Does anyone know anything about Masternaut?
Discussion
Got into work at 0600 this morning and was pretty much immediately hauled into the back office for an interview with two supervisors.
Apparently, a fine up-standing member of the public has taken time out of their busy and important schedule to report me for "speeding and dangerous driving".
By all accounts, I was doing 60mph through the 50mph SPECS-covered roadworks on the M62 around Huddersfield last week, "weaving from lane to lane" and had "more than three near-misses with other vehicles". Allegedly.
Now clearly, this is bulls
t.
Firstly, can anyone explain how I could be doing 60mph in an artic which is limited to 55mph? The M62 is pretty flat around there, so we can discount gravity.
Whenever I'm in a SPECS area, I will set the cruise control to a Sat Nav verified 50mph, or thereabouts. My theory is that this jumped-up wannabe traffic cop has been driving at just under 50mph on their speedo which in reality is probably closer to 45mph or so. Seeing me "flying past" at an actual 50mph must have made them think I was doing 60mph. I wasn't. I can't.
Also, I already have 6 points on my licence - why would I deliberately run the risk of adding more?
As for "More than three near misses with other vehicles", that's simply not my style. I like to think of myself as a professional driver and I take very seriously the responsibilities that brings with it. I wouldn't drive like that in the Caterham and I'm certainly not going to do it in a bloody artic.
Anyway, our company have this Masternaut telemetry system installed in all the units. Apparently, a report shows that I did exceed 60mph at some point that day (my guess is on some downhill section of the M1, nowhere near the M62). It happens.
Because the system is fairly new (to us), "user inexperience" means that they can't (yet) be more specific than that.
Surely, if Masternaut is all it's cracked up to be, it can show that I wasn't doing 60mph through the roadworks?
Can I sleep easy tonight in the knowledge that this technology will prove my innocence?
Apparently, a fine up-standing member of the public has taken time out of their busy and important schedule to report me for "speeding and dangerous driving".
By all accounts, I was doing 60mph through the 50mph SPECS-covered roadworks on the M62 around Huddersfield last week, "weaving from lane to lane" and had "more than three near-misses with other vehicles". Allegedly.
Now clearly, this is bulls
t.Firstly, can anyone explain how I could be doing 60mph in an artic which is limited to 55mph? The M62 is pretty flat around there, so we can discount gravity.
Whenever I'm in a SPECS area, I will set the cruise control to a Sat Nav verified 50mph, or thereabouts. My theory is that this jumped-up wannabe traffic cop has been driving at just under 50mph on their speedo which in reality is probably closer to 45mph or so. Seeing me "flying past" at an actual 50mph must have made them think I was doing 60mph. I wasn't. I can't.
Also, I already have 6 points on my licence - why would I deliberately run the risk of adding more?
As for "More than three near misses with other vehicles", that's simply not my style. I like to think of myself as a professional driver and I take very seriously the responsibilities that brings with it. I wouldn't drive like that in the Caterham and I'm certainly not going to do it in a bloody artic.
Anyway, our company have this Masternaut telemetry system installed in all the units. Apparently, a report shows that I did exceed 60mph at some point that day (my guess is on some downhill section of the M1, nowhere near the M62). It happens.
Because the system is fairly new (to us), "user inexperience" means that they can't (yet) be more specific than that.
Surely, if Masternaut is all it's cracked up to be, it can show that I wasn't doing 60mph through the roadworks?
Can I sleep easy tonight in the knowledge that this technology will prove my innocence?
We have it fitted to the Ambulances at work. It shows pretty much everything, speed, street name the lot.
It also shows if your idling with the engine running, and how long you've stopped at a red light for. It's pretty accurate, normally shows you being about 5 miles away from where you really are, and about 20 mins slow updating. Pain in the fking arse if you ask mee..
It also shows if your idling with the engine running, and how long you've stopped at a red light for. It's pretty accurate, normally shows you being about 5 miles away from where you really are, and about 20 mins slow updating. Pain in the f
king arse if you ask mee..GC8 said:
I sympathise with you position. You'd hope for a more informed and professional reaction from the firm that you work for.
I know it's bull and I'd hope they would know it's bull too. But the complaint somehow got through to a fairly top bod in the company (my bit of it, at least) so they need to be seen to be investigating it.I held off using the word "bulls
t" in the interview, but I fought my corner and made my feelings clear.I had a masternaut tracker fitted to my company car in my last job. I left my job due to "big brother".
I've seen masternaut tracker logs and it pretty much logs everything - current speed at any given time, the speed limit for the road you're on, the name of the road/street you're on, how long you idle your engine for and what time you switched your engine on and off, what route you've taken etc. It's all recorded.
Now it uses GPS and we all know it's not 100% accurate. My old employer used the masternaut logs to calculate my private mileage and it was proven to be around 8% inaccurate.
It's a horrid hateful system that's used by paranoid H&S mad desk jockey knobs.
If you were doing 60mph through a 50mph, shouldn't your employer have a NIP on their desk....
Your boss should be able to look at the route you took on that day, and it'll show your GPS speed at any given point along that route. I don't know how you do it but it can be done.
However, ask to see proof that the masternaut system is 100% accurate. You won't get that proof because it doesn't exist.
I've seen masternaut tracker logs and it pretty much logs everything - current speed at any given time, the speed limit for the road you're on, the name of the road/street you're on, how long you idle your engine for and what time you switched your engine on and off, what route you've taken etc. It's all recorded.
Now it uses GPS and we all know it's not 100% accurate. My old employer used the masternaut logs to calculate my private mileage and it was proven to be around 8% inaccurate.
It's a horrid hateful system that's used by paranoid H&S mad desk jockey knobs.
If you were doing 60mph through a 50mph, shouldn't your employer have a NIP on their desk....
Your boss should be able to look at the route you took on that day, and it'll show your GPS speed at any given point along that route. I don't know how you do it but it can be done.
However, ask to see proof that the masternaut system is 100% accurate. You won't get that proof because it doesn't exist.
Edited by XDA on Tuesday 13th March 18:33
Edited by XDA on Tuesday 13th March 18:34
Magictrousers said:
There are sections of the system where an entire journey, or part of, can be replayed showing location and speed, should be easy enough to see what was going on at a given moment, however, it has shown me doing 70 mph in a lorry before now, so I'd also question its accuracy.
This is all good to know, thank you.If it's anything like the system on the Volvos we use they should really be able to see what speed you were doing in the roadworks if you have an approx time you were there.
Complaints from the public are a "pia" I've had 2 in 8 yrs at the firm I work for and both times they have been within minutes of leaving the depot and catching other drivers "napping" at roundabouts or junctions in town.
I have apparently cut them up and then rocketed off at upto 50-60 mph in 30 zones.
I don't take much notice and it really is a case of your word against the theres.
The most recent one was the complaint being the other drivers wife is scared to be in town around trucks now.
My answer.Tell him to not to attempt to accelerate into the side of a truck that is already on the roundabout then lol. (give way to vehicles already on a roundabout)
Complaints from the public are a "pia" I've had 2 in 8 yrs at the firm I work for and both times they have been within minutes of leaving the depot and catching other drivers "napping" at roundabouts or junctions in town.
I have apparently cut them up and then rocketed off at upto 50-60 mph in 30 zones.
I don't take much notice and it really is a case of your word against the theres.
The most recent one was the complaint being the other drivers wife is scared to be in town around trucks now.
My answer.Tell him to not to attempt to accelerate into the side of a truck that is already on the roundabout then lol. (give way to vehicles already on a roundabout)
Edited by Panda76 on Tuesday 13th March 19:09
Cock Womble 7 said:
Masternaut "evidence" notwithstanding, this will boil down to a "Their word against mine" thing, will it not?
I dont think so, no. One aspect of their allegation/complaint can be dismissed easily - you cant drive at 60mph on a flat road and if this is untrue then the less likely allegation that you had 'several near misses' has to be dismissed too.Im sure that many drivers exceed 60mph slightly on most days. The difference between 59mph, 60mph and 61mph can be virtually impossible to make out on many speedometers. Its worrying that the fact that you apparently exceeded 60mph at one point during that day seems to carry so much weight and be seen as supporting the complainants story.
Im honestly not sure why anyone wants to be an HGV driver.
GC8 said:
It's worrying that the fact that you apparently exceeded 60mph at one point during that day seems to carry so much weight and be seen as supporting the complainants story.
This is something they're working on - looking into getting more accurate, detailed information from the Masternaut system. I don't doubt for a minute that I exceeded 60mph at some point that day - but I can hand on heart guarantee it wasn't through the 50mph SPECS zone on the M62.GC8 said:
I'm honestly not sure why anyone wants to be an HGV driver.
I make a living.GC8 said:
Im honestly not sure why anyone wants to be an HGV driver.
Not many do,the majority of employed drivers these days are either nearing retirement,ex forces or ex fire service or police<---Believe it or not lol.There certainly isn't many newly qualified fresh faced younger employees anymore.
One of the biggest problems firms can tend to suffer from is people in the office that are just that,office.
They have no idea how the job works outside the office,they have no idea about driving hours and rest hours.
They have no idea of the top speed with limiters of a truck so take allegations of trucker doing 70 mph and almost crashed into me seriously.They have technology in front of them that can either confirm or dismiss these stupid allegations.
These are the people you can often end up arguing with and no matter how wrong they are they will never accept it.Anyone who does know what they are talking about in the office (ex drivers who might have come off the road and being doing the job in that firm for twenty years or more) get pushed out by the majority who sadly are once again the people who have no clue doing a circle the wagons exercise.
Cock Womble 7 said:
I've just been shown on Masternaut the details of my journey on the day in question.
At no point whatsoever did I exceed 56mph on the M62 and even when I did, it was on the section away from the roadworks. In the roadworks, I averaged around 50/52mph.
Case dismissed.
It's in situations like this that it's great having a tracker fitted. Imagine trying to plead your innocence without any evidence to cover your arse!At no point whatsoever did I exceed 56mph on the M62 and even when I did, it was on the section away from the roadworks. In the roadworks, I averaged around 50/52mph.
Case dismissed.
Mr2Mike said:
Cock Womble 7 said:
At no point whatsoever did I exceed 56mph on the M62 and even when I did, it was on the section away from the roadworks.
Glad you got this sorted out, but that sentence made me chuckle.The system did show that I exceeded 56mph (got up to just over 60mph) on one occasion that day - on the M1 near Ashby DLZ, a very steep section (but still a long way from the roadworks on the M62).
XDA said:
It's in situations like this that it's great having a tracker fitted. Imagine trying to plead your innocence without any evidence to cover your arse!
Exactly. It's crystal clear from the Masternaut information that I wasn't in the wrong at all.As for the other stuff I was accused of, well let's just say that the inability of the "witness" to accurately judge my speed puts his credibility to comment on any other aspect of my driving into doubt.
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