The simplest way to track snow crews with GPS is an app on the phones they already carry, which records where each crew is during the storm and ties that position to each site visit. A tracker fitted to each vehicle is the other option when you want the truck tracked whether or not anyone opens an app.
Either way, decide what you track and when, and tell your crew in writing before the first storm.
Quick answer
- Phone app: no hardware, follows the person (including crews on foot), and ties GPS to each visit.
- Vehicle tracker: follows the truck even if the phone is dead or left behind, but needs hardware and does not see crews on foot.
- Use it for three things: dispatch (where is everyone now), proof (was the crew at this site, and for how long) and planning (how long the drive between sites really takes).
- Track working time only, and put your policy in writing.
Phone app or vehicle tracker
| App on the crew’s phone | Tracker in the vehicle | |
|---|---|---|
| What it follows | The person, in a truck or on foot | The vehicle |
| Equipment | The phone they already carry | A device to buy and install in each vehicle |
| Shovel and walk crews | Covered | Not covered |
| Tied to a site visit | Yes, when the app records the visit | A separate step: matching where the truck stopped to your sites |
| Weak spots | Battery, location permission, and the app being in use | Hardware cost, and no record of what happened on foot |
What GPS can and can’t show
- It shows where a crew was and when, the path they took, and how long they stayed at each site.
- It doesn’t show what was done there. Pair GPS with photos taken at the site and a log of the material put down. The slip-and-fall documentation guide covers the full record.
- It can be off near tall buildings and indoors. A position in a parkade or between towers is less exact than one in an open lot.
- It needs the phone working. Keep chargers in every truck, and check location permissions before the season, not during the first storm.
Using it during a storm
- Before the storm, check every crew phone signs in and shares location.
- During the storm, watch which stops are done and which crew is behind, and move sites between routes when one falls behind. The snow route planning guide covers priority sites.
- After the storm, compare the time on site and the drive time between sites with what you planned, and use it to set the next storm’s routes.
- When a client or insurer asks about a visit, pull its GPS with its times and photos.
Tell your crew, in writing
Tell your crew what is tracked, when it stops, and what it is used for. Write it down, track working time only, and show them what the office sees.
In Ontario, the province’s employment standards guide says “Employers that employ 25 or more employees on January 1 of any year are required to have a written policy on the electronic monitoring of employees in place”, and it gives tracking a vehicle by GPS as an example (Ontario guide, checked October 27, 2026). Rules differ by province and state, so check the ones where you work. This is general information, not legal advice.
How Icey Software tracks crews
We make Icey Software. Crews use its app, Field Mode, on their phones, with no hardware to install. On the iPhone app, location keeps recording with the phone locked once it is allowed “Always”, and only while the crew member is on an active route or working a job, not just because they are signed in. In a phone’s web browser, which is how Android crews use Icey today, GPS records while Field Mode is open.
The storm board’s live map shows where every crew is and which stops are done. Each completed visit keeps the crew’s GPS trail over the lot on satellite, with the photos and the time on site. With no signal, the visit is saved on the phone and syncs when the signal comes back. See proof of service. Free forever up to 10 sites and 5 crew. Every feature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I track my snow plow crews with their own phones?
Yes. An app on the crew’s phone records their position during the storm and ties it to each site visit, with no hardware to install. Tell your crew what is tracked and when, and check the rules where you work.
Is a vehicle GPS tracker better than a phone app?
It depends on what you need. A vehicle tracker follows the truck even if the phone is off, but it needs hardware and misses crews on foot. A phone app follows the person and ties GPS to each visit, but depends on the phone’s battery and permissions.
Does GPS prove a site was plowed?
It proves the crew was there and for how long. To show what was done, pair it with photos taken at the site and a log of the material put down, all recorded during the visit.
Do I need my crew’s permission to track them?
Tell them in writing what you track and when. In Ontario, employers with 25 or more employees on January 1 of a year must have a written electronic monitoring policy, according to the province’s guide (checked October 27, 2026). Rules differ elsewhere, so check yours. General information, not legal advice.
Does GPS work in parkades or with no cell signal?
Position is less exact indoors and between tall buildings. With no signal, a good crew app saves the visit on the phone and syncs it later; Icey’s Field Mode does that.
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