T BUSINESS FLEET July/August 2018
How to Introduce Drivers How to Introduce Drivers to Telematics
To ease the process of introducing a telematics system, fleet operators need to set up an on-boarding process that includes training, discussions on how the systems work, and how they can be beneficial to both management and employees.
BY AMY HERCHER
The use of telematics continues to expand among fleets as companies see the benefits of this technology. Over the years, telematics systems have become a must-have for fleets, and driver acceptance of these systems has grown. But initially telematics wasn’t always well received, especially among drivers.
Jim Coniglione, owner of Scoopy Doo, a pet waste removal service, remembers many of his drivers being apprehensive to the telematics technology when it was first introduced.
“When we first installed telematics, the systems were something new and un- familiar,” says Coniglione, whose company uses TomTom telematics. “The older drivers didn’t think that they would be able to understand the technology.” Additionally, many drivers didn’t like the idea of being monitored all the time. “No one likes the ‘Big Brother’ watch,” says Mitch Bower, dispatcher at Vancou- ver Warehouse and Distribution Co.
To help their drivers become more comfortable with the idea of telematics, fleets need to take the time to train drivers and explain the benefits of telematics, including how it can help the company become more efficient.
INITIAL CONVERSATION
Before installing his company’s telematics systems, Coniglione gathered his drivers for an informational meeting. Scoopy Doo has a fleet of 16 pickup trucks that serve residences in Long Island, Queens, Westchester County, and the Albany area.
“We sat the drivers down and explained that we would be using telematics to make our business more efficient,” he says. “For us, it was more about customer accountability than not trusting our drivers.”
When Scoopy Doo started 18 years ago, drivers filled out paper forms to keep track of each appointment. Not only was it time-consuming, but many drivers would also forget to write down how long they were at each appointment, according to Coniglione. “If a customer said that we didn’t show up or filed a dispute, we would have to go through months of paperwork. I had to hope that the driver wrote down that job as well as the timing.”
A DRIVER’S PERSPECTIVE
For Fred Stroppel, telematics systems were introduced within a year of him starting as a technician for Scoopy Doo. Before telematics, Stroppel and other Scoopy Doo drivers used printed-out sheets to figure out their daily routes.
“It took a little while to adjust to the new telematics systems,” he says. “At first, there was a little trepidation and resistance from the older drivers.’ In addition to being unfamiliar technology, some drivers didn’t like the idea of being tracked.
Once Stroppel realized how telematics could save time during his routes, he says it was easier to embrace the new technology. “I have lived in Long Island my whole life, but the GPS feature guided me down streets that I had never heard of to create more efficient routes.”
For Stroppel, the right management style also plays a part in how the driver will treat the technology system.
“I could see how telematics may appear to be intrusive and prevent a driver from doing his best job if he feels like he is being micromanaged,” he says. “But we don’t feel that at our company. Our manager uses the telematics data to help us. The systems help everything go smoothly when you are connected with the management and they are connected with you.”
If you are doing your job right, in a way telematics can make you look better,” adds Stroppel. “Management can tell if I’m hitting all my marks. And if I need help, the dispatcher knows where I’m located to help.”
Scoopy Doo owner Jim Coniglione says he emphasized to his drivers that telematics would help make the business more efficient and would be used for customer accountability as opposed to not trusting his drivers.
BUSINESS FLEET July/August 2018
TURDHERDER! is a wild, raucous, hilariously inappropriate comedy about the messy but marvelous world of dog do It’s based on the true-life comic exploits of Scoopy Doo Dog Waste Removal Servicec’s owner and founder, the King of Poop himself, Jim Coniglione. The story involves Jake Walsh, an executive who loses his job in Manhattan and takes a job with his old friend Phil “Scoop” Scopetti. Scoop runs a scooping service on Long Island (yup, he’s a thinly-disguised version of Jim himself!). Scoop introduces Jake to the finer points of the business: how to scoop the poop, how to negotiate cranky homeowners and horny housewives, how to keep snarling dogs at bay. There’s an art to turdherding, and Scoop is one of the great practitioners of the form.
actively involved in cooperative ventures with animal shelters, pet stores, and pet-groom ing salons, as well as community outreach – we’re one of the sponsors of Glen Cove’s annual Howl-o-ween Pet Parade – all with an eye to providing the best in animal welfare. And now Scoopy Doo Dog Waste Removal Services has officially become Coon Central!
peeps! The raccoons love it all – after eating garbage most of the time, this has been a huge culinary upgrade. Jim has gotten to know the raccoons so well, he’s given them distinctive names: Don Cheech, Fredo, Clemenza, Tessio, Frankie Five- Angels, Lucabrazzi…sound familiar? It’s a reincarnation of Corleones. Even one-eyed Moe Green makes an appearance on Jim’s porch. So next time you think Scoopy Doo Dog Waste Removal Services is just about dogs, remember that coons gotta eat (and poop), too!
But dog waste is not our only focus – Scoopy Doo Dog Waste Removal Service also removes goose waste from our parks and larger yards. The many estates and public spaces on Long Island have been targeted for years by the omnipresent Canada geese – their conical droppings have ruined many a picnic and golf outing. Fortunately, Scoopy Doo Dog Waste Removal Service has many weapons in its arsenal to combat goose waste, including our own invention, the GSS 1000 Turbo Goose Vacuum and Smart Sweep System.
Just kidding. This Dune Buggy is for Jim Coniglione’s personal use only. Let’s face it, it’s not really practical for the needs of a poop-scooping service. No place for the buckets, no place for the rakes. And why would you want bags of dog poop bouncing around in your vintage vehicle? But don’t worry, Scoopy Doo still has plenty of trucks to take care of everyone’s poop-scooping needs. Scoopy Doo Dog Waste Removal Service has always prided itself on having the most efficient, eye-catching trucks in the business, combining comical slogans (“We take a lotta crap from our customers!” and “No poo on your shoe!”) with tasteful, integrated designs. And the Scoopy logo – our mascot Stinkfoot chasing a bouncing turd with a shovel – has become an endearing symbol of our dedication to the job at hand. So when you need a delicate job done, Scoopy Doo should be the one you call, at 516-676-0083. And maybe, just maybe, Jim will come tooling up in his famous dune buggy to scope out the job.
But Last Tuesday, a nor’easter blew up the coast and landed some haymakers on the North Shore. Sad to report, Purple Haze was one of the casualties. At the height of the storm, a huge tree fell and landed directly on the unwitting truck. Disaster! Owner Jim Coniglione rushed up to the site of the accident, but there was nothing to be done. The tree had smashed the bed of the truck!