Sewer workers have important jobs that ensure the safety of communities. When the city of Modesto found sewer workers goofing off rather than doing the jobs they were being paid to do, it had no choice but to take disciplinary action.

The wheels of justice are slow to turn in some areas. Modesto sewer workers earn between $54,264 and $76,488 annually and are responsible for cleaning, servicing, and repairing the nearly 60 sewer and stormwater lift stations in the city.

An investigation, taking a little more than five months to complete, revealed that four city employees had been engaging in a variety of activities other than their work responsibilities while being paid to work for the city. In fact, one of the four men facing discipline resulting from the investigation received a full day’s pay at least 43 times during the five-month investigation in which he worked fewer hours than required to do so. A second employee did the same 37 times during the investigation window with a third doing so 24 times and the fourth man getting paid a full day’s pay when not working the required hours 10 times.

One employee was fired in the aftermath of the investigation, which was conducted with the installation of GPS tracking and the data gathered as a result, though he is appealing the decision to an arbitrator. Two employees facing discipline resulting from the findings of the investigation have since retired while a fourth received a two-week suspension without pay along with one year of probation.

Part of the reason it took so long, five months, to conduct the investigation and even longer before taking action was the matter of a lack of staffing for the city and the complex legalities of an investigation of this nature which affords city employees union and legal representation, the rights to hearings, and due process rights as well.

The investigation was prompted by an investigation in which The Bee observed a city sewer worker appearing to nap in his truck while it idled for approximately 50 minutes, other employees taking extended lunch breaks, and one worker shopping at Lowe’s during work hours.

GPS fleet tracking can be instrumental in keeping sewer workers and other city employees on task when out of sight – but only if someone is monitoring driver activities on the other end.

According to the Irish Examiner, animals, such as the fox, hare, and red deer are suffering as a result of a landscape dominated by humans. Concerns have arisen that the expansion of humans into landscapes once left to these animals may leave them more isolated and vulnerable to extinction.

A global wildlife study involving 114 scientists and 803 animals from 57 species on six continents has used GPS location tracking data to make big picture conclusions about the impact of man on the routine migratory movements of animals.

The one consistent thing the study discovered is that among all animal species the overwhelming response to the encroachment of humans into their territory has resulted in a reduction of their movements.

Unfortunately, many of these animals need to move to have access to food at certain times of the year. They move to find shelter and to mate. These things are all affected by the reduction in movements.

The one or two-year impact might be a decline in procreation and population. Over time, though, the consequences could be devastating to entire ecosystems.

One point made is that only 20 years ago, the elk population was nearly 90 percent migratory and counted above 2,000. Now, they are only 30 to 40 percent migratory and they number around 500.

These sharp declines in population, unfortunately, are not isolated among elk. The elk are sources of food for grizzlies and wolves. Their populations are now in a state of decline due to an absence of food.

GPS has been instrumental in helping to identify the changing migratory patterns of these animals as they relate to the ever-expanding presence of human in their territories.

This is only one example of how GPS tracking technology can be used to fuel research, aid in conservation efforts, and get the conversation started about the impact a constantly expanding human presence is having on nature – specifically when it comes to supply and demand.

GPS has also been used to help reintroduce animals to the wild after spending time under the care of humans, to gather data about animal populations, to provide insight into how animals make decisions about migration, mating, etc. and to make important conservation decisions designed to help threatened and/or endangered species thrive once again.

Technology is evolving at the speed of light these days and that means big changes for businesses in every industry. When it comes to vending machine delivery and repair companies, there are a variety of technological advancements that can benefit you as you go about your business. These are a select few you’ll want to make sure you have on board, so you don’t get left behind by more technologically advanced competitors.

Robotic Lifters

Using hand trucks or a two-man team to lift and maneuver heavy vending machines is utilizing yesterday’s technology. Today, your options for delivering and picking up vending machines for your repair business are boundless thanks to the advanced technology robotic lifters off. Save the backs of your drivers and technicians with these technological marvels that take all the heavy lifting out of, well, heavy lifting.

GPS Fleet Tracking

Whether you’re delivering 22 vending machines in a day or 202, GPS fleet tracking can help you maximize your fuel efficiency, so you can work more deliveries into an eight-hour window of time. The more trucks you have in your vending machine delivery and repair fleet, the more money you stand to save by using GPS fleet tracking to do the following:

• Schedule accurate appointment windows.
• Plan fuel-efficient routes for multiple vehicles.
• Plan routine vehicle maintenance to keep trucks operating efficiently.
• Monitor driver behavior for route deviations and/or aggressive driving patterns.
• Greatly reduce unnecessary idling.
• Provide instant electronic notifications of pickups and deliveries to customers.

This is just a small sampling of the benefits GPS technology has to offer your vending machine delivery and repair business. If you’re not already utilizing this technology, you should be.

Automated Alert Systems

These are perhaps one of the more valuable tech tools available to you if you offer on-call repair services to your clients. This system will notify your clients, instantly if there are malfunctions within their vending machines so they can contact you right away.

How does this help you?

Because you’re the next call your customers are going to make. If their vending machines aren’t operating, then they aren’t making money. The faster they can notify you of potential problems the faster you can repair them so that they are back in business. Everyone wins!

Technology is making waves around the world as it expands a little more each day. Make sure you take advantage of what it has to offer you so that your competitors don’t gain an advantage you didn’t see coming.