Author: Jimmy Song

The Science Behind Fleet GPS Tracking

Posted on | by Jimmy Song

Earlier this year, our partners at Geotab reached an important milestone! Geotab reached 1 million subscribers on its fleet GPS tracking network as of February 2018.

1 million subscribers is an important industry milestone because it shows the growth of fleet GPS tracking as a whole. For instance, Geotab is now used in 137 countries and collects 2 billion data points per week.

Beyond celebrating Geotab’s achievement, this blog explores the science behind fleet GPS tracking. First, we will study its origins. Then, we will look at how fleet GPS tracking adapted and turned to powerhorse that it is today.

Roots of GPS Science

The original science behind GPS tracking comes from a military idea. For a long time, the military needed a way to locate and track their assets. They used a lot of ideas including radar, radios, and everything in between. However, the military did not fully trust those technologies’ reliability or accuracy.

Then, someone thought about using satellites and trilateration. What in the world do those words mean?

The Solution

Trilateration means using 3 satellites to pinpoint a receiver’s location. Confused? Don’t worry, you are not the only one! Here’s how it works.

Satellites send signals to receivers, which are placed in each tracked vehicle. When satellite signals are received, satellites can detect the distance between each receiver and itself. However, a single satellite cannot trace the receiver’s direction.

That’s why 3 satellites work together! Each satellite creates a circle representing all possible asset locations. Then, the 3 satellites overlap their 3 circles. Finally, the exact location would be the intersection between all 3 circles.

And how accurate is trilateration? According to many studies, the most accurate satellite GPS trackers capture locations within 3 meters of the actual location.

Adaptation of GPS

Even after the invention of satellite tracking and trilateration, scientists are constantly looking for new ways to use GPS tracking. Some of the biggest challenges of satellite tracking include:

  • Data lag between communicating with satellites in space, and
  • Costliness of satellite solutions.

One of the biggest innovations is shifting from satellite to cell towers. Scientists realized that cell towers are more readily available than satellites. Also, they eliminate data lag and provide real time tracking at a lower cost!

For that reason, many GPS trackers nowadays have a built-in SIM card and use cell towers to provide live tracking.

Big Data & Fleet GPS Tracking

Finally, it’s worth noting that the science of GPS tracking is still adapting. Scientists are constantly finding new and better ways to use GPS tracking.

Perhaps the biggest trend for GPS’s future is leveraging big data. Big data means collecting and owning data to make decisions. In other words, vehicle trackers collect and use much more data than standard fleet tracking.

A great example would be CMMS, a software that automates the maintenance process. CMMS uses GPS big data to diagnose vehicle issues. Then, the software creates work tasks for company maintenance staff – and no human input was needed throughout the process!

Links
Geotab: Geotab Celebrates 1 Million Subscribers
GIS: Trilateration vs Triangulation – How GPS Receivers Work

How to Use Privacy Mode on Fleet Vehicle Tracking

Posted on | by Jimmy Song

What are your thoughts on fleet vehicle tracking? You might get different responses when talking to different people.

For instance, some businesses will tell you that fleet vehicle tracking is a necessary tool. Fleet managers are able to plan their work, measure assets, manage drivers, and reduce downtime.However, some drivers will strongly disagree. For them, fleet vehicle tracking is a spying tool. Some drivers might nicely say that “it invades my privacy” while others bluntly call it “a piece of #@#@”.Is there a medium ground?

Privacy Mode for Fleet Vehicle Tracking

Some fleet vehicle tracking systems like Geotab have a Privacy Mode. Privacy Mode is a tool that disables vehicle tracking functions such as live map monitoring, trip history reports, and driving habit reports during “exception periods”.And what are exceptions? Exception periods are any defined time periods. For example, a business may label anytime between 5pm and 8am as an exception period.

How do I use Privacy Mode on Geotab?

A great resource is Geotab’s User Guide. The guide outlines how to enable Privacy Mode, disable Privacy Mode, edit Privacy Mode and set up exemptions. Here are some highlights on how to enable Privacy Mode:

1) Firstly, from your main menu, go under Rules & Groups and select Rules.

2) Once you are on the Rules page, go to Exception Rules and press Add.

3) Then, set your exception conditions by pressing Conditions.

4) Go to the Notification tab, select More, and then click Assign as Private/Not Private.

5) Finally, save your new rule by pressing Add and then selecting Save.

What does Privacy Mode Look Like?

When vehicles are on Privacy Mode, the Geotab unit will not record any GPS related events. In trip history or driving behavior reports, any trips under Privacy Mode will be marked as “Private Trip”.

Who Should Use Privacy Mode?

Privacy Mode would make sense in a few situations. Here are two examples.

Unions

Some fleets are restricted by unions. For example, the Massachusetts State Police union recently objected against the department’s fleet vehicle tracking project. According to the union, the police department acted in bad faith because they never gave the union a chance to negotiate a GPS tracking policy. In some fleets, the union ends up winning. However, because of Privacy Mode, fleets were able to keep vehicle trackers in their vehicles. As a result, even though fleets couldn’t measure driving productivity or safety, fleets can still monitor things like preventative maintenance.

Personal vehicles

Another good example includes employees that use personal vehicles. In some companies, businesses will ask employees to use their own vehicles for business. However, the company will reimburse drivers for fuel. The next question, then, is how can companies measure fuel reimbursement and compensation? After all, since employees are using their personal vehicles, it would be unreasonable to track employees on their personal hours. Privacy Mode allows businesses to make that compromise. Employees can turn off tracking during their personal hours while businesses can still track work hours.

Links
The Boston Globe: State Police union files complaint about GPS vehicle tracking

Sales 101: How to Sell Farmer GPS Tracking

Posted on | by Jimmy Song

Is it possible to sell farmer GPS tracking? For a long time, I didn’t believe that anyone can sell farmer GPS tracking. Here’s a sales story.

One of my earliest job duties was cold calling companies. Often, I was the first point of contact between customers and GoFleet. I became good at connecting to people from different industries. However, farming was not one of them!

I got rejected time and time again whenever I tried calling farms. I wasn’t quite sure what I was doing wrong. Usually I would hear, “We’re not interested because all of our equipment is close to the farm so we know everyone is”.

For a while, I gave up on calling farms. Then, over the past year, a lot of farms started contacting us to get more info. I realized that farmer GPS tracking was indeed in demand!

So what was I doing wrong? After talking to farmers and understanding their needs, I realized that I wasn’t educating farms on the correct topics.

The secret to selling farmer GPS tracking is to educate farms on the correct topics, including:

Theft

While it’s true that farmers don’t drive their vehicles very far, thieves will!

One of the unfortunate farming challenges is protecting equipment from theft. Recently in the news, a farmer caught another farmer for stealing their equipment. How? The farmer found their equipment on the thief’s farm.

Even though the victim got money from lawsuit claims, it would have been nicer to recover the equipment right after it’s stolen! Farmers lose much more money from losing productivity and replacing vehicles.

In summary, GPS tracking for tractors should not be about tracking worker location. Instead, it should be focused on protecting equipment from theft.

Usage

Farmers are also using GPS to increase productivity. What are traditional versus modern ways to improve crop yield?

The traditional way of planning crop yield is using historical data. Farmers keep and use data on where to plant crops, when to plant crops, and how to take care of each crop.

While historical data provides a good start, it has some shortfalls. Most notably, farming depends on real time conditions. What’s the weather today? How are soil conditions? What crops are selling on the market? All of these questions affect crop yield.

For that reason, farmers now use “precision farming”. Precision farming means that farms use sensors and GPS mapping to take care of their crops. First, farms use sensors to collect real time data on soil, climate, and plant conditions. Then, farmers use GPS mapping to get to precise locations.

As a result, farmers are buying high on precision farming. It’s a great tool to save time and get a higher crop yield!

Maintenance

Another big part of equipment management is tracking maintenance. According to studies, keeping a regular maintenance schedule reduces repair costs by 25%

One of the best ways to realize those 25% savings is to change your oil. Andy Overbay of the Virgina Cooperation Extention explains. He says that diesel fuel creates acidic build up, which damages equipment parts.

In order to avoid costly repairs, Overbay recommends tracking oil changes. Although farmers find it tedious to update oil change schedules, fleet tracking programs simplifies the work by auto-creating work schedules.

Take a look at a case study of farmer GPS tracking here!

Links
CBC: Iain Stables given conditional sentence for stealing $1.2M in farm equipment
Scientific American: Precision Farming Increases Crop Yields
Farms.com: Don’t Overlook Farm Equipment Maintenance.

Tax Benefits & GPS Fleet Tracking | Save on Taxes!

Posted on | by Jimmy Song

One of the most well-known quotes about taxes is “in this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Even in 1783, people realized that taxes are a constant! Interestingly, tax benefits & GPS fleet tracking go hand-in-hand.

What is the relationship between tax benefits & GPS for fleets? They both relate to fleet management. Part of fleet management includes maximizing tax benefits while reducing tax costs.

Three examples of tax benefits & GPS fleet tracking include:

  • S. 179
  • Carbon tax
  • Business tax benefits

Section 179 (US)

Section 179 is a tax opportunity for GPS tracking programs. Here’s a quick tax review.

Normal Asset Tax Treatment

The IRS allows for “deprecation”. In other words, depreciation accounts for an asset’s wear and tear. As a result, businesses are allowed to deduct a percentage of assets as a tax credit.

What is Section 179?

Section 179 provides an opportunity between tax benefits & GPS fleet tracking. With this section, businesses can elect to deduct $2.5 million of equipment purchase in 2018. Hence, fleets can include out-of-the-box programs like fleet tracking tools in this exemption.

How does the math work?

Think about a $100,000 investment and a 30% tax rate. Normally, only a small portion of $100,000 is allowed to be deducted. However, with Section 179, fleets can get a $30,000 tax credit by deducting the full $100,000 at the 30% rate.
GPS Tracking Tax Deduction

Carbon Taxes (Some states & provinces)

Some provinces and states have carbon taxes.

What is carbon tax?

Carbon tax means that the government collects tax money for each metric ton of greenhouse emission. For example, in Alberta, the government is collecting $10/ metric ton of 2018 emissions. That rate is expected to increase to $50/ metric ton by 2022.

How do fleets cause emission?

Within fleet businesses, operating company vehicles is one of the biggest contributors to gas emissions. Some of the common causes include:

  • Poor driving habits. Drivers that drive aggressively or leave their vehicles idling are costing their business! Bad drivers increase total business cost by both wasted fuel and carbon tax.
  • Bad vehicle maintenance. To counter the first bullet point, it’s not always the driver’s fault. Sometimes, bad vehicle maintenance leads to bad vehicle fuel performance. Old and aging vehicles produce more emissions than newer vehicles!
  • Route management. Finally, some fleets travel inefficient routes. Drivers waste time on the road because their routes are longer than needed.

fleets reduce emission

How can fleets reduce emission?

Many fleets have policies and programs to counter gas emissions. For example, some fleets have a zero-idling policy. Zero-idling means that drivers are not allowed to idle at all. Fleet managers can look at watchdog reports to flag rule breakers.

Beyond no-idling, some other ideas include remapping driver routes, regular vehicle maintenance, and driver training.

Business Tax Benefits (Some states & provinces)

S. 179, discussed earlier in this article, talks about equipment purchase. What about tax benefits after the equipment purchase? Two examples of tax benefits earned during fleet operations include business-use expenses and PTO.

Business-Use Expense

When vehicles are used for business, it is classified as a business expense and is tax deductible. One of the biggest challenges, however, is administering the tax.

“When you apply for tax credits, you have to be very careful to submit the right numbers. We used to double check our files for accuracy,” said a fleet administrator. “Nowadays, most fleets have a tracker to record business use miles. We can trust our tracker to get the right numbers.”

Business Vehicle Deduction

PTO

PTO, or power take off, is another tax benefit. Some states and provinces allow businesses to get a rebate when vehicles use PTO. As a result, PTO equipment such as snow plows, cleaners, and construction vehicles track their PTO hours.

Interested in tax benefits & GPS fleet tracking? Ask a GoFleet fleet consultant.

Links
Wood Business: The impact of a federal carbon tax on Canadian businesses
Section 179: Section 179 Deduction

Food Industry 2018 | FSMA & Remote Temperature Monitoring Systems

Posted on | by Jimmy Song

If you are in the transportation industry, the word “ELD” probably sounds very familiar. Last year, thousands of fleets switched over to electronic logs as part of the FMCSA mandate. Similarly this year, the Food and Drug Administration is enforcing a rule for remote temperature monitoring systems.

The FDA has a mandate called FSMA, which partly governs food transport.

In this article, we will explore:

1 – What is FSMA and what are its requirements?

2 – What are the deadlines?

What is FSMA and what are its requirements?

FSMA, or the Food Safety Modernization Act, is a new food safety rule. The rule affects everyone in the food supply chain, including shippers and manufacturers.

Because of FSMA, shippers are liable for food safety during transportation. According to the rules, shippers need to set up: (1) preventative controls, and (2) monitoring controls.

Preventative Controls & FedEx Example

Firstly, shippers need to set up preventative controls. In other words, shippers must ensure that the food stays fresh throughout transportation.

Let’s take a look at FedEx and their Temp-Assure policy. With Temp-Assure, FedEx protects food transport by:

  • Deep freezing shipping containers.
  • Certifying temperature coolers in all carriers.
  • Packaging shipments in temperature cooling units.

Monitoring Controls & Remote Temperature Monitoring Systems

Secondly, shippers need to record shipping temperature. According to FSMA, carriers must provide records when asked.

The most common way to do this is through remote temperature monitoring systems. Remote temperature monitoring systems can range from simple to complex solutions.

For example, basic remote temperature monitoring systems record and store temperature. Advanced systems, on the other hand, alert users when temperatures exceed a certain threshold.

What are the deadlines?

FSMA deadlines can get very confusing because there are different compliance dates. Click here for a full table.

Here are some of the key points from the table:

  • Some businesses, especially “large” businesses, are already under FSMA as of late 2017.
  • “Very small businesses”, or businesses that earn less than $1 million on food sales, need to comply with FSMA by September 17, 2018.
Links
FDA: FSMA Final Rule for Preventive Controls for Human Food
FDA: Key Changes in the FSMA Final Rule on Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food
FedEx: Temp-Assure

ELD Enforcement | ELD for Light Duty Trucks vs. Heavy Duty Trucks

Posted on | by Jimmy Song

It has been a few weeks since the FMCSA started enforcing ELD for light duty trucks and heavy duty trucks. Since April 1, officers issued fines for ELD violations. How are carriers doing so far?

Compliance Rates

According to CarrierLists, ELD compliance is high. As of an April 2nd survey, 91% of carriers have complied with regulations. Beyond national numbers, what are some trends?

Compliance Rates

Image Source: Carrier List

Fleet Size

Fleet size used to be one of the biggest factors in ELD compliance. Not anymore! Whereas earlier in 2017 when half of smaller fleets were not compliant, around 90% of small fleets are now compliant.

Location

A bigger factor in ELD compliance is fleet location. According to the survey, some states reported a 100% compliance rate. In other states, however, compliance rates were as low as 60%. In comparison, the average state compliance rate is 90%.

Fleet Type

Finally, fleet type impacts compliance. Fleets that have dry vans and reefer trucks lead compliance rates. Meanwhile, flatbed, tank, and bulk fleets have lower compliance rates.

Summary

ELD compliance, for the most part, has been smooth. Even drivers are warming up to ELDs. In 2017, some drivers and organizations held protests and even complained to the Supreme Court. In 2018, however, many drivers have adopted ELDs without disturbing their daily lives.

One of the remaining challenges for getting ELD compliance to 100% is educating the industry. For instance, one of the biggest questions is if businesses need to install an ELD for light duty trucks.

Are there any ELD exemptions for light duty trucks?

When are light duty trucks exempt from ELDs? This should really be a 2-part question.

ELD exemptions for light duty trucks

Firstly, we have to determine if the light duty vehicle classifies as a commercial motor vehicle (CMV).

A light duty vehicle is considered a CMV if:

  • Weight: The vehicle and the combined weight of all attachments exceeds 10,000 pounds.
  • Passengers: The vehicle carries more than 9 paying passengers or more than 16 non-paying passengers.
  • Liability: The vehicle transports anything hazardous.

If a vehicle meets any of the criteria, it is classified as a CMV. CMVs are required to record hours of service.

Secondly, we need to determine if the CMV is required to use ELDs. Generally, light duty CMVs are required to use an ELD for light duty trucks. However, there are a few exceptions including:

  • Drivers that keep HOS records for less than 8 days in any 30-day period.
  • Vehicles that are older than 2000.
  • Operations that falls under the “short haul exemption”. Short haul exemption means that: (1) CDL drivers operate within 100 miles or non-CDL drivers operate within 150 miles; (2) vehicles start and stop at the same location; and (3) drivers drive for less than 11 hours, while taking at least 10 hours of break before their next shift.

Are there any differences between ELDs for light duty trucks and ELDs for heavy duty vehicles?

For the most part, ELDs for light duty vehicles are the same with ELDs for heavy duty vehicles. The biggest difference, however, would be installation.

Most light duty vehicles have an OBDii connector port. ELD devices can then directly connect into the OBDii port.

On the other hand, heavy duty vehicles usually do not have an OBDii port. In that case, installers can use adaptors such as 9-pin cables.

ELDs for heavy duty vehicles

Disclaimer: Although “ELD for Light Duty Trucks vs Heavy Duty Vehicles” contains research notes from the FMCSA, the article is not a substitute for professional legal advice.

Links
CarrierLists: ELD Adoption Survey Results
FMCSA: Hours of Service

Wireless Car Tracker Devices in Popular Media

Posted on | by Jimmy Song

Wireless car tracker devices are multimedia! They are showing up in various media including TV shows, movies, and video games.

In this blog, we discuss two questions:

#1 – Why are wireless car tracker devices showing up in popular media?

#2 – What are some examples of tracking devices in popular media?

Why are wireless car tracker devices showing up in popular media?

One of the reasons is called product placement, which is a neat marketing trick! Product placement means that characters on a TV show, movie, or game use a product. It’s a clever marketing tactic to subtly teach consumers about a product.

In other words, rather than annoying people with commercials about wireless car tracker devices, marketers make people say, “Ah-ha! I remember those devices from that show!”

What are some examples of tracking devices in popular media?



“Breaking Bad”

Media: TV show

“Breaking Bad” is one of the highest rated TV shows in recent history. It features anti-hero Walter White.

Walter is a chemistry teacher who is suffering from a terminal illness. Walter only has 1 item on his bucket list, which is finding a way to provide for his family after he dies. He settles on cooking drugs, and with his chemistry skills, develops a popular drug.

During the episodes, Walter dives into the illegal drug trade. Throughout Walter’s journey, several people use GPS trackers. For example, a drug producer uses devices to track and manage his distributor network. In another example, a cop plants a tracker in a car and monitors a suspect.

“Batman”

Media: Comic books, movies, TV shows, and video games

“Batman” is one of the best known superheroes. He protects Gotham City from criminals with his vigilante brand of justice.

Batman is so popular that DC Comics published several series. Each series takes place in its own “multiverse”, which means each Batman has his own story.

However, across all of the multiverses, Batman uses similar gadgets. One of these gadgets is Batman’s tracking device. Batman uses either wireless car tracker devices or phone trackers to hunt down fleeing criminals.

“Pokemon GO”

Media: Video games

Pokemon is a popular kids show. The show features trainers who travel around the world and capture creatures called Pokemon. The trainers then bond with their Pokemon, and train them. After training their Pokemon, trainers compete with other trainers to see whose Pokemon is stronger.

Pokemon, just like Batman, is in many forms of media including video games. One recent video game is Pokemon GO. Pokemon GO is a mobile game that takes place in our everyday world. Users can download the game app and hunt for Pokemon that appear in real-life locations. Users would then capture the Pokemon by going to marked locations.




One of Pokemon GO’s features is a GPS tracker for other users. After reaching a certain user level, users can locate other users’ phones. Gamers can then meet up and work together (or battle to see who has the stronger Pokemon!).

Links
The Balance: The Delicate Art of Product Placement Advertising

Driver Safety Course: Common Driving Mistakes

Posted on | by Jimmy Song

What are some common driving mistakes? New or veteran drivers are all guilty of a few mistakes. However, as bad as some people think of their driving skills, most drivers have never had the misfortune of appearing on the “Canada’s Worst Driver” driver safety course.

Canada’s Worst Driver is a TV show based off the British show. Bad drivers are nominated by their family and friends to be rehabilitated on the “Canada’s Worst Driver’s” driver safety course.

To be fair, there are some truly challenging obstacles on that training course. Here is a clip from the show:

We’ll take a look at some of the most common driving mistakes, not just from Canada’s Worst Drivers, but from everyday drivers.

most common driving mistakes

1) Not following the speed limit.

Driving too fast (or too slow!) is a big one. In fact, speeding is heavily linked to causing accidents.

Here’s the most interesting stat. Almost everyone knows speeding is bad but they do it anyway! A few years ago, in an Alberta survey, 82% of people believed that speeding is bad but 52% of people still admit to speeding.

In other words, speeding is completely blamable on human error! Besides keeping an eye on their speed, some drivers use speed sensors to remind them to slow down.

2) Abrupt starts/stops

Harsh braking and acceleration is another common mistake. Not only can they cause accidents, but harsh driving is a fuel killer.

Going back to Canada’s Worst Drivers, the Water Bucket Challenge tests drivers on harsh driving and is an audience favourite. A large water bucket is mounted on top of the driver’s roofless car. Whenever the driver accelerates or brakes harshly, the water spills on everyone in the car.

Similarly to the water bucket challenge, instructors often tell new drivers to imagine a water glass in their car. The goal is to drive smoothly and prevent the glass from spilling.

3) Improper lane changes

Improper lane changes are next on our list. Lane changes are one of the most common ways for drivers to get in an accident. Many accidents happen because drivers forget to check their blind spot and crash into a neighbouring car.

How can drivers avoid this mistake? The biggest tip is to remember your driver safety course! A lot of instructors teach the acronym MSB, or at least some variation. MSB stands for Mirror, Signal, Blind spot check. Drivers should check of the 3 spots during every single lane change.

Another tip is to install blind spot sensors. Some drivers equip their cars with sensors that warn them of any unsafe lane changes.

4) Distracted driving

Distracted driving deserves its own spot on this list. Everyone knows that distracted driving is bad. Yet, drivers still do it all the time. Just the other day, I saw a driver texting because the traffic was moving slowly!

Speaking of texting and driving, that is one of the biggest forms of distracted driving. However, it is certainly not the only form of distracted driving!

Some other common distractions include talking to passengers, staring at the GPS navigator, or even pressing skip on an annoying music track.

5) Not paying attention in parking lots

Other than being careful on the road, drivers need to pay attention in parking lots. Parking lots have large accident rates because it is a busy environment with lots of distractions.

Here are some statistics. In parking lots, 63% of drivers plan their trip on their navigators, 60% of drivers talk on the phone, and 53% of drivers groom themselves. There are a lot of distractions!

pay attention in parking lots

Needless to mention, drivers need to pay more attention in parking lots. Drivers need to put away all distractions after starting the vehicle.

6) Overconfidence

Finally, overconfidence is a common driving mistake. A lot of drivers, even veteran drivers, put themselves at risk.

According to studies, 8 out 10 people believe that they are above average drivers. However, 90% of accidents are caused by human errors. Based on those numbers, above average drivers still make errors! As a result, veteran drivers should remember that they too can get in accidents from carelessness.

Links
EHS Today: Black Friday Alert: Driving Through a Parking Lot Is Still Driving!
Business Insider: Americans are dangerously overconfident in their driving skills —but they’re about to get a harsh reality check
CBC: Speeding is bad but we do it anyway, Alberta drivers tell AMA

How to Develop and Write a Fleet Management Business Plan

Posted on | by Jimmy Song

A fleet management business plan is the blueprint for a fleet’s success – literally! Similarly to a blueprint, a business plan designs the fleet’s future success by looking at current conditions, discussing projects, and predicting future success outcomes.

In this post, we will answer:

1 – Why should fleets develop a fleet management business plan?

2 – What makes a good fleet management business plan?

1 – Why should fleets develop a fleet management business plan?

Humans need plans to stay on target. A great example is my writing style.

In elementary school, I was an average to a below-average writer. I had a good foundation because I read a lot and liked writing. However, I wrote without planning and often had disorganized content.

What changed my writing style? One of my high school English teachers inspired me to start using writing outlines. Then, I transformed from an average writer to an above average writer. Because I started creating outlines, I planned content before writing and focused on wordsmithing while writing! As a result, my work became well-organized.

Similarly, fleet management plans help fleets identify priorities and plan projects. It then allows the fleet to create key performance indicators to monitor yearly goals.

2 – What makes a good fleet management business plan?

A “good” plan doesn’t have an exact formula. However, it should discuss a fleet’s current situation, plan projects to improve its situation, and explain expected results.

I want to thank the team at the City of Edmonton who produced an excellent business plan and allowed us to reshare their plan. We will illustrate a good business plan by going through standard business plan elements, with examples from the City of Edmonton’s plan.

Introduction

The business plan should explain the plan’s purpose and help readers identify the fleet’s overarching objectives.

Edmonton

The City of Edmonton has a great introduction. Steve Rapanos, the Branch Manager, describes that their Fleet team oversees purchase, maintenance, and safety, while aligning with the city’s The Way Ahead initiative. The introduction is short yet informative, and even better, has a personal message from the Director!

Situational Analysis

Next, the business plan should provide an overview of the fleet’s current situation. There are a few ways to do this. For example, some plans include a SWOT analysis. A SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, and is an excellent way to paint a picture of the current situation.

Edmonton

overview of the fleet’s current situation

Edmonton’s business plan discussed its situation by identifying and assessing its risks. This is a great framework because the plan pinpoints the most critical business areas. For instance, Occupational Health and Safety is marked as a likely and serious risk. As a result, Edmonton prioritized safety projects in its plan.

Objective Setting & Projects

Here is the meaty part of the business plan! After determining priorities, it’s now time to set up objectives. Fleet plans should outline measurable objectives and outline ideas or projects that support meeting these targets.

Edmonton

plan preventative maintenance

Edmonton’s business plan effectively linked needs with projects. For instance, since Edmonton’s situation analysis concluded that safety is a high priority risk, a lot of the planned projects are focused on safety and maintenance.

Measuring Success

Finally, the business plan should indicate how to measure success. One of the most effective ways to do this is to set up financial measures or key performance indicators.

Edmonton

measure success

Metrics support the Edmonton’s plans. For example, in order to measure safety success, 85% or more of City drivers should have zero demerit points. This metric is effective because it directly links with the City’s safety goals and projects.

Links:
Faster: Sample Business Plan for Fleet XYZ
City of Edmonton: 2016-2018 Business Plan

Managing Driving Fatigue Around Daylight Savings Time

Posted on | by Jimmy Song

Recently, the clocks sprang forward for Daylight Savings Time. Although people enjoy more sunlight in the evening, fleet safety managers are concerned about managing driver fatigue. According to studies, people are 17% more likely to get in an accident on the Monday after the time change.

Of course, that doesn’t Daylight Savings Time is an awful idea! Let’s explore the history of daylight savings time and discuss managing driver fatigue.

History of Daylight Savings Time

Who thought of Daylight Savings Time? Daylight Savings Time has hundreds of years of history.

Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin was one of the thought leaders for Daylight Savings Time – he strongly believed that people should rely on sunlight rather than candles. Franklin then published an essay where he summarized that the economy could save millions of dollars with sunlight.

William Willett

While Franklin thought about maximizing sunlight, Willett was the one who suggested an actual time change. One day, Willett realized that people can get more sunlight by advancing clocks by an hour between spring and fall.Year after year, the British parliament mulled over Willett’s idea.

Wartime & Afterwards

Daylights Savings did not take place until the First World War, where countries needed to save energy. It was actually Germany who first used Daylight Savings. England and the Allies soon followed suit.

After the war, some cities continued using Daylight Savings Time. Eventually, governments realized that it made more sense for everyone to have Daylight Savings Time and passed a law to do so. Today, about 40% of places use Daylight Savings Time!

Daylight Savings & Road Safety

Road safety was perhaps something Franklin and Willett didn’t consider. Cars, after all, were not popularized until the 1900s!

Daylight Savings Time affects road safety because:

Driver fatigue. Losing an hour is bad news for sleep lovers! In addition to the lost hour, most people find it hard to force themselves to sleep earlier. Of course, by losing sleep, people have reduced physical and mental ability in the morning.

Visibility. While Daylight Savings mean longer evenings, it also means darker morning drives. Early March is always a tease; before Daylight Savings Time, people get a preview of bright mornings but are then treated to a dark morning after Daylight Savings Time kicks in!

Managing Driver Fatigue

Drivers and fleets both have a role in managing driver fatigue.

Drivers

People can reduce fatigue by managing their sleeping schedules. Some of the top tips include:

7 Day Adjustment

The National Sleep Foundation recommends using an entire week to prepare for Daylight Savings. Each day, people should sleep 10 minutes earlier than the day before. As a result, an entire hour is made up by the week’s end.

Bedtime Ritual

Another tip is to work on a bedtime ritual. Some rituals such as avoiding electronics or food before sleep should be universal. Other rituals depend on the person. For example, I sometimes play light instrumental music to help me fall asleep.

Fleets

Driver supervisors are also taking charge of managing driver fatigue.

Case Study: Driver Fatigue Detection

Some fleets use driver fatigue detection sensors. Fatigue detection sensors scan a driver’s facial structure to measure their fatigue. During the Daylight Savings Time switch, some managers took a positive spin by using fatigue sensors to identify and reward alert drivers!

Click here to learn more about the Dangers of Driver Fatigue!

Links
History: 8 Things You May Not Know About Daylight Saving Time
Telegram: Deadly car crashes spike after changing clocks for Daylight Saving Time