What to Do When You Believe Your Fleet Drivers are “Going Fishing” on the Job

Money is tight for small businesses and large fleets alike. Labor is one of the costliest expenses the average business has. When you believe your fleet drivers may be “going fishing” or taking care of other personal business on the company dime, it’s important to act definitively to end that behavior quickly.

Below are a few steps you can take within your organization to effectively end drivers napping, going fishing, or taking care of other personal errands on your clock and in your vehicles.

Establish Policies Discouraging this Behavior

If you haven’t spelled this out in employee handbooks before, now is the time to address the matter. Create clear and concise policies about drivers taking care of personal business during work hours (and in work vehicles) and establish a clear series of consequences for drivers caught breaking the rules.

While you might not find the first offense actionable, subsequent offenses need escalating responses and employees need to know what those consequences may be. Spell it out for them.

Then you must educate employees about the new policies, and consequences, you’ve put into place. It’s not enough to simply include them in the handbook. Most employees don’t read them anyway. Though it still needs to be there if it now company policy.

Finally, make sure employees sign off acknowledging that they understand the new policies and will abide by them. Also, include the consequences of failure to comply in the documents employees sign related to the matter.

Install GPS Fleet Tracking on All Fleet Vehicles

Drivers know that out of sight often means out of mind. This means that when you’re not following up directly, or along for the ride, you have little knowledge of what’s going on.

GPS fleet tracking allows you to monitor driver behaviors and routes as if you were in the vehicle with them. You can do the following:

• Elect to receive notifications instantly via email or text message when drivers deviate from their routes.
• Print daily reports concerning how much time each driver spends at each location. Identify which drivers are getting the job done and which drivers may be dragging their feet.
• See which drivers are heading for favorite fishing holes and how much time they’re spending there.
• Identify after-hours use of company vehicles and equipment.

Employees taking advantage of operating out of immediate oversight could be costing your fleet operation plenty. The actions mentioned above can help you identify offenders and take appropriate action.

If you’re suspecting that your employees may be “fishing” on the job, consider LiveViewGPS fleet tracking solutions. Call us now at 1-888-544-0494 for a free demo. Ask us about our Drive Trac Employee Tracker App as well.

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