We get it: not everyone wants to be tracked. Maybe they feel it’s an invasion of their privacy or maybe they are not honest about their productivity and don’t want to be caught. Maybe you’ve already provided our Notice of GPS Tracking and they simply don’t like tracking in general. While we know that everyone wants to be able to have employees they can trust without question, this is unfortunately not always the case.
The great thing about the Geotab GO devices is that their simple plug and play design allows for quick installation to get your fleet up and running with GPS tracking right away. This easy installation however means that they can be removed just as easily. Don’t worry though, we have ways to help detect suspected employee tampering! Since the Geotab GO devices do not have their own internal backup battery, we have to infer when a unit is removed (ie. no communication). The Unauthorized Device Removal alert that we set up in your system will send once the device is plugged back in and will let you know where and when it was unplugged. We have steps to both prevent it from happening but also confirming it if it does.
Method 1: Zip-ties
This is the easiest method to help prevent against or detect employee tampering. If you are looking at your MyGeotab map screen and see that a unit has not communicated in some time your next step is to visually inspect the vehicle to ensure that the unit is still installed. All Geotab GO devices should be secured with the provided zip-tie and so if this has been removed then someone has intentionally tried to tamper with the device to prevent you knowing their location. The zip-tie also helps secure the device tightly into the OBDII port to provide a strong connection and prevent bumps from knocking it out.
Method 2: Unplug Report
We can upload a custom report to your database which helps you differentiate between a Power related event or an Alert event. A Power Event indicates that there is either a voltage or installation concern. An Alert Event implies that the device was either bumped or manually unplugged. If you run this report and notice that the same drivers or vehicles are experiencing Alert Events, it indicates possible tampering or the device was knocked from its socket. We place this report on your Dashboard where you can download it by clicking on the report, for the last 7 days.
Method 3: Odometer Measurements*
You can use the MyGeotab data & analytics to determine if the vehicle was driven while the device was unplugged. On Regulatory Plan or higher, the GO device pulls the odometer directly from the engine. When a device is unplugged; then plugged back in, you can view Odometer data under Engine & Maintenance, then Engine and Device…, and click Measurements. Specify the date period you are looking for to see the difference in the odometer measurements between two points in time. If the device was unplugged but the vehicle should have been stationary, checking the odometer can be a good way to tell if the vehicle was driven during that period.
*= Devices must be on Regulatory Plan or higher and supported by the vehicle ECM.
Contact us today if you have any questions, interest, or just wish to chat about how we can save you money using telematics data.
