Author: Jimmy Song

Advantages of Wireless Temperature Monitoring

Posted on | by Jimmy Song

What are some of the advantages of wireless temperature monitoring?

  • Improving Customer Service
  • Preventing Spoilage
  • Complying with Laws

Before discussing these benefits, let’s take a step back.

Even before wireless temperature monitoring existed, fleets had to control temperature to ensure food is not spoiled. Spoiled food can lead to nasty food related illnesses. Anyone who ate spoiled food can probably relate to this video:

Fleets traditionally control temperature through onboard trailer monitoring. Trailers produce temperature reports throughout the trip and these reports are reviewed afterwards.

This approach, unfortunately, is reactive rather than proactive. Fleets often realize issues only after the food is spoiled, or worse, when the customer finds out.

Let’s delve into the most important advantages of wireless temperature monitoring.

Better Customer Service

A common customer complaint is that cargo is not handled properly. Some customers require documentation to provide proof that the load is kept at an appropriate temperature.

In some cases, carriers were sued by their customers for improper handling. There is a long history of court cases dating way back to 1856. After many battles and decisions, courts ruled that carriers can be held legally accountable for food spoilage.

carriers-responsible-damaged-goods

In order to respond to customer service demands and to avoid lawsuits, fleets turned to real-time temperature reports. These reports are sent to customers and updates them about the load’s temperature throughout the trip.

A business owner commented that this system “removes any doubt” and “I wouldn’t want to go to court in a dispute without the data.”

Preventing Spoilage

Outdated temperature systems increase the risk of food spoilage. In old systems, fleets rely on drivers to check loads and report issues to dispatchers. Drivers, from time to time, fail to notice temperature changes or fail to report it to dispatchers.

A key advantage of wireless temperature monitoring systems is providing real-time alerts to prevent spoilage. How do these alerts happen?

advantages of wireless temperature monitoring

Fleets can set a temperature range rule. The system then records and monitors temperatures. In the event that temperature is outside of the acceptable range, the system warns the office. This allows dispatchers to alert the drivers and to schedule service before the load gets spoiled.

Preparing for Compliance

For some industries, carriers must comply with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) rule. The FSMA’s goal is to combat foodborne illnesses. Carriers are affected by FSMA because the rule requires carriers to take “extra care when planning temperature requirements.”

How can carriers provide extra care? Part of the requirements include providing a report on trailer temperature upon the customer’s request. A smart step for preparing for these requirements is to investigate systems that provide such reports.

How can fleets get the advantages of wireless temperature monitoring?

There are several solutions that can provide these advantages. A good starting point is to research reefer temperature kits and Bluetooth asset tags. Both of these solutions provide temperature monitoring and could be a fit depending on business needs.

Check this out to learn more about these alternatives:
A Guide to Wireless Temperature Monitoring Systems

Sources:
Heavy Duty Trucking: Remote Temp Monitoring
Geotab: Get Ready for the FSMA Transportation Rule Deadline
Lexology: Shipper’s Liability for Dangerous Cargo

A Guide to Wireless Temperature Monitoring Systems

Posted on | by Jimmy Song

A common question that fleets ask when they begin their research is, “What is the best wireless temperature monitoring system for our business needs?”

There are many wireless temperature monitoring systems, each fitting different business needs. Two alternatives include Bluetooth tracking tags and a reefer monitoring system.

In order to determine the best fit, there are two important questions to ask.

wireless-temperature-monitoring-systems-options

1) What am I trying to track?

I am trying to track a smaller item, such as a cooler. For small assets, a good alternative is a wireless temperature monitoring system using Bluetooth. These systems are small enough to be attached to small assets.

I am trying to track a reefer unit. Temperature controlled trailers can be tracked with either a Bluetooth tag or a reefer monitor.

2) Who needs to see the temperature data?

Only the driver needs to see the data. The Bluetooth tag can send temperature data to the driver. The reefer monitor can also send data to drivers.

I need the information to be sent to a customer or back to the office staff. The reefer monitor would be the better solution because it sends real-time reports and alerts to remote locations. The Bluetooth tag, however, cannot transmit data beyond 250m.

After answering these questions, let’s look deeper into these two alternatives!

 

GoBeacon Bluetooth Asset Tracking Tags

Great fit for: Tracking smaller assets, sending temperature info to drivers is sufficient.

 

GoBeacon Bluetooth Asset Tracking is a wireless temperature monitoring system using bluetooth. The asset tags provide data about an asset, including temperature. This data is sent to a nearby cellphone.

Here’s a video on how it works.

Real-life example

One business delivered cold goods to local customers. They wanted to ensure their products met customer expectations.

They stored the goods in a cooler and attached a GoBeacon sensor. The driver then installed an app on their phone. This app gave temperature updates to the driver and alerted the driver if they needed to replace ice packs.

As a result, the business decreased spoilage rates, which in turn, led to greater customer retention.

 

Valor Reefer Wireless Temperature Monitoring System

Great fit for: Reefer trailers, Sending temperature data to a remote office is required.

 

The Valor system is a great option for creating and sending real-time temperature reports. These reports are sent back to the office or to the customers.

In addition to reports, fleets also set appropriate temperature ranges. If the systems detects a temperature that is out of bounds, alerts are sent to both the driver and to the office.

Real-life example

One fleet operated reefers that carried ice cream (yum, perfect for summer weather). The fleet used the Valor system to prevent ice cream from melting.

The office set up temperature rules that kept the ice cream at its yummy state. When trailer cooler systems malfunctioned and the temperature was out of bounds, alerts were sent to both the drivers and the dispatchers. The dispatchers then scheduled service to meet the driver on the road.

This allowed the fleet to reduce wasted inventory and achieve higher customer satisfaction.

Four Questions for Fleet Dispatchers to Solve

Posted on | by Jimmy Song

 

What exactly is fleet dispatching?

 

Fleet dispatching is a job where someone communicates with drivers and customers in order to schedule driving assignments. Dispatchers have a hectic workload between managing drivers, customers, forms, and everything in between.

What are some questions that fleet dispatchers must solve in order to create a smooth communication process? In order to adapt, dispatchers are increasingly relying on dispatching software to solve the following questions:

 

Question 1: What is the best way to communicate with my drivers?

 

One of the biggest responsibilities for fleet dispatchers is to communicate with their drivers. Dispatchers need to talk with drivers to figure out their location, get a job status, and to send drivers on their next job.

For a long time, the best way to communicate is through phone calls. Unfortunately, this could turn into a game of phone tag. One business we worked with shared a list of different excuses on why dispatchers could not reach their drivers through phone including:

  • “Sorry m’aam, I didn’t hear your call. My phone was on silent.”
  • “Sorry sir, my phone battery was low.”
  • “Sorry m’aam, I had to turn my phone off.”

Not very impressive for their dispatchers! The dispatchers now rely on a two-way communication tool. This allows dispatchers to locate drivers without calling them. The dispatcher can also send messages back and forth through pop-up chats instead of playing phone tag.

fleet dispatchers 2-way communication

 

Question 2: How can I work through language barriers?

 

Trucking is becoming more diverse. There are a lot more foreign-born drivers and as a result, a lot more language barriers. In states such as California and New Jersey, foreign-born drivers make up of more than 40% of total drivers.

For fleet dispatchers who might not share the same language as drivers, how can they communicate? A lot of these dispatchers are turning to auto-translating dispatching software solutions.

These solutions support different languages which allows dispatchers to send instructions in English, while the driver receives the same instructions in their native language. The driver can then respond back while having that response translated back into English for the dispatcher.

fleet dispatching translation

 

Question 3: What’s the easiest way to plan routes?

 

Dispatchers are responsible for finding the most profitable loads and for assigning drivers to these jobs. Other than simply finding the closest driver, dispatchers need to consider other factors such as available hours of service, weather conditions, and road traffic.

Thankfully, dispatchers do not need to plan all of these factors in their head. The easiest way to plan routes is using a Route Optimization tool.

Route optimization is a program that plans the best route for dispatchers. The system finds available drivers and plots them to the most efficient route. It also allows dispatchers to give drivers the best route to take while accounting for variables such as weather and road conditions.

dispatching solutions

 

Question 4: Are forms properly completed?

 

Dispatchers are responsible for completing forms – a lot of forms. As with any data entry job, errors can occur. Some of the common errors range from typos & calculation errors to misreading clumsy handwriting.

Many dispatchers are moving away from clumsy data entry with an automated billing system.

Here’s how the system works. Drivers can electronically upload information such as signatures when the job is complete. The system then fills in other data such as vehicle information, driver information, and time stamps. From there, the necessary information is printed and stored in the accounting system. This system, as a result, saves administration work and prevents errors.

 

Click here for more information on Dispatching and Routing.

 

Sources:
The Road: An Inside Look at a Truck Dispatcher’s Job
PRI: America’s trucking industry faces a shortage. Meet the immigrants helping fill the gap.
Entrepreneur: Contracts 101: The Critical Paperwork You’ll Use as a Freight Broker

Image Source:
Designed by Freepik

 

3 Technologies to Control Tire Expenses

Posted on | by Jimmy Song

Why is it important to control tire expenses?

Tire expenses are the third biggest expense for most fleets. In order to control expenses, fleets must consider capacity, tire pressure maintenance, and tire purchases.

Capacity

Tires can only hold so much weight. Think about table legs. If someone were to pile a mountain of heavy objects, what happens to the table? It collapses, of course.

The same concept applies to tires. For every 10% of overcapacity, tire life is reduced by about 16%. The best practice for managing tire capacity is to set rules on maximum load and to ensure tire specifications can handle such a load.

tire-blog-over-capacity

Tire Pressure Maintenance

Tire pressure maintenance is an important part of tire health. In fact, not only does it improve a tire’s life cycle, tire pressure maintenance also leads to fuel savings. Consider the following statistics.

Underinflation is the #1 cause of tire failure and leads to almost 40,000 accidents in a year. Also, due to higher rolling resistance, under-inflated tires decrease fuel efficiency. For every 10% of underinflation, there is a 1% decrease in fuel economy and a 7% decrease in tire life.

tire-blog-under-inflation

Severe over inflation, on the other hand, is also a problem. It can also cause tire failure as overinflated tires are unable to absorb shock.

Tire Purchases

Tires are becoming more expensive. Michelin, a major tire producer, announced an 8% price increase earlier this year. Michelin explained that rising cost in raw materials has translated to a higher tire bill for fleets.

3 Helpful Technologies

Many fleets are reducing tire costs by investing in helpful technologies. Some of these technologies include Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems, tire maintenance software, and automated tire purchasing.

Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS)

Recall the damaging effects of under and over inflation. Fleets developed strict check-up programs to extend tire life.

A popular tool to help extend tire life is a Tire Pressure Monitoring System. These systems are screwed onto tire valves and provide live tire pressure readings. These readings can be generated into a report that measures tire performance. Maintenance managers can then be alerted when there are spikes in tire pressure.

pressureprothumbnail

Besides sending reports back to the office, Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems can also alert drivers. The system includes an in-cab display, where drivers can receive real-time readings and alerts for tire pressure and temperature changes.

Tire Maintenance Programs

Just like vehicle tracking, more and more companies are investing in tire tracking.

In fact, look at Michelin. The major tire supplier worked on transitioning into RFID technology over the past 15 years. RFIDs are attachable tags that track objects. Michelin is optimistic that the RFID chips will help fleets manage inventory and reduce inspection time.

Similar to Michelin’s RFID program, there is software that allows fleets to manage tires. For example, the Zendu Maintenance software includes a tire maintenance program. This program receives tire pressure data and automatically schedules a maintenance check-up.

Automated Tire Purchasing

Tire purchases require careful planning. Fleet managers need to find a balance between a fit with their business needs and a fit with their budget.

Fleets can find the best fit by using an automated tire purchase systems. These programs automatically trigger tire orders when current inventory is low. Tire vendors can then submit proposals. From here, purchasers can review tire specifications, cost, and warranty in order to make the best decision.

Want to learn more about these technologies?
Check out our Tire Pressure Monitoring System

Maintenance Management & Purchasing Software.

Sources:
Government Fleet: Managing Tire Expenses
Pamplin Media: What is a Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Truck News: Tire Prices Set to Increase
Waste DIVE: Michelin Adds RFID Tags in Tires to Provide Fleets with Cost-Saving Data
Consumer Reports: How to Save Money When Buying Replacement Tires

Case Study: Protecting Assets with Fleet Maintenance Management

Posted on | by Jimmy Song

How important is protecting assets?

Assets are the lifeline of a business.

Think about a sports team. For many teams, their star athletes are their most valuable assets. Over the years, many teams have been devastated by athletes who were unable to play due to injuries.

A recent example is Derrick Rose, the former star of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls. In 2012, he suffered a knee injury. He was never the same player. He re-injured himself several times and missed over 40% of their games due to injury. The Bulls, meanwhile, fell out of being championship contenders.

How did this happen to such a promising athlete? This video explains the science, suggesting that Rose’s injuries could have been prevented by adjusting his play style.

Similar to sports teams, fleets invest in vehicles as their star assets. And, yes, these assets are very expensive.

Heavy trucks easily cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Just like athletes, assets deteriorate and break down over time. Many fleets protect these assets by investing in a fleet maintenance management program.

The Case Study

Let’s study a fleet that invested in a fleet maintenance management program.

The Problem

The fleet’s maintenance expense went over budget and the fleet’s productivity was lower than expected. Some symptoms include:

  • Management, drivers and mechanics communicated poorly
  • Vehicles broke down and were repaired on costly emergency jobs
  • Repair parts were missing and were low on stock

The Solution

The fleet overhauled its maintenance program and started by investing in a fleet maintenance management system. The fleet noticed several changes.

Change #1: Mechanics were more successful because they had more information.

Effective fleet maintenance management requires communication. Managers, drivers, and mechanics needed to be on the same page. Before the fleet invested in a maintenance system, jobs were sometimes lost. The new program greatly improved communication.

fleet maintenance management

Drivers and managers were able to schedule jobs into mechanics’ calendars. Within these assignments, photos and notes were shared. This created a record for the asset’s history and gave mechanics the necessary information to complete jobs successfully.

Change #2: Costly breakdowns were prevented.

Another part of effective fleet maintenance management is to prevent emergency breakdowns. With the new maintenance program, the fleet used preventative maintenance to diagnose and fix smaller problems before they turned into bigger problems.

change 2

The program identified problems through live monitoring. Critical data, ranging from fault codes to tire pressure, were pulled from the asset. Drivers also gave early warnings by electronically completing and submitting daily vehicle inspection reports.

From these warnings, work orders were automatically created and scheduled. The mechanics found these smaller jobs to be much less costly and time consuming than emergency jobs.

Change #3: Repair parts were easier to locate and were more available.

Effective fleet maintenance management is related to the quality of the fleet’s repair parts inventory. In the old inventory system, parts were manually recorded or sometimes not recorded at all. These parts were often lost or were out of stock. The new program was an improvement.

Change 3 - inventory

The fleet maintenance program allowed employees to scan repair parts and upload data to the inventory system. The system then displayed the location and quantity of parts. As a result, mechanics were able to easily find the parts, which reduced their job completion time.

Another benefit of the overhauled inventory system was that it replenishes itself. When the quantity of parts was low, the maintenance program automatically contacted listed suppliers to order more parts. This prevented delays from waiting for new repair parts.

The Result

The maintenance program helped improve fleet maintenance management. The fleet reduced costly breakdowns, saved money on repair expenses, and increased asset life.

 

A Modern Guide to Recruiting & Retaining Drivers

Posted on | by Jimmy Song

“I quit!”

These words are inconvenient for any employer. Employee turnover is costly. The Centre of American Progress estimates that a turnover costs 213% of the departing employee’s salary.

How is it this expensive? Costs include lost productivity, time to recruit and train, and harm to company culture. Turnover is especially costly in the trucking industry where there is a shortage of drivers.

In fact, by 2020, Canada is projected to have a supply and demand gap of 33,000 drivers.

The shortage is caused by many factors, including:

Age Gap. The average age for drivers is 46. The industry is struggling to replace aging drivers with younger drivers.

Labour Intensity. Trucking often requires long and unpredictable hours, which increases the difficulty of filling the position.

Employee Turnover. Trucking has a 20-30% turnover rate in Canada.

What are some strategies to attract and retain good drivers?

Key #1: Find New Drivers by Evolving Recruitment Tactics.

Businesses traditionally create job postings and wait on drivers to reply. The challenge, however, is that younger drivers are less likely to be recruited through traditional means. Since retiring drivers need to be replaced, the key for future success is to connect with young drivers.

63% of large trucking companies are attracting young drivers by using digital media. Some techniques include:

Using Search Engine Optimization to Increase Web Traffic
SEO is a fancy word for cutting in front of the line when someone searches for words related to a business. A proven tactic to boost SEO is to consistently publish blog articles with industry keywords.

Creating a Landing Page
Prospective drivers should be greeted by a web page that speaks to them. This page should sell the job opportunity by creating a non-generic message. Some of the most powerful landing pages include video links and driver stories.

Focus on Social Media
Winning employers out-compete other companies by creating positive messages on social media. Effective social media pages tell a story instead of just advertising job posts. Here is a video that teaches these fundamentals.

Key #2: When Recruiting Drivers, Money Talks.

Money makes a big difference. It is the leading factor when choosing a driving job, according to 43% of drivers.

That’s why it’s important to research industry standards and to offer a competitive salary. The most competitive offers can also include benefits such as performance based incentives, health programs, and driver appreciation events.

Key #3: Make New Drivers Feel Like Family.

While compensation is a leading factor in choosing a job, it is not a leading factor for driver turnover. The biggest reason for turnover is fair treatment.

The most important time for building relationships and for reducing turnover is within the first 3 months. The best way to secure loyal drivers is to establish a family-like environment.

Key #4: Train & Monitor How Drivers Should be Treated.

Similarly to making a first impression, businesses must stay consistent. Drivers who feel disrespected are going to leave.

Recruitment directors agree that feeling disrespected comes down to basic controllable things including:

  • Overpromising companies benefits
  • Asking drivers for their truck number instead of addressing them by name
  • Answering “it’s not my job” when drivers ask driver managers for help

Recruitment directors recommend training driver managers. For example, the “it’s not my job” fiasco could be avoided by teaching driver managers whose job it would be and how to relay the question to that individual.

After training, it is also recommended to record and review conversations to ensure drivers feel respected. As some businesses found out, some of these conversations were disappointingly disrespectful – similar to Sara Bittorf’s experience on “Undercover Boss”.

Key #5: Recognize & Reward the Best Drivers.

It’s human nature to seek rewards for performance. If John is a safe and efficient driver, he might be thinking, “how am I getting rewarded?”.

A hot trend in employee engagement is gamifying the environment. Some businesses monitor driver performance and set up scorecards. These scorecards are used to identify and reward top drivers with prizes such as bonuses or days off.

What are the results of gamifying the driving experience? 89% of businesses agreed that this program would improve their engagement.

The reality is businesses cannot control the supply of drivers. However, driver recruiting and retaining is something that is controllable and can always be improved.

 

Best Practices When Using Fleet Fuel Cards

Posted on | by Jimmy Song

One of my hobbies include teaching math to kids. Besides “when the heck are we going to use this in real life”, one of the most common questions I get is “where does money come from?”

Well, great question! A long, long time ago, our ancestors used a bartering system to trade items. Then, of course, someone realized that they were getting ripped off because not all items are of the same value.

As a result, society started using gold coins as currency. People then adapted currency into different forms, ranging from paper bills to debit & credit cards to virtual currency.

Different Ways to Purchase Fuel

Just like different forms of currency, there are different ways to purchase fuel. Some of the most common ways include:

Reimbursement

Employees pay for fuel out of their own pockets. An administrator would then collect the receipt and reimburse the employee.

Buying Fuel in Bulk

Some businesses are able to partner with fuel companies and provide fuelling stations on-site. This is a great way to getting bulk discounts if there is a secure site to store fuel.

Company Credit Cards

Employees would use credit cards to buy fuel at gas stations. An administrator usually checks the purchases.

And lastly…

Fleet Fuel Cards!

Fuel cards relieve administration work by preventing non-fuel related purchases.

Let’s dive into some of the best practices when using fleet fuel cards.

1) Taking Advantage of Rebates

Are you a deal hunter? Fuel cards provide rebates for purchasing fuel. Businesses can redeem free fuel for using the card and collecting points. As well, fuel cards reduce transaction costs such as credit card usage fees and interest charged. How much money does this save?

Jay Tabor, fleet manager of G&J Trucking, explains that his job is to “squeeze every ounce of profit” and is “easily saving 6-7% on fuel” by reducing transaction costs and by using rebates.

2) Smart Deal Hunting

Who’s a deal hunter? The Deal Guy shares his top 5 websites for hunting discounts.

Smart fleet managers also hunt for deals by thinking, “where are the best places to fuel up?” Fuel cards collect an incredible amount of data. Valuable information such as locations fuelled and average cost per gallon allows fleet managers to discover the stations with the best fuel deals.

Fleet managers can then take advantage of this by instructing drivers to fuel at these money-saving locations. In order to ensure instructions are followed, fuel card systems can set rules to restrict usage to only the cheapest fuel stations.

3) Reducing Administration Work

Headache-inducing administration work can be caused by using credit cards and reimbursement. It is quite common for employees to steal by spending money on unauthorized items such as cigarettes or snacks.

Accountants must review item-by-item to ensure all purchases follows company policy and to fill in reports. Instead of burdening the accounting staff, fuel cards can be used to eliminate non-fuel purchases and to set up reports.

4) Preventing Fuel Fraud

Although fleet fuel cards reduce theft, employees can still commit fraud with fuel cards. Over the years, creative thieves abused fuel cards. Some of their plots ranged from putting fuel into their personal car to even filling empty jerry cans to take home.

A way to prevent fraud is to set up fuel card controls. Many fuel card systems allow users to set up rules such as limiting fuel purchases per transaction and fuel purchases per day. Businesses can receive reports if these rules are broken.

Another great way to prevent fraud is to integrate fuel card systems with telematics. Some telematics providers are able to match fuel purchases with in-vehicle data. This lets businesses confirm that every bit of fuel purchased with the card is entered into the correct company vehicle.

For more information about fleet fuel cards, connect with our fleet consultants!

 

Sources:
Wex Inc: 8 FAQ’s About Fuel Cards
All Star Business Solutions: Fuel Card vs. Credit Card
Automotive Fleet: Pros and Cons of Suing a Fuel Card vs. a Corporate Card for Fleet Fuel

 

When Do You Need Satellite Tracking For Vehicles?

Posted on | by Jimmy Song

When was the last time you watched a horror movie? (If you are like myself, probably a long time ago because I value my sleep!)

A cliche in these movies is not being able to call for help. Over the years, many movies had scenes where characters had no service and were not able to use their cellphones.

How many times has a dropped signal caused you inconvenience?

It might not always be life-and-death but imagine the frustration if an important phone call drops. Or if a TV stream goes offline, as mine did while watching a close 4th quarter in the NBA playoffs.

Iridium GPS Tracker

The default way to track vehicles is to use cell coverage. However, some businesses travel to areas with weak or no coverage. How can businesses still get consistent data and ensure worker safety?

Enter satellite vehicle tracking. For areas where cell coverage is not possible, iridium GPS trackers (satellite tracking) fills these gaps by providing data without losing connection.

GoFleet uses the IRIDIUM satellite network for this need. This network is added to a traditional cellular based tracking system through a modem.

Consider the following cases.

Remote Operations

Businesses may operate in areas without cell coverage. Consider the following coverage map from OpenSignal and notice the dead zones.

cell coverage

Cellular tracking does not work in these zones. This leaves managers thinking. Where are the drivers? How are they driving?

The only way to answer these questions is to use satellite tracking.

Oil Rigs

One of GoFleet’s partners is an oil company that operates oil rigs in the middle of the ocean. And yes, just like the movie clips, there are no cellular signals in the middle of the ocean.

These oil rigs are expensive and are valuable assets. In the event of failure, the business needs to send helicopters and replacement parts to repair the rig. This costs thousands and thousands of dollars. How can costly repairs be prevented?

Many cellular-based tracking devices offer diagnostics tools. These tools allow maintenance managers to track & schedule service dates, as well as receive fault codes.

The Iridium GPS Tracker allowed the business protect their oil rigs by receiving these same reports over a satellite network.

Emergencies

Imagine this scene. A driver is going through a remote area. While driving, the weather worsens. The driver is suddenly going through a blizzard and becomes stuck. When they pull out their phone to call for help, the phone says “No Service”.

This problem, unfortunately, happens every year. Countless drivers get stranded in storms and cannot call for help. Drivers can also get stranded in other industries involving remote work, such as oil/gas and forestry companies. How can these drivers get help?

Iridium GPS trackers are equipped with a man-down system. When drivers are not able to get cellphone signal, they can send an emergency message through satellite. This message is relayed back to the office. The driver is then notified when the message has been received.

Minimizing Cost

Is satellite tracking costly? Compared to cell phone coverage, yes, satellite tracking is more costly. These costs, however, could be minimized with a failover system. Failover systems reduce cost by only using satellite when necessary.

Failover Systems

For example, the Iridium GPS Tracker combines satellite tracking with cell coverage. This system normally uses cell coverage and only switches over to satellite when the signal is lost. The system then uploads data captured with satellite when cell coverage returns.

This reduces the amount of satellite usage, and in turn, reduces the cost of the system.

Does your business operate in remote areas?
Read more about Iridium GPS Tracking.
 

ELD Myths and Facts: Part 3

Posted on | by Jimmy Song

Looking forward to more Mythbusters!

 

The original Mythbuster series ended in 2016. Fans of the series, however, were given a pair of great news.

In late 2016, the hosts returned on Netflix with a similar series called the “White Rabbit Project”. A Mythbusters spinoff was also announced. Contestants will compete on a televised series called “Mythbusters: The Search” to find new hosts for the reboot.

Let’s conclude our epic ELD trilogy by taking a look at a fuel-saving myth. Does taking right turns instead of left turns save fuel?

One company planned all of their routes to eliminate left turns and only take right turns. They believed that right turns would save fuel from less stops, acceleration, and idling. Were they correct?

In our ELD myth finale, we focus on drivers, robots, and fine print.

Myth: All drivers will quit.

“I will quit trucking before the mandate.” This comment is quite common and has been posted by drivers all over the Internet. Some drivers fear that the ELD mandate will threaten the way that they have been living for the past few years.

In a survey of 2300 independent drivers, 71% answered that they will quit. Will the trucking industry experience a massive strike?

The Reality

It is unlikely that the industry will experience a huge dropout. Todd Amen, president of ATBS, argues that most truckers will comply to earn a paycheque.

There is also increased acceptance from drivers. A recruiter from a company that contracts owner-operator commented that young drivers are especially accepting of ELDs. Even Dave, the popular YouTube driver, shared his acceptance story.

Dave said that his ELD skepticism was wrong because his quality of life improved after getting rid of paper logs.

Myth: ELDs control drivers.

Some truckers feel that they are being controlled by the ELDs. One trucker commented that they were running safe for decades and that paper logs allowed them flexibility of when to stop. Another trucker was concerned that the ELD will shut down their truck when their hours run out.

These truckers fear that ELDs will control their trucks and way of life. Remember all the movies about robots versus humans?

The Reality

ELDs are no where as smart as AIs from sci-fi movies. They are not self thinking. They do not control trucks and they cannot order the truck to stop. The only thing they do is record drivers and their driving hours.

Just like before, it is up to the driver to plan out their day. The driver can choose when to stop and when to go on break. Hours of service requirements existed long before the ELD mandate and do not change with the mandate. The only thing that is different is that there is a device to remind drivers when they must stop.

Myth: Only vendors on the FMCSA website are compliant with the ELD mandate.

Research is key when choosing the best ELD solution. Some researchers might come across the Registered ELD list. There are 6 pages of registered vendors. This must mean that these are the only vendors that are compliant with the ELD mandate, right?

The Reality

Not necessarily. The Registered ELD list does not include all compliant devices. It’s important to consider fine print, just like these real-life examples.

In this case, the fine print is that Registered ELDs are self-certified. These manufacturers got on the list by certifying themselves. The FMCSA can choose to remove self-certified vendors if they are deemed to be non-compliant.

Some big-name products such as Geotab is compliant with all FMCSA standards but are waiting for last-minute FMCSA tune ups before registering. The FMCSA is currently finalizing its electronic Records of Duty system and is expected to finish by summer 2017.

When this project is complete, it would allow drivers using Geotab to transmit logs through web service and email. Geotab has committed to registering before the compliance date.

This concludes our trilogy of ELD myths. If you are still confused between myths and facts, schedule a free appointment with our myth busting fleet consultants!

 

Sources:

Truckers Report: 71% of Independent Truckers Say They’ll Quit if EOBR Mandate Becomes Law

Overdrive: ELD Mandate: Independents Final Straw?

Heavy Duty Trucking: Safety Schism: Truck Groups Draw Lines over ELD, Speed-Limiter Rules

FMCSA: ELD List

Geotab: ELD Self Certification

ELD Myths and Facts: Part 2

Posted on | by Jimmy Song

More Mythbusters

Last time, we saw the Mythbuster team test the myth of if a coin-drop from a tall building could kill a pedestrian. This week, we look at a common traffic myth: do “weavers” save time?

Let’s face it. Almost all of us had to (or wanted to) rush to a destination. Some of us try to save time on the road by weaving into the least crowded lanes, much to the annoyance of neighboring vehicles.

Does this save time?

If you missed Part 1 of ELD Myths and Facts, check it out here.
Now let’s look at Part 2 of common ELD myths.
 

Only Big Fleets Will Be Affected

In fall 2016, small and large business fleets answered an ELD implementation survey. The survey found that 81% of large fleets implemented ELDs while 33% of small fleets implemented ELDs.

The Reality

The mandate oversees any drivers who fill out Duty of Records for 8+ days over the month. This means that any business that falls within these guidelines, regardless of owning 1 truck or 1000 trucks, need to comply. This, however, doesn’t have to be viewed in a negative light.

Here’s a real life example. Ronnie Sellers is a business owner of a 3-truck operation. He was way ahead of compliance mandates and installed ELDs in 2011. He is satisfied with his decision and commented that he “would not run paper logs”.

The ELD Rule Will Never Go Into Effect

Some people insist that the ELD mandate will be overturned. The mandate is heavily opposed by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA). The OOIDA filed several appeals to a few courts and sent a petition to the Supreme Court.

In fact, in 2011, the OOIDA successfully challenged the mandate and delayed it. If it was thrown out before, does this mean that businesses should wait out to the last minute?

The Reality

ELD Mandate TimelineSince 2011, the FMCSA addressed concerns and released its final ruling. In October 2016, the appeals courts sided with the FMCSA and rejected the OOIDA’s appeal. The appeals court ruled that ELDs are in the best interest for public safety and for law enforcement.

The last challenge opposing the mandate was the OOIDA’s petition to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court decides to only hear a handful of cases out of thousands of appellants. In June 2017, the Supreme Court declined to hear the appeal and ended OOIDA’s challenge options.

The Cost of ELDs are so High That it Will Close Businesses

Truckers criticize ELDS as a cash grab. They fear that they will need to pay thousands of dollars for hardware and will need to pay heavy monthly fees. No one likes expensive bills, just like this angry driver and his traffic fine.

The Reality

Compliance does not have to break the bank or require tens of thousands of pennies. There are cost-effective ELD compliance solutions available.

For example, instead of spending thousands of dollars to re-wire trucks, businesses can explore options such as plug-and-play devices. These devices are a fraction of the cost of hardwired solutions and can be self-installed to reduce start-up fees.

Also, many businesses have found that ELDs provided benefits that outweigh costs. In a survey, respondents found that ELDs decreased log violations by 84% and helped control customer expectations for job times.

As well, these companies reported other benefits such as improved monitoring and usage of drivers, driver convenience, and a decrease in operating costs.

Join us next time for our trilogy finale as we share one last Mythbusters clip and tackle a final set of myths.
 

Sources:
MH&L: ELD Implementation Differs Between Large and Small Fleets
Trucks.com: Truckers Grapple with Switch to Electronic Logs
Supply Chain Dive: Courts Uphold ELD Mandate
Overdrive: Supreme Court Rejects ELD Appeal, Ending OOIDA’s Challenge Options
Logistics Viewoiunts: ELD Survey: The Data, the Facts,
and How ELDs Affect Carriers