But there is also another purpose for GPS: to reduce overhead and improve the bottom line. That’s one of the motivations behind the creation of the GPS system called The Boss® from Fleetboss of Fern Park, FL.

According to Tony Shaker, owner of a Wichita, KS, Fleetboss dealership, a whole new world of profits are available to contractors. “Business owners love The Boss because it provides increased profit, which wasn’t available before,” he said.

The product is said to identify each vehicle, record dates and exact times that vehicles start, drive, idle, and stop, and record mileage and maximum speed.

Standard installation requires a three-wire hookup, the company says. A built-in receiver calculates and adds vehicle location to company records. Monitoring the time and location of 12-vdc subsystem use (e.g., pumps, PTOs, etc.), is optional.

The Boss reads data recorded on modules, copies it to a database, and clears the modules for their next use. Shaker said it can even monitor the opening and closing of doors — “anything that moves.”

According to Shaker, some of the overhead costs that can be reduced include fuel and maintenance/service expenditures. Regular vehicle inspections and preventive maintenance are aided by data logged in from the Boss.

There is also a noted increased in worker productivity and company performance, said Shaker. “The Boss can be used for quality-control measures, like seeing how long it takes to make a specific service call,” he said.

He added that accountability is easy to track. “Now there is verifiable data in case of accidents or tickets.”

However, “What really excites me is the short return on investment,” Shaker said. “It often takes as little as three to four months to pay back the investment.

“The bottom line is that the revenue side increases because vehicles and drivers are more productive. Some employees may feel that [The Boss] is an invasion of privacy. But for the most part, it has been well-received.”

For more information on The Boss, visit www.fleetboss.com (website).

Publication date: 05/21/2001