Author: Victoria Gole

Why You Need GPS Tracking Systems

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GPS Tracking Systems & Why You Need Them

A GPS or global positional system is a series of space-based satellites that are placed into orbit to act as a navigation system, and emit signals to the earth regarding the location of any vehicle, person, or pet. GPS tracking systems are widely used by civil, military, and commercial users all over the world. There are various purposes, benefits, and reasons why you need these tracking systems.

Why you need GPS Tracking Systems:

  • GPS systems are required for the safety of your trucks or fleets, especially the ones that contain goods of high value. These systems prevent theft and can even track your vehicle in case of theft, as the time, location, speed, and many other aspects of your commercial vehicles can be easily known in real time.
  • There are various types of GPS tracking systems in the market that serve different purposes. If you are a car owner who wishes to explore the unknown territories or who is new to any route, these GPS devices are quite handy to navigate any route anywhere on the globe.
  • At times, there may be unexpected breakdowns or accidents in a remote place. These GPS tracking systems are the saviors of life and vehicles under such circumstances, as they can send signals to the nearest service centers, or detect collision impact automatically and send automated signals.
  • It becomes essential for business owners to dispatch their goods on time to the customers and keep them updated on the current status of the commercial motor vehicles. This becomes possible with the use of GPS tracking systems. This in turn increases the reliability of their service and creates a brand value for the business in the market.

There are hundreds of other reasons why you can use GPS Tracking Systems personally as well as in business.

Parents may use it in their teenaged son’s/daughter’s car to safeguard or monitor the kids on their speed limits.

As an individual owner, you may install it in your van or car or any other vehicle to prevent theft.

There are hundreds of GPS tracking systems that vary in cost and offer a wide range of features. You must determine the purpose of use and get the best one that suits your requirements and budget. Since most of these devices are available at pocket friendly rates, you need not worry about breaking the bank while buying them.

GPS Tracking Systems & Why You Need Them

A GPS or global positional system is a series of space-based satellites that are placed into orbit to act as a navigation system, and emit signals to the earth regarding the location of any vehicle, person, or pet. GPS tracking systems are widely used by civil, military, and commercial users all over the world. There are various purposes, benefits, and reasons why you need these tracking systems.

Why you need GPS Tracking Systems:

  • GPS systems are required for the safety of your trucks or fleets, especially the ones that contain goods of high value. These systems prevent theft and can even track your vehicle in case of theft, as the time, location, speed, and many other aspects of your commercial vehicles can be easily known in real time.
  • There are various types of GPS tracking systems in the market that serve different purposes. If you are a car owner who wishes to explore the unknown territories or who is new to any route, these GPS devices are quite handy to navigate any route anywhere on the globe.
  • At times, there may be unexpected breakdowns or accidents in a remote place. These GPS tracking systems are the saviors of life and vehicles under such circumstances, as they can send signals to the nearest service centers, or detect collision impact automatically and send automated signals.
  • It becomes essential for business owners to dispatch their goods on time to the customers and keep them updated on the current status of the commercial motor vehicles. This becomes possible with the use of GPS tracking systems. This in turn increases the reliability of their service and creates a brand value for the business in the market.

There are hundreds of other reasons why you can use GPS Tracking Systems personally as well as in business.

Parents may use it in their teenaged son’s/daughter’s car to safeguard or monitor the kids on their speed limits.

As an individual owner, you may install it in your van or car or any other vehicle to prevent theft.

There are hundreds of GPS tracking systems that vary in cost and offer a wide range of features. You must determine the purpose of use and get the best one that suits your requirements and budget. Since most of these devices are available at pocket friendly rates, you need not worry about breaking the bank while buying them.

Benefits of Using a Man Down System

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Man Down System Benefits

Emergencies often occur all of a sudden. If you own a business, you surely need to ensure protection and safety of your employees. This becomes more important if your employees have to stay outdoors for longs hours. In such cases, man down systems can come to your rescue. These are modern day alarm systems that have gone a long way to shorten the time between trouble recurrence and rescue.

man down system
Thanks to their capability to detect the exact location of the individual, where he or she has encountered some problem, such devices can transmit the necessary information to the security centre from where help could be rendered in real time.

Man down systems use the best of hi-tech technology to relay such information. Thanks to them, faster communication is achieved and the location of the person in distress is determined with precision.

There are several benefits of using man down systems;

  • Firstly, they are handy devices with a panic alarm button, which requires the user to simply press it when they sense or face some kind of trouble.
  • Secondly, these devices give lone workers peace of mind by offering them maximum security. With the use of modern technology like ultrasound waves, infrared radiations and global positioning system, transmission of SOS calls and their reception becomes a fast process, which in turn ensures optimum security during times of duress.
  • The third best thing about man down systems is their automatic response. In an emergency situation, a worker may not be able to press the panic button in case he/she has become unconscious. This is when a typical man down system would use its sensors to activate its signal transmission automatically within 25 seconds. If a worker is still for some time and has an angular orientation of more than 45 degrees with the ground, the alarm is capable of sending signals on its own. For instance, if a worker is attacked or inhales poisonous fumes, and falls to the ground after becoming unconscious, after a brief beep, an alarm would be activated. The brief beep period acts as a warning to the wearer that an alarm will be activated soon. This way, activities that can trigger false alarms like when one is tying his shoe laces can be avoided.

Apart from being extremely reliable and capable security devices, the man down systems are also cost effective as you can install them at a fraction of what it would cost you to use other tracking measures like CCTVs etc. So, start using them today to offer your employees a secure way of working, which in turn would get reflected in higher levels of productivity.

Cellular or satellite based communication hardware is required to alert emergency contacts when working alone in remote areas. Typical 900Mhz and other radio communication protocols do not provide sufficient signal range to radio alerts in these man-down applications. For these applications an integrated system between a man-down system and a capable fleet tracking system offers the best economical solution. The cellular/satellite radio capability of the fleet tracking system offers a means of communication for a man down system to communicate an alert on emergencies. The fleet tracking system also offers the additional capability of knowing where to dispatch emergency response.

Working with Oil & Gas, Mining and Forestry industries, Go Fleet offers an affordable and powerful integrated Man Down and GPS Tracking solution. To demo or learn more about the solution visit Fleet Tracking System.

guide to increasing driver productivity

Increase Driver Productivity with GPS Tracking

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GPS Tracking will increase Driver Productivity

For those who run a business that relies on travel to customers to propagate your services, vehicle GPS systems are the productivity tool that now makes announcing services calls, required stops and everything else that can be transmitted to your fleet vehicles. Now more than ever, new and existing business are counting on the tracking technology of GPS systems, wired on-board their vehicles, to push for quicker services. Aside from speed, the below outline some other tactical reasons businesses should push for GPS systems in their fleets.

Automate Maintenance

Maintenance can slow down business, especially if you let your simplistic oil changes and tire rotations get out of hand. With a GPS unit, you will automatically be prompted when scheduled maintenance is due; from there, you can seamlessly fit your down time into a schedule, reset the GPS for a specific mileage reminder, and continue on with business.

Saves Repetitive Office Trips

Instead of wasting gasoline on driving back and forth to the office to get assignments, GPS units will receive data sent from a computer’s data entry system (order or call system) and immediately display where the worker is to go next. This cuts down on overspending of gas, paying for employee downtime, and increases productivity for the business involved.

Increase Responses

Some situations require immediate customer attention – such as a broke down heater in winter months, needing towed out of a ditch, or even data loss at a business. With advanced GPS tracking, you can route a service technician immediately to needed areas, allowing the problem to get solved. This increase in response time will not only build good customer rapport, but generate leads via word of mouth.

Insurance Premiums Lowered

Businesses will do anything to save a few bucks; since fleet insurance is already outrageous, you can lower the premiums by having this GPS unit, which can also act as a theft deterrent, emergency services location device, lowering your deductibles and overall yearly insurance rates. Businesses are huge fans of these devices for this reason, although as secondary perk.

With these benefits and so many more, businesses of any size cannot afford to do without a GPS unit in their fleet vehicles. Too many things can go wrong while you’re dispatching workers to various locations; don’t take any chances and begin to reap the benefits of GPS locator units placed in each of your fleet vehicles today.

New York Emphasizes School Bus Fleet Safety

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School Bus Fleet Safety Programs Keep Kids Safe

In school bus crash data collected by New York State’s Education Department, information surfaces that the greatest danger to students and bus drivers on the roadway is other drivers: whether it’s people rear-ending stopped busses, or sideswiping busses while cutting corners on narrow subdivision roadways.

The data also shows that the instances of students being seriously injured in a bus crash are quite rare. It also shows that school buses are generally the safest way to travel to and from school.

This can be attributed to proper fleet safety programs taught both in school and during training, along with a myriad of other factors.

New York State employs a bus inspection program as part of their overall fleet safety policy, under which each school bus is subject to a review more rigorous than the mandated vehicle inspection for passenger cars. Last year, according to the state Department of Transportation, more than 130,000 buses were inspected and 5.8% of the buses inspected were temporarily pulled off the road for repairs.

Keep in mind, the criteria for these inspections can be so strict, that everything on a bus is, or can be, an out-of-service ticket item.

Employing proper fleet safety can help keep your assets and everyone on the road safe. Reduce insurance costs and find out how GoFleet’s Fleet Safety Program can help your business prosper by calling 1.888.998.1122 or  by emailing our sales team here.

Read more about School Bus Tracking Systems.

Cut Costs With Fleet Maintenance Software

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Our Fleet Maintenance Software Will Cut Down Your Costs

Our easy to use fleet maintenance software/fleet management solutions are designed to help you cut costs associated with maintaining vehicles by streamlining your workflow. It will help you quickly and easily identify over—and underutilized vehicles, eliminate unnecessary inventory, track your assets, schedule preventive upkeep, predict potential hazards, and really help manage your facility in the most efficient way possible.

In the very pit of fleet maintenance software, there must be a robust reporting mechanism. This supports users in identifying usage and repair trends to minimize unnecessary costs.

Fleet maintenance software helps you extend the life of your equipment, reduce downtime, and get the most out of your assets.

Here’s some common functions of a fleet maintenance software system:

Maintenance Management

Manage preventative task schedules, work orders, and vehicle repair histories—based on timelines or custom triggers. Some systems also include predictive maintenance, which raises flags based on physical parameters like noise, vibration, temperature or emissions.

Inventory and Equipment Control

Helps efficiently manage tools, consumables, and remanufacturable parts—allowing you to monitor current inventory, orders, returns, transfers, part changes, hazard and disposal fees, etc.

Vehicle and Asset Management

Track the vehicles in your fleet. Vehicle maintenance software is a valuable feature of these systems. This starts at purchasing and runs all the way through resale or disposal, including along the way: regulatory compliance, fuel consumption, tire usage, warranties, lifecycle cost, driver history, and more.

Accident and Claim Management

Proper upkeep mitigates risk, but accidents still do happen. A good commercial fleet maintenance software and management systems help you manage claims and monitor incidents and driving habits to reduce risk on the road.

GPS Tracking

GPS software improves efficiency through mapping, driver locating, reporting on driving paths and activity, turn-by-turn directions, and more.

 

What Type of Buyer Are You?

The vast majority of fleet maintenance and management software purchasers fall into one of these categories:

  • Vehicle rental organizations. These are companies that specialize in loaning vehicles out to other companies. These businesses desire a system that supports detailed preventative tasks and work orders, flexible inventory control, a good user interface and strong integration with billing and customer relationship processes.
  • Service based industries. Companies that use their fleet for field services may want their fleet maintenance software integrated with a dispatching system to ensure maximum efficiency in scheduling routes. Depending on the size of the organization, you may also want to pay close attention to CRM systems, as well as billing and accounting.
  • Distribution and delivery companies. As with service companies, distribution and delivery businesses will want excellent dispatch capabilities to ensure maximum efficiency in scheduling routes. These businesses desire their fleet maintenance software to integrate with their distribution and warehousing software with ease to help keep track of all the products going in and out.
  • Transportation Industry. Buyers who transport people need to keep excellent records—tying customers to the vehicle and going that next step to make sure the vehicle and driver are safe. This requires a top-notch tool along with fleet maintenance and often customer relationship management.
  • Heavy Machinery Users. Buyers in the ag industry or construction businesses often have large vehicles that double as heavy machinery. This requires software that’s specialized to that particular industry’s tools. Or else easily customizable to fit those needs.

 

This comprehensive guide to fleet maintenance software is geared towards those desiring fleet management solutions for their business. To answer further questions about whether our fleet maintenance software is right for your business, please call GoFleet at 1.888.998.1122 or by emailing our sales team here.

Township Installs Fuel Management System

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New Jersey Township Installs a Fuel Management System to Control Costs

The Cranford Township in NJ has installed a computerized fuel management system recently for the fuel pumps that service all Township and Board of Education vehicles.

Prior to this computerized fuel management system, Cranford had the fuel stations padlocked and employees were given keys for the lock. After fueling up, employees were supposed to enter the amount of fuel used on a clipboard.

With the new fuel management system, each Township employee who has access to the fuel is given a key fob and a pin number. This way, each vehicle is tracked as well as each employee using the fuel.

This will help cut down on the Township’s cost and manage accountability with one of the biggest expenditures associated with fleet management. To explore the ways that a fuel management system can help you manage your fleet, please call GoFleet at 1.888.998.1122 or by emailing our sales team here.

Federal mandate for Electronic Log Devices In Effect Soon

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Don’t be caught off guard– Federal mandate for Electronic Log Devices takes affect this winter.

Don’t think for a minute that the federal government has forgotten about the electronic logs we’ve been hearing so much about this year. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration still expects to publish a proposed electronic log device mandate in November.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has taken another step on an electronic log device (aka electronic onboard recorders or EOBR systems) mandate and has made a separate proposal to protect drivers from pressure to work in violation of safety regulations.

The White House Office of Management and Budget received the FMCSA’s Electronic Log Device Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on August 7. The agency forecasts the OMB will clear the notice by November 6th, 2013, allowing the FMCSA to publish the proposal November 18th and accept public comment until January 20th, 2014.

The 2012 highway reauthorization act includes the Electronic Log Device mandate and directed the agency to address coercion. The FMCSA began referring to the devices as Electronic Log Devices because of the language used in the law and dropped the traditional, but more generic term of electronic onboard recorders (EOBR Systems).

The agency began its journey with Electronic Log Devices beginning in 1994, but the statutory requirement regarding coercion took effect last October. That new law stipulates regulations must exit to prevent carriers, shippers, receivers, and transportation intermediaries from coercing drivers to work in violation of any safety regulation.

If you want to be compliant immediately with these new mandates, please give GoFleet a call with any questions about the new Electronic Log mandate at 1.888.998.1122 or by emailing our sales team here.

Venice Installs Small Real Time GPS Tracking Device on Gondolas

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Local Venetian Government Installs Small Real Time GPS Tracking Devices

Venice’s famous gondolas—the very essence of old Europe – will now be fitted with small real time GPS tracking devices to prevent the kind of accident that killed a German tourist two months ago, and also to alleviate the heavy traffic that clogs the city’s waterways.

Local papers reported that Venice’s municipal officials became concerned about maritime safety after a German professor died when the gondola he rode collided with a ‘vaporetto’ waterbus, a much larger vehicle that is operated by Azienda del Consorzio Trasporti Veneziano, the city’s public transportation system.

To address safety concerns, effective beginning November 4th, each gondola will not only include a small real time GPS tracking device (to monitor its movements and speed), but will also be outfitted with an external numbered plate and reflectors to make the boats more visible after dark. This comes after the city has installed 40 CCTV cameras along the Grand Canal to observe and identify any gondolier who violate the rules of the water.

Under these new policies, about 5,000 vessels—including water taxis, will be mandated to have small real time GPS tracking devices installed.

In addition to these policies, given that the gondolier involved in the earlier fatality, Stefano Pizzaggia, was found to have cocaine and cannabis in his system, other gondoliers may face regular blood and urine tests.

The president of the gondoliers’ association, Aldo Reato, has refused to comment on the new policies, saying he will reserve judgment on the new rules until after their implementation.

If you’d like to learn more about how small real time GPS tracking devices can protect your fleet and your business from liability issues, please call the GoFleet team at 1.888.998.1122 or email our sales team here.

GoFleet’s Overview: Fleet Management Solutions

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A Comprehensive Overview of Fleet Management Solutions

If you are managing a fleet in the food and beverage distribution industry, you are aware of the need for oversight of employees, vehicles, and other assets. It has become necessary that businesses in the field recognize this as an important daily basis. Fleet and asset tracking are becoming more common in these fleet based businesses as executives and fleet management look to ensure the efficient and effective use of their fleets, assets, and employees.

Global positioning systems—GPS fleet tracking can create a comprehensive fleet management solution that blends well into the day to day business needs for a food and beverage logistics business. This solution has many more capabilities than a simple track-and-trace option—allowing fleet managers to do more than locate vehicles or assets on a map. A comprehensive GPS fleet management solution should be an essential business tool for any food and beverage company with a fleet, no matter how small. With just the most basic usage, this system allow for increased fuel efficiency and employee productivity, showing a reduction in overall operating expenses.

Vehicle Tracking to Save on Fuel

A recent study conducted by the EPA found that trucks left idling for long periods of time waste approximately 960 million gallons of diesel fuel each year. That fuel comes from your bottom line. Real-time data collection gives you, the fleet manager/owner the power to monitor variable costs associated with fleets. A large number of companies now track their fleets to report on idling times, fuel consumption, driving speeds, vehicle location and verification of employee hours.

Maintenance monitoring allows fleet managers to automate maintenance schedules for vehicles and alerts headquarters when preventive maintenance, such as an oil change, needs to be conducted. Automating maintenance procedures can save money and keep vehicles on the road.

 

Hard Data to Cut Back on Costs

A look into operations is all that is needed to make it clear of what’s working and what’s not. GPS fleet management solutions provide a variety of reports and information on a number of driving factors, including how many times a truck starts and stops, how long it idles, and if any dangerous driving behavior occurs. These reports are not used to scold drivers, but to simply identify driving habits that can be altered to save money for the company. This fleet management solution provides a wealth of information and valuable insight at a moment’s notice. Perhaps, most importantly, the collected data can be presented in a graphically rich dashboard and is actionable, which means that the data can be used to improve processes. Dashboards also give fleet management the ability to set user-defined goals that allow for benchmarking operations.

Interesting Uses For Real Time GPS Tracking

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Track Luggage With Real Time GPS Tracking

There are many uses for real time GPS tracking other than fleet management, and some of these are quite enthralling. For instance, the recent GPS technology has hit the traveler markets. For a nominal purchase price, you can get a GPS device that is designed to be discreetly and easily placed in any size and shape of luggage to give you peace of mind as you travel to your destination.

Real time GPS luggage tracking enables you to see where your luggage is, whether it accompanies you as planned or includes an unexpected detour or delay.

Luggage laden travelers no longer need worry about how to reunite with their belongings—the device can ensure that this process is as efficient as possible.

This device is a real time GPS tracker that can be tracked almost anywhere in the world and can be operated from a range of devices including smartphones and tablets.

Real time GPS tracking devices have a variety of uses. From fleet management to commercial GPS tracking solutions, their applications range far and wide for fleet-oriented businesses. GoFleet’s real time GPS tracking solutions can help you manage your fleet as efficiently as the above real time GPS tracking can help a traveler locate their lost bags.

Manage your fleet through your cell phone, and employ a commercial GPS system unlike any other with better reliability, more support post-install, and much more with GoFleet and their innovative real time GPS tracking.

Save time and money today by employing GoFleet’s real time GPS tracking solutions in your fleet management regimen by contacting us at 1.888.998.1122 or emailing our sales team here.