the data as teachable momentsrather than a personal attack helps employees understand the company’s perspectiveand correct behavior vs. taking a defensiveposition.The same approach is how Glaser talksto drivers about their routes to accounts— especially during rush hours or whenthere’s road construction. “The GPS helpsus cut down on drive time because we canidentify where the jobs are and the bestroute to take,” Glaser says. “If they are goingoff route — and there’s always the long wayto come back — we can correct that.”Wallett says having GPS in place basically eliminates the need for an operationsmanager to spend valuable field timechecking on accounts. “I can get on myiPad quickly and find out where all sevencrews are easily,” he says. “I can see howthe day is going and find out if I need toState of the Fleet MarketWHAT A STEAL!ON A MONDAY MORNING, Wallettwent to open up shop at BHK LawnMaintenance, and he saw the lock onhis yard gate had been cut. “One of thetrailer doors was out of place and open,so I looked at the rest of the fleet, and allof the trailer doors were open,” he says.One of the trucks was missing from hisReisterstown, Md., headquarters. “All ofthe hand-held equipment was stolen — 15,000 worth,” he says.So, what did Wallett do first, beforeeven calling the police?“I went to my car and opened my laptopto pull up the GPS,” he says.“I saw that the missing GREENPIC STUDIO ADOBE STOCKLabor costsState of the SoftwareFleet MarketMarketis the printout,’ so we can break it downand show the whole parking lot where theincident occurred.”Once, someone called Capital LandscapeManagement with a complaint that one ofits trucks blew by a stopped school bus. “Itwasn’t us,” Glaser says. “We didn’t have atruck in that area, so giving her this GPS information helped her redirect her frustrationto the right company — not ours.”Emphasizing to employees how in-vehicle cameras and GPS can protect themfrom accusations is an important buy-instep. “Most of them realize this is here tohelp them,” Glaser says.At first, receiving reminders that a vehicleis speeding or stopping too hard can feel likean annoyance. Managers can relate to theirpeople by letting drivers know the systemis “beeping” at their fast speed and quickturns, too. When Scot Williams, generaltruck was in Baltimore City, so then I calledthe police and they went straight to thetruck. Within an hour, they were on site.”The equipment was gone, but the truckwas there. “It was like a ring, and theywere hitting all of the landscape companies around,” Wallett says.While he had to replace the equipment,finding the vehicle was a relief. Beyond accountability, safety and efficiency, the GPSsystem protects the company’s assets.“It’s done me well.”The Glasers also leveraged GPS to finda stolen vehicle from Capital LandscapeManagement.“Someone stole a vehicle at night,and we could tell the cops exactly whereit was in the morning,” Phil Glaser says.“They drove right to it, and this was whenGPS trackers were newer. So, they asked,“How do you know it is parked there?”While Katarina notes the system isgreat for getting crews to clients faster ifthere’s a callback, the unexpected benefit of rescuing a stolen vehicle more thanpaid off the investment in GPS.of respondents say theircompanies have anexcellent or good drivingrecord. Only 1 percentsay theirs is poor.manager at GLS Landscaping and Maintenance in Oak Ridge, N.C., introduced thein-vehicle cameras to the team, some feltthe system would be “always watching.”“We have a good relationship with ourguys, and we explained that it wasn’t to ‘watchthem,’ it was for their own safety as well asthe company’s safety,” Williams says.He set the system to only send notifications if vehicles are operating 10 miles overthe speed limit. So, there’s some grace. “Ihad a couple of drivers who might get irritated on the road and speed, and they realizethis system is keeping track and I think ithelps,” he says. “I noticed when we first putit in, we had a lot of heavy braking, includingmyself — I corrected myself quite a bit.”Williams adds, “If one of our driversslams on the break because a vehicle pullsout in front of him, they’re stopping a Ford350 or 450 truck with a trailer and equipment. The cameras can show exactly whathappen if there is an insurance claim.”The reality is, accidents do happen. Whenemployees understand that an importantbenefit of GPS and cameras is to protectthem, they’re more likely to feel the company is on their side rather than treating asystem like a Driver’s Ed tool.As Wallett says, “We explained the prosand cons of the system, and I told them,‘I’m not here to hang this over anyone’shead, so we’ll take it easy and see how“It’s all aboutaccountability andshaving down costs.”PHIL GLASER,Capital Landscape ManagementOctober 20215

SPONSORED CONTENTProvided internaltraining about thebenefits of GPStracking40%Had one-on-oneconvos with techsafter the unitswere installed toget feedbackHad a rep of theGPS tracking firmspeak to our techWHAT WOULD MAKE YOU REEVALUATE YOUR SOFTWARE SOLUTION IF YOU HAVE ONE? PICK THE MOST IMPORTANT.43% 27% 20% 4% 7%CapabilitiesIntegrationswith thirdparty toolsPriceit goes.’” But having the system in placedoes promote better behavior. He taggedthe speed at 66 mph. “I know it holds themmore accountable because my phone isnot blowing up with alerts.”Trump says he’s upfront with crewmembers when he gets speeding notifications. “We let them know we received amessage form the system, but for the mostpart, they know it’s there and their drivingreflects that.”SELECTING A SYSTEMGPS and fleet management systems haveevolved significantly since the first hard-BETTERFOR BIDDING6October 2021SupportI don’t haveone in placewired equipment released. Trump has beenusing the same system for 10 years, and twoyears ago updated the responders from a3G to 5G network to avoid lags.Trump’s fueling provider had a partnership with a GPS provider and got thecompany going, he says, adding the roll-outwas as simple as saying, “We’re doing this.And, everyone was OK with it.”A large monitor at the office shows wheretrucks are, “and the guys know they arebeing held accountable for where they arethroughout the day,” Trump says. Williamsrecently switched over to a system withcameras and says selecting GPS through theCOST ANALYSIS IS A BIG BENEFIT of GPStechnology for Wallett at BHK Lawn Maintenance in Reisterstown, Md. He can figure outif he underbid a maintenance account andcourse-correct come renewal time to be surethe job stays profitable. And on the otherhand, if crew members should be completingwork more efficiently than the GPS indicates,he can drill down and determine if additionaltraining is necessary.SCOT WILLIAMS, general managerat GLS Landscaping and Maintenancesame wireless carrier the company uses forits smartphones made billing easier.Plus, a warranty was offered, “and serviceafter sales is really important for us,” hesays. “With other companies, they put thesystem in and then it’s on us.”Glaser has switched systems a few timesduring the last eight years, also moving toa GPS with the strongest wireless carrier inhis area to avoid lag time and tech blips.With the evolution of fleet managementtechnology comes opportunities to trackmore, view more and basically do more.But what’s important is to determine whatthe goals and priorities are.For Williams, the addition of in-vehicle cameras that record trigger events isadding an additional layer of safety andaccountability.“It has helped us tremendously,” Williamssays. “There isn’t any way we’d go back. Wecan evaluate the trucks’ performance, thedrivers’ performance — its’ a valuable toolhere and the best thing we’ve ever bought.”“I can go back and see how long crews areon properties throughout the season, becauseit varies,” he explains. “It takes longer to mow inMay than it does in July.”If he bids two man-hours per crew membersand assigns five employees to an HOA or condoproperty for a total of 10 hours but the GPS showsthey spent 12 hours, Wallett says, “I either madea mistake with estimating or they are not doingtheir job, and we can peel it back from there.”State of the Fleet MarketThey were ambivalentabout it; took a “waitand see” attitudeThey embraced itimmediately; recognizedbenefits of GPS trackingThey resented it; complainedabout it to managementand fellow employees“(They) know they are being held accountablefor where they are throughout the day.”MIKE TRUMP, Trump Lawn & Land Co. LEMONSOUP14 ADOBE STOCKDidn’t do anypreparation; justhad the trackingunits installed GREENPIC STUDIO ADOBE STOCK60%HOW DID MOST EMPLOYEES FEEL ABOUTGPS TRACKING BEING INSTALLED?“ I noticed when we firstput it in, we had a lot ofheavy braking, includingmyself — I correctedmyself quite a bit.”HOW DID YOU PREPARE EMPLOYEES FOR THE INSTALLATION OF GPS SYSTEMS?State of the Fleet MarketOctober 20217

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