A new survey of field-service drivers finds GPS tracking and dash cams can influence more than crash prevention, including employee retention, insurance disputes, and customer confidence. For a small business, a dash cam or GPS tracking system can be easy to view as another fleet expense or another tool for monitoring employees.

Drivers may see more value in them than business owners expect.

A new Linxup survey of 267 U.S. field-service professionals found that 77% believe the benefits of fleet safety technology outweigh privacy or driver resistance concerns.

One reason may be simple: The technology can protect the driver, too. Forty-four percent of respondents said they or a coworker had been involved in an accident where dash cam footage or GPS tracking worked in their favor during an insurance claim or legal dispute.

When asked what could make the biggest difference in their daily work, 29% selected protection if something goes wrong, ahead of the 27% who selected fewer accidents.

"Fleet drivers want greater confidence every time they get behind the wheel," said Naeem Bari, founder and chief product officer at Linxup. "Our findings show that protection, accountability, and knowing your company has your back all matter to today's workforce."

Safety Can Affect Employee Retention

The survey also suggests safety programs may influence whether employees want to stick around. Seventy-six percent of respondents said their employer's approach to safety affects their decision to stay with the company.

Workers at businesses with formal safety programs were more likely to say safety made them want to remain with their employer compared with respondents working for companies without a formal program.

Communication appears to matter, too. More than 72% said their employer had explained how GPS tracking or dash cameras can affect insurance coverage.

For small businesses trying to introduce cameras or tracking technology, that finding suggests explaining why the technology is being installed may be just as important as installing it.

Customers Are Paying Attention Too

Fleet safety practices may also affect how customers view a business. Sixty-one percent of respondents said customers had mentioned their company's safety practices as a reason for doing business with them.

That makes safety more than a driver-management issue. For contractors and service businesses whose vehicles and employees are visible in the community every day, it can also become part of the company's reputation.

Employees also showed interest in financial incentives tied to safer driving. Eighty-two percent said tying pay or bonuses to safety scores would motivate them to improve their driving performance, with cash bonuses ranking as the top incentive.

At the same time, technology and incentives cannot solve every problem. More than 73% of respondents said real-world job demands make it difficult to drive efficiently at least some of the time.

The survey was conducted by Centiment on behalf of Linxup in June 2026 among 267 U.S. field-service professionals working in commercial fleets across HVAC, electrical, landscaping, plumbing, and other service industries.