Comprehensive Vehicle Tracking - What Will Your Employees Say?

Launching a comprehensive vehicle tracking program can put your business on track for greater efficiency, cost effectiveness, and responsiveness to customers. Your employees, on the other hand, may have a range of reactions to the idea of being tracked. It?s important that you communicate openly and honestly about the new system and address their questions and concerns directly.

Common employee concerns
Some of the most common concerns your employees might have include:

Privacy ? Vehicle tracking means that the fleet operator has the ability to know where each vehicle is at any given time. This can be disconcerting for employees because they feel a part of their privacy is disappearing.

Scrutiny ? Vehicle tracking allows a fleet operator to carefully scrutinize driving patterns and behaviors. This extra scrutiny is objectionable to some employees if the operator does not allow them a certain amount of flexibility in their daily activities.

Misunderstanding ? Vehicle tracking often creates fear that the fleet operator will misunderstand or misinterpret tracking information that is produced. Employees worry that the tracking information will be automatically accepted without them having an opportunity for input.

Communicating about the new system
Communication is key to helping your employees understand and accept the new vehicle tracking system. Emphasize how it will benefit employees and help them do their jobs better. Also, talk about how those benefits affect the business in terms of cost savings, efficiency, etc.

Give your employees some ?hands on? opportunities with the new system. Show them the equipment that goes into the vehicle and how it communicates with the fleet managers. All the while, continue pointing out how the system will help them do their jobs better and with less inconvenience.

Overcoming resistance
There will inevitably be some employees who embrace the new system rapidly and others who take a little more time to accept it. There will also be a few who remain resistant no matter what you say or do. In these situations, you need to have a step by step plan in place to deal with and overcome such resistance.

Most companies find that a graduated approach works best. Start with initial training and education about the new system, answer questions and concerns, and get feedback from employees as the system comes up to speed. Offer additional training or assistance to those who have trouble with the system or simply do not like it. Set up clear expectations right from the beginning that the system is in place to stay and that all employees are expected to use it and accept it.

Most of the time, setting clear expectations and consistently enforcing requirements are enough to get even the most resistant employee moving in the right direction. When that starts to happen be sure to recognize and praise that employee so that he or she will know that you are aware of the changes and effort they are making.

Richard Harris is a vehicle telecommunications expert who has developed an innovative vehicle tracking system.

He advises on vehicle tracking, and a range of information can be found at http://www.autoalert.me.uk/news_toc.jsp