Locked Doors Keep Honest People Honest?

I remember hearing this statement from my neighbor when I was a kid. For some reason, it struck a chord with me and has stuck with me for at least 2 decades. It is a very true statement. If you think about it, windows are easily broken and most of our doors can be easily broken down with a little force. So, we really aren't keeping the criminals out if they really wish to get into our houses or businesses. At least not most houses and businesses. So, it is the "honest" people that benefit from the locked doors. If thievery is easy, honest people are more likely to take part.

Take simple workplace theft. Each year, billions are lost by businesses on employee theft. This might be as simple as pens and paper clips or as expensive as products that walk out the door. But, consider the theft of time. I had a GPS Tracking customer this week tell me of an employee that was driving his truck on a 200 mile delivery. The truck driver, who wasn't aware he was being tracked with a concealed GPS tracking system, stopped multiple times on the delivery route to take naps. One of the stops cost the company a truck battery. Another stop resulted in the truck's alternator needing to be replaced. The worst part was the driver's shipment was 7 hours late and the company was forced to eat a delivery charge.

This company now knows the truth about this driver's work ethic and they have a choice to make. Do they tell their drivers about the GPS Tracking they are putting on their fleet of trucks? Do they keep their GPS Tracking concealed from their truck drivers until they have been able to understand the patterns they are trying to fight?

Eventually, I think it is a good idea to let employees know that GPS tracking has been installed in the company fleet of trucks, cars, etc... When employees know they are being tracked by the fleet manager or owners, the employees, who we hope are "honest" people, will respond as "honest" people and respect the company's time and property. The other option for the employees is for them not to show themselves as "honest". Either way, GPS tracking will tell you the truth.

Steven Van Ooyen

CTO - Track What Matters