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Location Tracking FAQs

Why do you track my location?

  • We use location to create trip reports and support dispatching decisions by showing where you are.
  • To preserve battery life, we stop tracking temporarily when we detect the device has not moved recently. Once it moves again, tracking resumes. This optimization requires motion & activity permissions.

When are you tracking me?

  • Location is only tracked while you're On Duty. Tap Stop to go Off Duty.
  • Breadcrumbs are collected when the app is open or when it's running in the background. They are stored when there is no connectivity and delivered when back online.

My mobile device says IronSight has been accessing my location in the background for the past three days. Is that true?

  • Location is only tracked while you're On Duty

Why don't I see the trip I expected?

There are a few edge cases to be aware of:

  • When offline for extended periods, breadcrumbs older than 2 days may not ever be delivered.
  • In rare cases, tracking may stop until the driver goes back on duty. This is an unresolved technical issue with the location framework we use.
  • Trip map segments show differently on mobile and web, but rely on the same underlying location data. Generally, we draw a line between two consecutive points. Sometimes this results in paths that look improbable; going through buildings or fields.
  • Breadcrumbs are only shown on a job’s map when the job was active. We do not show driver activity before job start, when paused, or after the job was completed.
  • When multiple drivers are on duty for the same resource, we show breadcrumbs from all drivers, which can result in zig zag trip maps.

In some cases beyond our control, IronSight cannot get a reading at all. In other cases, we get a location but it is too inaccurate to use. Phones selectively use WiFi, bluetooth, cellular, position/movement sensors and GPS to get accurate location data in the most power-efficient way possible. GPS takes a lot of power, so the phone prefers other less-accurate techniques before enabling it.

There are some fundamental limitations of GPS technology itself and how Android and iOS work:

  • Low-power modes. The OS may take readings less frequently and prefer non-GPS methods.
  • User preferences. At any time, the user may change the location tracking permissions. We prevent them from doing anything in IronSight when they don’t have accurate location tracking on, but this doesn’t prevent them from disabling tracking for periods of time.
  • IronSight records your location in the background, but tracking takes a while to resume after the app is closed.
  • Low-memory scenarios. If IronSight is backgrounded on a device with limited memory (older or cheaper devices), location tracking may be completely disabled
  • Powering off. We can’t record locations when the device is off.
  • Clear view of the sky. GPS can be easily obstructed by buildings, mountains, trees or tunnels. The size of the truck, window tinting, cab material and the positioning of the phone can affect accuracy. Ideally, the phone is screen up on the dash with a clear view of the sky, as GPS signals travel well through un-tinted glass.
  • Device quality. Certain GPS chips and antennas work better than others. Some modern devices may have dual-frequency GPS which generally performs better in more complex conditions.
  • Atmospheric conditions. Heavy cloud cover, rain, or snow can interfere with GPS signals, leading to reduced accuracy or gaps in extreme situations.
  • Network connectivity. GPS can take time to find a fix without access to the internet. Without cell signal, locations might be low-accuracy or unavailable.

Why doesn't the actual distance on a job match what actually happened?

Calculating actual job distance uses an on-device odometer. We calculate the difference between the odometer when the job was completed from when it was started. If the job is paused, we use the same technique for all active segments. Job distance reflects the total distance travelled by all operators on a job. Note that a driver using multiple phones can result in unexpected distances.