Crew-limited site
Vehicles wait for installers
- You see
- Idle vehicles in the yard
- What helps
- Another crew, pre-wired kits, less travel
- What does not
- Asking the site for more vehicles
Installation logistics · Free planner
Tracker and MDVR installation planner: technicians, days and sites
How many installers, and how many working days, does it take to fit trackers, MDVRs and sensors across your sites? Enter the vehicles, the install minutes and the crews, then read the plan site by site.
Runs in your browserYour own install timesA plan, not a quote
Sites and vehicles (up to 20 sites)
| Site | Tracker only | Tracker + MDVR | Sensors | Travel, round trip (min) | Vehicles released per day | Remove |
|---|
Tracker + MDVR counts the vehicles that get both. Sensors are fuel, temperature or other probes on vehicles you already counted. Vehicles released per day is how many vehicles the site can take off duty each day. Enter 0 for no limit.
Example sites. Replace them with your own list.
min / vehicle
Crew minutes to fit and wire one tracker, from opening the dash to closing it.
min / vehicle
Extra crew minutes for the recorder, cameras, cable runs and aiming, on top of the tracker.
min / sensor
Crew minutes per sensor, for example a fuel probe with tank calibration.
min / vehicle
Power, GNSS fix, server link, camera view and the signed job card.
min / vehicle
Waiting for keys, parking and moving tools between vehicles.
%
Extra time for faults found at test and vehicles that need a second visit.
Typical values. Replace them with the times your own installers measured on pilot vehicles.
Time five to ten pilot installs
Every minute per vehicle repeats on every vehicle. Measure a few installs with the crew size you plan, use the middle value, and plan the pilot itself with the pilot sizing planner.
crews
Crews working at the same time. Each crew works on one vehicle at a time.
people
Used for the head count only. Install minutes are crew minutes.
h / day
Hours each crew is on site, from arrival to leaving.
min / day
Gate pass, safety talk, unpacking kits and the end-of-day check.
days
The number of working days you want the whole rollout to take.
The first installation day. Leave it empty to see working days only.
Installs run on working days only.
Installation planDays and dates
Time per jobCrew minutes
Crews for your targetTarget
Attach the plan to your project file
A report with days per site, dates, the day-by-day plan and the crews you need.
Installation plan report
Take the plan to your installation kick-off
- Days and dates for every site
- A day-by-day plan with vehicles and sensors
- Crews and technicians for your target
- Crew hours per job type
- Every assumption you entered
What sets the days
Crews or vehicles: which one limits a site?
Each site has two ceilings. The planner shows which one sets the days, so you push on the right one.
Availability-limited site
Installers wait for vehicles
- You see
- Crews idle after lunch
- What helps
- More vehicles per day, night or weekend access
- What does not
- Sending another crew
How many crew minutes does one vehicle take?
A job is the install itself plus the test, the handover and the move to the next vehicle. A vehicle that gets an MDVR also gets the tracker time.
tracker job = tracker + test + move = 60 + 15 + 10 = 85 min
MDVR job = tracker + MDVR + test + move = 60 + 180 + 15 + 10 = 265 min
site work = (jobs + sensors x sensor time) x (1 + rework)All times are crew minutes and typical planning values.
| Job | Crew minutes |
|---|---|
| Tracker install | 60 typical |
| MDVR and cameras, extra | 180 typical |
| Sensor fit and calibration | 120 typical |
| Test and handover | 15 typical |
| Move to the next vehicle | 10 typical |
Typical values, not Tracom figures. Replace them with your own measured times.
How many minutes of a day are usable?
A crew does not install for the whole shift. Take off the daily set-up and the round trip to the site.
usable = hours x 60 - set-up - travel = 8 x 60 - 30 - 60 = 390 min
How many days does a site take?
The planner takes the larger of two numbers: the crew days the work needs, and the days the site needs to release every vehicle. Each site starts on a new working day.
days = max( ceil(work / (crews x usable)), ceil(vehicles / released per day) )A crew works on one vehicle at a time, so a site never uses more crews than it has vehicles.
| Site | Work (crew min) | Usable min / day | Days by crews | Days by vehicles | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main depot | 10,395 | 390 | 9 | 5 | 9 · crews |
| North yard | 5,644 | 360 | 6 | 5 | 6 · crews |
| Port site | 6,851 | 390 | 6 | 5 | 6 · crews |
Total: 9 + 6 + 6 = 21 working days. Main depot: (40 x 85 + 20 x 265 + 10 x 120) x 1.05 = 10,395 crew minutes, divided by 3 crews x 390 minutes = 8.9, so 9 days.
How many crews do you need for a target?
The planner adds one crew at a time until the total fits your target. At some point the sites cannot release vehicles any faster, and more crews stop helping.
| Crews | Technicians | Working days |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 6 | 21 |
| 4 | 8 | 17 |
| 5 | 10 | 16 |
| 6 | 12 | 15 |
Six crews meet the target. A seventh crew changes nothing, because every site is then limited by the vehicles it can release each day.
Planning tips that save days
- Agree vehicles released per day with each site manager in writing.
- Pre-wire harnesses and label kits by vehicle before the crews arrive.
- Put the MDVR vehicles first at each site, while the crew is fresh.
- Keep spare devices, fuses and connectors on every crew van.
- Close the job card and the device test on the same day.
Assumptions and limits
- Install times are typical planning values, not Tracom figures. Replace them with your own measured times.
- All crews move together from site to site, in the order of the table. Each site starts on a new working day.
- Vehicles and sensors are spread evenly over the days of a site.
- The plan has no prices, no public holidays and no delivery dates for parts.
- The calculations run in your browser. Your inputs reach our server only if you ask for the emailed report, and are then kept for up to 45 days.
Sources
Source and date checked 3 November 2026: the NIOSH guide orders the work as select and pilot, plan, deploy, then review. The install times are typical planning values, not taken from a standard. Replace them with the times from your own pilot before you commit to dates.
Related Tracom solution
Fewer minutes per vehicle, fewer days on site
Tracom makes the tracker and video hardware your installers fit. Ask us for the installation documents and configuration files of your device model before you fix the crew plan.
- Advanced configuration files. Load the same settings on every vehicle.
- SCMS portal. Check device settings in one place after each site.
- Real-time SMS adjustments. Change a setting without a second visit.
- Over-the-air update. Bring new firmware without a technician at the vehicle.
Questions
Questions about installation planning
Planning a large installation project? Contact Tracom.
Are the install times official Tracom figures?
No. They are typical planning values. Time five to ten pilot installs on your own vehicles, with the crew size you plan, and enter the middle value.
What does "vehicles released per day" mean?
It is the number of vehicles a site can take off duty each day for the installers. If the site can release only 8 a day, 35 vehicles take at least 5 days, however many crews you send.
Should a crew have one or two technicians?
Not always two. MDVR and camera installs often go faster with two people, simple tracker installs less so. The planner counts crew minutes, so enter the times you measured with the crew size you plan.
Why does each site start on a new day?
It keeps the plan simple and leaves time for travel, gate passes and the handover at the end of a site. If your crews can finish one site and start the next on the same day, the real total can be a little shorter.
Does the planner include costs?
No. It plans days, crews and dates only. Ask your installer for prices.
What is Tracom's role here?
Tracom makes tracking and video hardware. The planner helps you organise the installation work. It does not book installers, and it does not replace a site survey.
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