PeopleNet Reading Incorrect Speed Data

Last November, our brand new unit was hooked up to a PeopleNet system on a company-wide implementation. Our unit wasn't installed correctly and we consequently had many wiring issues pop up, mechanical issues from brackets not being replaced correctly (vibration wear) and an EOBR that didn't work most of the time.

They've corrected the EOBR part and left us the crap that costs the money.

ANYWAY, our illustrious safety department is on a holy witch hunt for speed-demons.

These demons include anyone going 101.5km/hr for 19% of their entire journey, people spiking at 104km/hr with loaded rockies down highway hills, people passing the 70 zone sign at a whopping 72km/hr, etc.
After a verbal warning and a written one, the company driver gets a suspension (not sure for how long, everyone so far has not returned - good luck, friends).
After a text-by-cell warning and a written one, leased operators are threatened with a cancellation of contract.

Here's the skinny:
The Vice President called our driver contact here in Edmonton and told him we were the fastest truck in the company and that he will be watching us for a probation period.
Steve was rated at 49.7% overspeed on all highway kms and I was rated 32.7% (I had a single trip that week so drove more kms to be fair to Steve).
Most of this was 110km/hr on the 110km four lane (Hwy 43 N; Edm-GRP).

SO, because I take my job seriously and get really mad when people criticize something I think I'm doing well with care and attention, I thought I would be extra slow last round to get a 0%.
I went 88km/hr in the 110km/hr. I went 72 in the 80s, 64 in the 70s and 40 in the 50s.
I NEVER got even close to the limit and made sure before I crossed the signs for the zones I was going below the coming limit. I didn't increase the speed until way after the sign for increase was well behind.
It was torture and I wanted to die but it was accomplished (slowing down to 60 for shutdown businesses in northern BC/Yukon like Fireside and Iron Creek was a blast).
The speed report came in today and I was issued a 10% overspeed.
Anybody else here have this issue? Is your company a pack of psychos about 101km/hr? Do you want to throw your PeopleJunk out the window and watch it roll down a rocky mountain side and get crapped on by a moose?

 

Maybe insurance has given the company the stipulation to watch speed like a hawk now? If it is as simple as the boss wanting everyone to be perfect and is measuring that through a device which is defective, perhaps all the drivers should find new bosses to work for and let this one drive his own truck.

 

looks like time to find a new carrier

 

I'd find a new job if they can't trust you to do yours.

 

It's not only do they not trust the drivers and want to monitor them constantly, they monitor them with flawed technology, then reprimand based in flawed information. You need to invest in an inexpensive handheld GPS unit that logs speed and location at set intervals (some vehicle GPS units do too). Set it to log on 5 second intervals. That'll give you about 13 hours of log time. Output the data into your computer and it will tell anything you could possibly need to know and refer to for confirmation. Then compare that to what your eobr is reporting and make them provide you a printed copy and verify the dates and units numbers and geographic data to make sure IT'S YOUR TRUCK and not somebody else's and they had some data entry errors when setting up the system internally or with peoplenet. And if their equipment is wrong and they terminated a contract based on that, I'd have them in court ASAP.

 

Do you have a GPS? they are pretty good at measuring speed....
oops...shoulda kept reading..... yeah, what he said...
Mary

 

They are ok but any single reading can be flawed. If you take a reading every 5 seconds or some other short interval you will be able to ignore the flawed readings. Some if these systems only take one reading every several minutes and that can lead to flawed results, if you want to measure the speed periodically you need to take at least 3 readings in a short time, seconds, period then wait for the next interval, minutes, and repeat. I wonder if the systems are being cheap to save on memory or data usage?

 

Get an onboard camera like the blackvue series. I got harassed about driving to fast and not slowing down enough on gravel roads for oncoming traffic constantly. After getting a bs written warning I stuck one on the visor and it was the best investment ever. The next week a guy phoned in and said I rocked his windshield at 80 kph and I just downloaded the clip ( it has GPS speed sensor readings g force and is integrated into google maps for tracking) showing me passing him at 35kph. Since then no more safety harassment. Every once in awhile they ask for a clip and I never hear about it again.

 

Why should he have to shell out extra money to prove his innocence? I hope the compensation he is getting is enough to justify staying with the company ........................................

 

This is an excellent idea. Steve tried using an iPhone app he downloaded for 99 cents or something. Needless to say, it really didn't work well and we saw the skipping Quickfarms described because it was cheap. It's spending the cash on the quality unit. And like gokiddo says why do we have to spend to prove ourselves? On the other hand, we would love to have data to show that we are safe and professional.

Today we are going in to read the speed report for ourselves and try getting a calibration on their installed unit at the company yard shop.
Also, today, we may be getting a callback on the resumes we dropped yesterday afternoon. I'm not messing around.
If they are being so horribly unreasonable and jumping straight to a threat of contract cancellation after 2 years and 9 months of steady reliable service from us (we purchased a more reliable unit spec'ed for the scheduled lane we were assigned), then we don't feel job security or happy to turn wheels for their service needs.


The company bought these thinking they will improve their productivity, protect their CVOR, help insurance costs (they own their own insurance company), and improve the ability to communicate (many places have no cell service). Coupled with the speed-purge they are doing now, many of the single drivers can't get to where they want them to be in their allotted hours through the mountains, especially when heavy - winter will be brutal.
I hope a calibration fixes the issue but to see the reality of who we've leased ourselves with is rather informative. I doubt the giant corporate wheel even questions the quality of the data the PeopleNet network is compiling.
So far with the machine:
-it has failed to recognize when the vehicle is moving and mess up the e-logs by logging driving as on-duty,
-knocked itself offline three or four times so the need to recreate a day or two of logs on paper arises,
-doesn't allow for a printable or presentable pre-trip inspection form for the scale needs (duplicate PTI on paper for scale and use machine for company shop - so double work)
-had us pull over on the highway for "I am out of the office messages" popping up as new urgent messages on the inbox section
-traps Steve's profile in the machine when he's signed out (when I go out single so they can't send my instructions to the machine because "he's still logged in and you are not a team, Tami" but he's NOT there and it takes about seven minutes or more to log out then back in and another several to do it again if it doesn't work)
and must be now having inaccurate speed data gauge.