GPS tracking technology came to the rescue for Global Utility Construction (GUC) following the theft of a vehicle in Sydney and subsequent police chase.
A traffic control ute owned and operated by GUC, an industry leader specialising in end-to-end design and utility construction services, was stolen from an overnight worksite in Paramatta.
The company’s investment in fleet management technology became more valuable than ever when GUC was able to provide police with real-time location data from the Teletrac Navman fleet management system fitted to the vehicle.
Police quickly located the ute and apprehended the thieves following a chase through Sydney’s western suburbs.
Thefts of valuable assets are on the rise, according to Aaron Wright, Director, Global Utility Constructions.
“Unfortunately, with excavators and plant equipment, the smaller stuff is a common target for thieves,” he said. “The Teletrac Navman telematics system helps to recover those stolen items more quickly. We've had two excavators and a car stolen this year already. The trackers were a godsend in recovering those items.”
While GPS tracking helps to recover and protect GUC plant machinery and vehicles, it is also helping GUC in other ways, too.
Reducing the hassle of admin
While recovering a vehicle from would-be thieves is a flashy example of GPS tracking technology in action, it’s in the less-glamourous surrounds of the company office that its presence is felt most.
“Having the GPS trackers has really helped us to reduce admin costs,” said Wright. “You don't have to constantly sit on a phone ringing around to find out where people are and what they're doing. You can jump on the platform and see where anything and everyone is at any point.”
GUC has also found that the GPS tracking data is a valuable tool for keeping timesheets accurate.
“It can be painful getting timesheets in at the best of times, but particularly when drivers are working remotely and complete them after a few days,” said Wright. “Now we can go back and refer to the data for that day and compare the hours.”
Help is never far away
With the technology proving its worth many times over, GUC was able to generate other benefits from their GPS trackers. These included keeping track of staff, who can sometimes travel thousands of kilometres a week to remote regional work sites with plant equipment. GUC has found that GPS tracking gives he and his staff peace of mind, and ensures drivers are never far away from help.
GUC isn’t alone in turning to fleet management technology for productivity and efficiency benefits. According to the Teletrac Navman Telematics Benchmark Report 2019, usage of telematics has increased by 13 per cent since 2018, with peace of mind around equipment and vehicle location the top benefit according to respondents. And the use of the technology is only set to increase, as forward-thinking companies see the competitive advantage it offers.
“It provides the bigger picture. And this year alone it's paid for itself.”