What’s the general opinion on having one on your motor? I think our lot are going to fit them in case the wagons get nicked, but I just know that it will also include live tracking.
Whilst I’ve got nothing to hide, I’d rather get a call asking how I’m getting on as there is this or that to do. At least I can say when I think I’ll be there or if I’ll not be able to do it. I’ll obviously have to live with it but I know of one or two local drivers who have changed jobs to avoid being tracked.
Anyone got anything to add?
we’ve got em fitted, but the office still ring up and ask us where we are 
Just line the inside of the cab with tinfoil and the tracker is ■■■■■■! 
Its not too bad if its for ‘insurance purposes’ as they not doubt speil you with, its when the sneaky runts are watching you and ask why you stopped here or there that boils my ■■■■, Dont know if it still happens but the companies used to have to inform you that trackers were fitted, and show you how the system worked and tell you that you could be tracked at anytime, Will have a peep and try to find out.
We’ve got them fitted to 99% of vehicles (some of the fitters transits don’t have them).
They’re also linked into the pto’s (hiab, and vac pump on the toilet service trucks).
They’re fitted to the ‘■■■■ trucks’ mainly so if a customer says he hasn’t had his toliet serviced, they can check the tracker first before taking any further etc.
Sadly, they track the hiab wagons to see what, where and how long you’re taking. 
On the plus side, I’ve found my ‘tracker’, wonder what would happen if I… 
Ours are tracked, don’t bother me at all! If they ring, which they do, and ask where I am I tell them, then say they should know where I am anyway!
My old company was tracked too, they used to use it to see if anyone took the ■■■■ too much, again I never really did so wasn’t bothered by it!
Our trackers can tell everything about truck and trailer, down to how much fuel we have and when a fridge develops a fault. I think it’s a good thing myself.
I guess it comes down to what info is tracked back and how it is used.
If they can look and see that I’m trundling along stuck in the queues for the DRC and can tell the customer why I’m not there without having to bother me then it’s a good thing. I feel it must be tempting to start snooping if something seems to be taking a bit longer than it should. I’d be ■■■■■■ off if I get questioned as to why I’d stopped here or why was I on that route.
My colleague suggested that we had a word with the installer and get a switch put in
Always had sattrak fitted as it reduced insurance dramatically. I had to insert a key in the tracker when I was working so if the truck was moved without the key it alerted the monitoring service and the police were called.
When one of our trucks was stolen the police had it stopped with 30 minutes and before any damage was done so well worth the expense.
My boss could see where I was but I never had any problem with that, he had every right to know where I was when he paid my wages!
I did call him once to ask where I was 
Been tracked a few times, never really bothered me.
One time, I was struggling to find a job and they guided me straight in off my tracker, so has it’s benefits for drivers too.
If the boss started bothering me about routes / stopping etc, then I’d leave the job, ■■■■ all to do with the tracker, just don’t like muppet bosses
We used to have the ones where you inserted a key into it. Me and dad would swap keys and wait for the call from the confused planner (actually did see the funny side). Our concrete side of the firm has trackers that monitor harsh braking, speeding (one driver told off for doing 56mph on the M40 when the firm wants 52), how fast the drum spins, overrevving and mpg. They get black points against them for things associated with the above. Is it right that you can get trackers that are linked to a buzzer/light that goes off in the cab if you exceed say, 40 on a sc?
Muckaway:
They get black points against them for things associated with the above.
Dont like the sound of that.
Saaamon:
Muckaway:
They get black points against them for things associated with the above.
Dont like the sound of that.
But still expect the work to be done even if they’re held up and the office girls keep taking orders on, but when someone has an accident…
The job gets done when it gets done. The way i see it is that if i smash the lorry up it will cost my company more in getting it fixed and the time spent off the road than the extra money made in tear arsing about getting only a little bit extra done.
Muckaway:
We used to have the ones where you inserted a key into it. Me and dad would swap keys and wait for the call from the confused planner (actually did see the funny side). Our concrete side of the firm has trackers that monitor harsh braking, speeding (one driver told off for doing 56mph on the M40 when the firm wants 52), how fast the drum spins, overrevving and mpg. They get black points against them for things associated with the above. Is it right that you can get trackers that are linked to a buzzer/light that goes off in the cab if you exceed say, 40 on a sc?
We have that kind of Tracker. Personally I would like to see the feedback from it to see if there is anything I can improve on.
I don’t think the office hardly use it, sometimes if our manager needs to change a job round he’ll flick it up on his screen. I hope it does save on insurance because it cost enough to install.
W
We’ve got trackers fitted to ours for ‘insurance purposes’. Saves getting calls asking where you are and what time your gonna be there etc. I’ve heard from other drivers that they have been called up asking why theyve gone a certain route when its taken longer/more mileage etc, usually involving going around London on the M25 instead of going straight through the middle
DHL use a tracker system, but its linked to a PDA similar to what the parcel guys use.
you can POD loads, photograph damages, flag up returns, descrepencies etc, and upload then direct to the customer services.
However the system can do many of the other things previously pointed out, such as:
someone in the office can guide you to a drop if your stuck.
Record tacho mode.
Speed
fuel consumption,
harsh braking etc
Also as 1 driver found to his benefit when he was involved in an accident, the system had recorded that he had been stationary for 4 second before someone ran into him. (recording zero speed, time stationary, & the G force of the impact!!)
IMO its only the paranoid drivers, or the ones swinging the lead who worry about tracker systems. These system are becoming more common in modern trucking, so live with it
Trackers are so (relatively) cheap to use nowadays that I can’t see many firms that could make a case for not fitting them.
If (when!) TM’s use them in a way that cheeses-off drivers, no change there then 
I remember similar arguments being aired when cabphones were first introduced…
… having said that, if they had been fitted when my old man was driving, he wouldn’t have had the same job for 23 years !!
Had them in my old job. I never gave it a second thought. I was trusted to do a job, so I did it. It saved them from ringing me every hour or so. Happy days.