Category: Blog

Three Reasons to Launch a Driver Safety Program for Speeders

Posted on | by Victoria Gole

Employers have a very important role — and responsibility — to help reduce the number of injuries and deaths related to vehicle collisions. Putting a stop to speeding requires action. Employers can positively influence driver safety both on and off the job through safety-focused leadership.

Speeding is not a more efficient way to get from point A to point B, in fact, it has been mathematically proven. For example, on a trip in the city, any time saved can be easily added back if you run into traffic or get a string of red lights. Therefore, allowing your drivers to speed is a false economy — any time saved is marginal as compared to the indirect accident costs and increased risks. Additionally, speeding is illegal and the related fines are highly expensive for companies. For everyone’s safety, there is no need to speed. Getting to your destination safely, without breaking the law or being involved in a crash is the best goal.

Companies need to take a stand on whether or not speeding is worth the increased risk of crash and the related potential for legal cost and bodily injury. Launching a company safe driving campaign for employees is highly recommended by the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS) and others.

 

The Opportunity for Employers: Reduce Speed and Save

 

Employers can significantly save (on fuel, other related costs, and most importantly save lives) by introducing an initiative to reduce speeding in their company. A speed reduction campaign can support a company’s overall fleet safety program and enhances driver protection and productivity. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Labor reports that a safe driving program can “protect your organization’s human and financial resources” and ward off “potential company and personal liabilities.”

With many companies, fleet costs take up a large portion of the total operating budget. A safe driving campaign presents a new avenue for cost savings, and is a win-win for everyone.

 

 

Three Reasons to Launch a Driver Safety Program for Speeders

 

Reason 1: Fuel and Emission Savings

These fast fuel facts below make a convincing argument for a no speeding campaign:

  • Gas mileage decreases rapidly at speeds above 50 mph (U.S. Department of Energy).
  • For every 5 mph you drive over 50 mph, you are paying an extra $0.16 – $0.32 per gallon for gas (U.S. Department of Energy).
  • Driving the speed limit and maintaining a steady speed while driving can reduce CO2 emissions by more than a ton per year (Carbonfund.org).

 

Reason 2: Cost Savings Opportunities (per 100 vehicles)

Reducing speed can add up to significant cost savings for employers — money which could be redirected to more important areas.

  • Using 118 gallons of fuel per year at an additional cost of $.70 per gallon = $100 extra per vehicle per year, plus wear/tear and risk. $100 over 500 vehicles = $50,000 annual savings opportunity!
  • Total fleet average collision repair cost is $2,300 = $230,000 annual savings opportunity, just for physical damage (BusinessFleet.com/NETS).
  • If we use half ($8,250) of the industry average ($16,500) which includes liability, workers comp, etc., = $825,000 annual savings opportunity (NHTSA).

 

Reason 3: Reducing the Cost of Crashes

  • In the U.S., traffic crashes cost employers $47.4 billion in direct crash-related expenses including medical care, liability, productivity losses, and property damage (NETS).
  • Speeding alone resulted in $8.4 billion in crash-related expenses for employers. Distracted driving resulted in $8.2 billion (NHTSA).
  • Speeding is a top contributing factor to traffic crashes. In 2013, speeding was linked to 29% of all fatal crashes, and 9,613 lives were lost in speeding-related crashes (NHTSA).

Here’s how it can be done.

 

How to Launch a Successful Driver Safety Campaign

 

  1. Set a goal.
  2. Identify a campaign manager and find a sponsor.
  3. Create a plan.
  4. Promote your campaign.
  5. Evaluate the impact.

In this case, the goal would be to reduce the upward trend of speed violations and vehicle accidents. Assemble a team of people who will champion the initiative. Be sure to include employees on the campaign committee. Plan activities and communications to promote the campaign. Posters with facts and visuals can be very effective. Communicate regularly throughout the campaign to keep interest and enthusiasm going.

 

Using Telematics Data to Manage Speeders

 

A telematics-based speeding report can tell fleet managers who has been speeding and how often. For example, the Top 5 Speeding Violations report displays the top 5 drivers or vehicles with the highest number of speeding events by day, week, or month. Whether the fleet manager has received complaints about speeding drivers or simply wants to improve overall fleet safety, this report helps identify which fleet drivers have the most dangerous driving habits.

speeding incidents by vehicle chart

Sample telematics based speeding report

 

Stop Speeding and Save Money

Speeding is one of the most prevalent factors contributing to traffic crashes. In addition, speeding increases fuel expense. Therefore, targeting driver speeding is a truly worthwhile effort for employers.

Implementing a “No Need to Speed!” initiative can save a company thousands of dollars (and that’s a conservative estimate). Protecting employees from motor vehicle crash injury can be a profitable investment of resources and time. Also, it helps companies underscore that they truly care about the well-being of their employees.

Your life can change in seconds — and someone wants you home tonight, so why wouldn’t you choose safety?

 

Driving the Fleet Safety Movement

 

Original Article: https://www.geotab.com/blog/driver-safety-for-speeders/
Written By: Susan Miller, Senior Fleet Account Manager at Geotab

Take Advantage of the “Section 179” Depreciation Tax Break

Posted on | by Victoria Gole

The Section 179 Deduction is an important tax benefit that may allow you to fully deduct from your taxes the cost of GoFleet equipment purchases. This is important because, In general, when a company buys new equipment it must write off the equipment’s cost over a series of years in “depreciation.” The theory is that when a company buys new equipment it does not necessarily lose money immediately. Instead, the new equipment becomes a cost over time as that equipment slowly wears out and gets closer to needing replaced.

Section 179 has been deployed repeatedly in recent years as a way to stimulate the economy. The deduction has been a part of the tax code since 1958, when companies were allowed to immediately deduct up to $2,000 of the cost of newly-purchased equipment. In the 1980s and 90s the allowance was raised to $5,000, then $10,000, then $19,000, and finally $25,000. At that point, the deduction became popular as an economic stimulus tool. President George W. Bush included a temporary increase from $25,000 to $100,000 in his 2003 tax cuts that were aimed at boosting the U.S. economy in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

President Obama extended the deduction and added a bonus depreciation in his 2009 Stimulus Bill. A subsequent bill in 2010 raised the expensing allowance to $500,000. It was extended again in 2012 and 2014, and by that time businesses had become so used to the “temporary” increases in expensing allowance that it was difficult to let the deduction expire. So, at the end of 2015, Congress made the increased Section 179 expensing limit permanent. Congress touted the “certainty” in making the tax break permanent and representatives of the business community called it “easily the most positive thing Congress has done for small business in the past several years.” There is mixed evidence about the effectiveness of the tax break in stimulating the economy, but there is no doubt it can be beneficial to individual small businesses.

The current law gives companies in all lines of business the option to expense the cost of new and used qualified equipment in the tax year when that equipment is put into service. The maximum deduction allowed is $500,000. The deduction is subject to two limitations. First, if deduction is phased out based on overall investment by the company, so that if a company invests more than $2 million in equipment in a year it will not be able to take the Section 179 deduction. Second, a company may not deduct more than its taxable income. Additionally, the ability to carry the deduction forward into subsequent years is very limited.

At GoFleet, we encourage all our US customers to consider the Section 179 Deduction. Our small business customers should all be able to deduct the full amount of all our hardware products. You should confirm your eligibility with your own tax advisor, but the experienced professionals at GoFleet are always happy to discuss our tools and the financial arrangements that best benefit your company.

Collision Avoidance Technology for Fleet Safety

Posted on | by Victoria Gole

Mobileye is an Israeli company launched in 1999 from academic research that was building collision avoidance technology using cameras and software algorithms to sense other vehicles on the road to make driving easier and safer. Today, the company has its technology in 15 million vehicles around the world and it is helping make autonomous driving a reality. Mobileye says that autonomous driving has three “pillars,” and that is where the company is focusing its efforts. First, the company produces software that fuses data from both cameras and radar to detect objects ahead with over 99% accuracy. Second, Mobileye uses crowd-sourcing to maintain rapidly-updated, high-definition maps. And finally, Mobileye has developed software with driving “policies” that controls how vehicles will behave on the open road alongside human drivers.

 

What is Mobileye’s Collision Avoidance Technology?

 

Until fully-autonomous vehicles becomes a reality, Mobileye’s technology is being used to help make human drivers be more safe with collision avoidance technology. Fleet managers can utilize Mobileye to help their drivers avoid collisions. One of its most popular products is the 5 Series. The product includes a strategically-placed camera on a vehicle’s windshield that faces forward and acts as the driver’s “third eye.” The devices uses Mobileye’s sensing technology to recognize vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists around the vehicle. The system also has a display called an “EyeWatch.” This gives visual warnings as well as measurements to the obstacles ahead. In a way, this is similar to the “heads up display” setups that fighter pilots use.

 

How Does Mobileye Work?

 

The Mobileye system will provide drivers with warnings about impending collisions. This is incredibly important because a driver’s reaction time is a huge factor in car crashes. Studies have found that drivers with faster reaction times may have a better track record of avoiding crashes. It follows that one way to dramatically improve the safety of a fleet of vehicles is to equip each one with technology that can improve driver reaction time. The Mobileye 5 Series can improve reaction time by warning drivers of problems before drivers can detect the situation on their own. The collision avoidance technology warns drivers about potential collisions with cars, pedestrians, and bikers. Drivers can also get a warning when they are drifting out of their own lane (lane detection system) or getting too close to the car in front of them. The display can also warn drivers about their speed and automatically control headlight high beams.

Mobileye’s collision avoidance system integrates with our fleet management technology. In addition to providing drivers with immediate warning, longer-term safety can be improved by providing drivers with feedback on how often they had near collisions, got too close to the car in front of them, or drifted out of their own lane. If necessary, the system can even be set up to be tamper proof and track any attempts to disable or alter it. This data can be used to coach drivers for better fleet safety, or if necessary the reports can be used to take action against an unsafe driver.

 

Will a Dash Cam Change Your Fleet’s Driving Habits?

Posted on | by Victoria Gole

One of the world’s leading psychologists, Anders Ericsson, says that deliberate practice is the best way to master a skill. That can be difficult to apply to drivers, or really to most jobs. Deliberate practice involves setting goals outside an individual’s comfort zone, reviewing performance, and adjusting to fix mistakes. In other words, endless hours of driving experience may not make a driver better but a driver will improve if he or she is carefully monitored and is then given specific ways to improve.

For fleet managers looking to improve the performance of their drivers, the best thing may be to install dash cameras as part of a telematics system that can track performance and give impartial feedback to drivers. Dash cams have long been in almost every car in Russia, largely to overcome lax or even corrupt accident investigations. This has led to an incredible volume of accident footage on YouTube, but the cameras can do way more than just explain what happened in an accident. Dash cams can change fleet driver behavior in order to prevent accidents.

The key is reviewing driver performance and providing feedback, and this can be accomplished by pairing dash cams with a device that can track speed, acceleration, braking and other basic information. That allows the system to know when a driver shows poor behavior and then pair that information with dash cam video. For example, the system could be set up to flag every time a driver exceeds the speed limit. A good dash cam system could then send the driver (and his or her manager if necessary) a series of links to video of those over-speed incidents. Reviewing the incidents can help pinpoint why a driver sometimes speeds and that can allow the driver to improve his or her behavior. Many systems can also offer real-time driver corrections, such as an over-speed warning light or noise.

Many dash cams can also be integrated into a multi-camera system with a microphone. This can give fleet managers a very complete understanding of a driver’s situation. Fleet managers can see if a driver is using a cell phone or distracted by the radio. Multiple cameras can help show how quickly a driver recognizes a problem and then reacts. A rear view camera can show how a driver practices defensive driving to handle other aggressive drivers. This information can often be provided immediately back to fleet managers, viewed by drivers on a tablet, or collected and then distributed in a report for each trip or for a certain time period.

ZenduCAM will capture instant footage during an accident that you can use to either exonerate yourself from fault or to train your drivers on accident avoidance without ever having to remove the camera from the vehicle. Wireless connectivity capability via wifi or cellular network allows you to access data anytime, anywhere.

Contact a Fleet Consultant today for more information.

Benefits of Dash Cams: 5 Reasons to Buy Dash Cams for Your Fleet

Posted on | by Victoria Gole

If your business runs a fleet of vehicles, you have probably thought about outfitting those vehicles with fleet dash cameras. These systems have become smaller, easier to use, and more affordable to the point where dash cams are providing a great return on investment and should be considered standard equipment. Modern wireless communication has also drastically improved their utility.

Fleet Dash Cameras: Top 5 Reasons to Buy

 

  • Get Your Story Straight in an Accident
    The most obvious reason to have a dash cam is to explain what happened in an accident. Traumatic memories are hard to keep straight, and besides that anyone in an accident wants to believe they were not at fault. Fleet dash cameras can be connected directly to a telematics system that contains defined rules for events that you want to capture. That means the camera and its software system can often automatically send you a link to footage of an accident right after it happens.

 

 

  • Oversee Your Driver’s Behavior
    The reality is that no driver is perfect. Telematics can inform you when a driver shows poor behavior by speeding or braking suddenly, but that data alone is sometimes not enough to explain the driver’s decision. For example, a driver may speed up to go around an erratic driver or may brake suddenly to avoid a collision. The best way to find out what happened is to review footage from a dash cam. A dashcam also helps drivers improve by allowing fleet managers to review their sometimes not so good driving habits and correct them. Without feedback, drivers can get stuck in these habits, and this applies to any type of situation where someone is trying to improve a skill.

 

 

  • Fight Fraudulent Claims
    There are criminals that target commercial vehicles for accident scams. The criminals assume that commercial vehicles are well insured, and they may slam on their brakes in front of a commercial vehicle or speed into a left turn to cause a collision and then claim severe injuries. These scams often include staged witnesses that can be hard to overcome. Dash cam video is the best way to fight back.

 

 

  • Make Decisions With Same View as Driver
    A driver may occasionally need to make a tough decision with guidance from a fleet manager. Perhaps the weather is becoming nearly too bad to drive or a detour looks troubling. It can be hard for a driver to explain the situation to someone that is not there. With a live-streaming dash cam, a fleet manager and driver can look at the same thing and decide what needs to be done.

 

 

  • It Gives You a Chance to Listen In
    Most dash cams also include a microphone that will allow a fleet manager to hear what their driver hears. This can help you realize a driver is spending too much time on the phone, or it may reveal that a driver was distracted before an accident by loud music or a conversation.

 

ZenduCAM Can Help!

ZenduCAM will capture instant footage during an accident that you can use to either exonerate yourself from fault or to train your drivers on accident avoidance without ever having to remove the camera from the vehicle. Wireless connectivity capability via wifi or cellular network allows you to access data anytime, anywhere.

 

Contact us for more information.

Paperwork Got You Down? Join the Paperless Revolution

Posted on | by Victoria Gole

Are you struggling to manage and keep track of all your invoices, bills of lading and other paper forms? Not only can this be annoying, but wasting labor hours handling endless paperwork can also be extremely costly.

Which is why so many people are transitioning most (if not all) of their paperwork into a digital format, to decrease the cost and time of filing paperwork. Plus, there’s an added bonus of getting forms and work orders emailed straight to you and the customer if needed, for a much easier workflow.

 

— The ELD Mandate Makes this the Perfect Time to Switch —

 

Because of the upcoming ELD Mandate, you have to switch from paper logs to electronic logs. Why not switch it all?

Our ELD solution, Geotab Drive, has multiple different optional integrations available – including an end-to-end solution for effective route planning and optimization for trucking and service based industries. The integration also includes an easy to use web-based platform for building forms, work orders, and route plans for drivers.

 

— Eliminate Paperwork & Lower Overall Operational Costs —

 

Through our route optimization engine you are able to optimize pick-up, delivery, P&D, and service based work orders across multiple drivers, time windows, and skills using the most cost-effective truck/standard route.

Drivers and dispatchers are able to easily manage communication of messages and work order statuses through instant mobile app notifications. Drivers can quickly and easily complete forms and send signatures or picture captures back to dispatchers for proof or service confirmation.

Let us help you eliminate costly paperwork and reduce planning time, miles driven, and overall operational costs. We will work directly with you to increase efficiency, route compliance and customer service with powerful dashboard reports and alerts.

 

Contact a fleet consultant today for more information.

 

Delivery Fleet Management Made Easier

Posted on | by Victoria Gole

Delivery Fleet Management

Keeping track of your delivery fleet can be an incredible challenge. Delivery fleets are often quite large and spread out throughout multiple cities dealing with traffic and the constant struggle of arriving at drop off locations on time. There are countless delays that could pop up, and fleet managers need good metrics to be as efficient as possible. We offer a suite of solutions and add-ons so you can better tackle these challenges and get ahead of your competition!

Geotab G07 – A Versatile Core

The core of our delivery fleet management solution is our G07 GPS tracking device. This device fits in the palm of your hand and plugs in seamlessly to almost all vehicles. No special tools are needed, so the G07 can easily move from one vehicle to another, if necessary. The device collects data from its GPS technology, g-force monitoring, and engine signals. The GO7 device comes equipped with an IOX port to allow you to expand the solution with optional add-ins, to take delivery fleet management one step further.

Our fleet management software collects data from all active GO7 devices in your fleet, and presents that data to fleet managers through a user-friendly interface. The GO7 device and its software allows fleet managers to increase productivity and reduce downtime through the following:

  • Reduce fuel consumption by monitoring use and fill-ups
  • Track travel time and time spent at delivery locations
  • Optimize routes and ensure on-time delivery
  • Track high-priority packages for delivery assurance
  • Set geofences for alerts when a driver arrives/leaves a delivery location (also customizable)
  • Improve driver safety with driver coaching features
  • Minimize vehicle downtime with accurate engine data

A Plethora of Add Ons

Fuel Cards

If your drivers are responsible for fuelling up themselves, you may want to take a look at our fuel card add-on. Our fuel cards allow you to easily capture data on refuelling locations, time spent, amount of fuel purchased, and cost. This data is then combined with the engine data pulled from our GO7 devices, to allow fleet managers to easily track cost per mile. For delivery drivers, fuel card data can also assist with good choices about their refuelling location. Comparing refuelling costs to miles driven can also help uncover any signs of trouble, such as a serious engine problem or even employee theft.

HOS / DVIR Compliance

In today’s world, one thing you can always count on is government regulations; our compliance add-ins make it so much easier, and cheaper, to follow these always changing rules and regulations. Track hours of service (HOS) for each driver and receive automatic alerts that warn managers and drivers when their available time is running out. For driver vehicle inspection reports (DVIR), the system gives drivers a simple checklist to run through at the beginning of each shift. Equipment issues can also be flagged for the maintenance crew.

In-Vehicle Incident Recording Cameras

Some fleet managers want to keep an even closer eye on their drivers, and ZenduCAM is the perfect tool for that. ZenduCAM combines the GO7 device with SmartWitness cameras that provide forward-facing and driver-facing views. Fleet managers can view these camera streams in real time, but more importantly, the cameras record footage for pre-programmed events. This can include harsh braking, speeding, collisions, or lane departures. Delivery fleet managers can also use the cameras to see how much time drivers are spending sitting in the cab between stops.

Public Map Share

Some delivery companies will want their customers to know the live location of the delivery vehicle transporting their goods; public map share makes this easy. It allows companies to give their customers a simple link that they can click on to see the location and estimated arrival of their driver. This lets customers know when to expect a package they need to sign for, or when to let a furniture-delivery driver in the door. These links can be time limited or made to expire once a delivery is complete, so customers’ access can be appropriately limited.

Learn More About Our Delivery And Courier Vehicle Tracking GPS Solutions.


Short Haul HOS Compliance & The ELD Mandate

Posted on | by Victoria Gole

If you’re running a short haul fleet you may be confused about how the Hours of Service rules and ELD Mandate affect you; let us try to clear things up.

Exemption from ELDs
If your drivers meet the short haul definition set by the FMCSA then you are not required to maintain RODS and therefore not required to log hours with an ELD.

Short Haul Driver Definition by the FMCSA
Short-haul drivers who are not subject to the 30-minute rest break provision of the new hours-of-service rules must:

  • Not exceed 11 hours of driving
  • Start/finish at the same location within 12 hours
  • Have minimum time off between shifts of 10 hours
  • Operate within, and not exceed, 100 mile radius of starting/ending location

Worried You Do Not Qualify For Exemption?
Your drivers are required to maintain a Record of Duty Status (RODS) if they are travelling outside of the 100 mile radius of their “home base” or exceeding the allotted 11 hours of driving time. Meaning that when the ELD mandate goes into effect – your drivers WILL be required to log their hours on an electronic logging device.

The ELD rule compliance deadline is December 18th, 2017.
Still unsure whether or not you’re required to use ELDs? Speak with one of our fleet consultants.

Sources:
NATSO: FMCSA Clarifies Definition of Short Haul Driver
FMCSA: Hours of Service: Electronic Logging Devices

Affordable Hours of Service Plans for an Easier Switch to E-Logs

Posted on | by Victoria Gole

This year, the majority of trucking fleets will be focused on making the transition from paper logs to electronic logs (ELDs) if they haven’t already. While the Phased-In Compliance doesn’t start until this December, it’s important for carriers to do research and decision-making now so they can have ELDs implemented in time for the new rule. By the end of this year, motor carriers and drivers subject to the rule must use AOBRDs (Automatic On Board Recording Devices) or ELDs. So, for many carriers, updating their Hours of Service plan will be at the top of their to-do list.

The number of fleet compliance solutions out on the market can definitely make picking one a daunting task. How do you know which one is better? The choice is now easier with our affordable Hours of Service (HOS) plan.

 

GoFleet Announces New HOS Plan for Hours of Service

 

We are now offering Hours of Service features to customers on a new fleet management software feature plan, called the HOS plan. Previously, HOS compliance with Geotab Drive or Garmin HOS was part of the ProPlus plan.

Our telematics-based compliance solution provides all the management features you need for a reasonable fee.

Let’s take a closer look at what’s included.

With the HOS plan, carriers can get the Geotab Drive and Garmin HOS compliance tools. Geotab Drive is a mobile app that can be used on a driver’s smartphone or tablet (Android or iOS). IFTA miles recording and device tampering detection are also included.

The HOS plan provides other features such as instant GPS tracking using patented curve based algorithms, basic driver coaching, vehicle maintenance reminders, and driver ID with NFC. Since our software is an open platform, customization is available and users have access to the free software development kit and APIs.

View the feature list below:

hours of service plan for fleet management

Part of the HOS Plan from GoFleet, offering key compliance features at an affordable cost.

 

Survey Finds Small Fleets Are Slower to Get On Board with ELDs

 

Fleet Owner magazine’s Kevin Jones reports that small fleets (less than 250 trucks) have been delaying the move to electronic logging. Only 33% of small fleets had rolled out ELDs as of September 2016. Compare that figure with the 81% ELD implementation rate for large fleets and you can definitely see the difference. The results are based on a survey of more than 400 carriers.

Reasons given for the delay include concerns over driver acceptance and the ELD lawsuit. However, the latest development on the legal front is that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit denied a petition from the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association for a rehearing of the lawsuit. Last year, the court found that the ELD rule did not violate the Fourth Amendment.

 

ELDs Improve Fleet Productivity and Efficiency

 

Some fleets may believe making the switch to ELDs will be costly. However, our HOS plan shows that electronic logs are not out of reach. Contrary to perception, ELDs can improve and support fleet productivity and efficiency. ELDs provide many benefits for fleets well beyond Hours of Service. Geofencing, fuel usage monitoring, and invoice scanning are just some of these extras. As a greater number of trucking fleets make the switch, the advantage of electronic logging and telematics will soon be common knowledge.

 

Original Article: https://www.geotab.com/blog/hours-of-service-plan/
Written By: Vik Sridhar, Solutions Engineer & HOS Expert at Geotab

 

Protect Your Lone Workers with Lone Defender

Posted on | by Victoria Gole

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found in a study that security guards suffered fatal workplace injuries at more than twice that of workers in general. These risks were especially prevalent at night. These guards were stationed in department stores, shopping centers, office buildings, transportation terminals, museums and more. Their injuries came from retaliation by belligerent customers, robberies, and senseless attacks. Usually they are on their own with nobody readily available to back them up. It can be a tough job, and employers should give their guards all the tools they need to succeed and stay safe.

Lone Defender is a device every security guard or other lone worker should be using to ensure they are protected. It gives workers the peace of mind knowing that they can instantly request backup. Lone Defender can even make emergency calls itself when it senses distress. Employers using Lone Defender know that their workers are properly equipped, and they can also track their status through a dashboard to make sure the job site is fully protected.

 

A Rugged Handheld Device

 

Lone Defender has numerous capabilities; perhaps most importantly, it has GPS technology that can rapidly provide location information. This information can be sent off to first responders if an emergency is detected. Lone Defender also includes a man down feature with an accelerometer, which allows the device to detect falls. If the device senses that the holder has fallen and not gotten back up, it will send an emergency signal. The device is also durable enough to survive almost any environment. It has a very low power consumption to ensure it will make it through any shift on a charge and can easily be updated with new software versions.

The device provides a range of communication options. A quick press of a button can send a text message, but the Lone Defender can also function as a telephone. Lone Defender can easily register check-in information utilizing RFID tags staged around the work site. The device has an emergency panic button that will send an emergency signal with GPS coordinates, and it can route calls along a roll-call escalation until an emergency contact picks up the phone.

 

Real Time Data for Employers

 

Employers get an easy-to-use interface with real-time GPS information on every worker using a Lone Defender. They can make sure workers are making their rounds by ensuring that RFID scans have been made as required. These are all displayed onto a map of the area and can be paired with a pre-set amount of time between stops to make and keep a schedule. Employers can get an instant alert if patrols are not being completed, and they can easily send requests for a call if workers do not seem to be in the right location.