Category: Blog

GPS Tracking Stones Used To Help Solve Moving Rock Mystery

Posted on | by Devin Johnson

Scientists Use GPS Tracking Stones To Help Solve Mystery Of Moving Rocks In Death Valley

Rocks of various sizes, up to 600 pounds, get moved around Death Valley leaving deep cut trails throughout the valley. For many years, there have been many theories about how these tremendous rocks move around the valley like they are light as a feather. Theories have included everything from sporadic hurricane-force winds to UFOs.

Since 1948, geologists have been studying the rocks movements. The first study suggested the rocks were driven by desert dust devils. The mystery has endured so long because the rocks often do not move for decades.

In 2011, brothers Richard, a paleobiologist, and James, a research engineer, Norris launched the “Slithering Stones Research Initiative”. During the next two years, relatives and friends helped the brothers install a weather station and put 15 GPS tracking stones in the valley.

The GPS tracking stones were specially engineered so that they would record velocity and rock movement. The rocks were stationed on the southernmost end of the playa where the mysterious rocks start their journey after they have tumbled off of a cliff.

In December 2013, James and Richard Norris returned to the valley to inspect the GPS tracking stones. The playa was covered in ice and there were fresh trails near thin ice shards along the shore line. The next day, the brothers were on the mountainside just admiring the breathtaking view when a light wind started blowing. The ice then began to crack. It was at that point the mysterious rock movement was being solved before their very eyes.

A series of natural events must occur before the movement can take place. First, rain must occur in a dry climate. Next, the temperature must be low enough to freeze water before it can evaporate. Then, the sun must come out and start thawing the ice. Finally, the wind must blow to break the ice and move it across the shallow water below.

Thanks to the GPS tracking stones and the Norris brothers’ determination, the mystery of the moving rocks in Death Valley has finally been solved. James Norris stated in a Los Angeles Times article, a part of him was sad because there was no more mystery.

Wireless Temperature Monitoring System For Refrigerator Trailers

Posted on | by Devin Johnson

Real-Time Wireless Temperature Monitoring System For Refrigerator Trailers

For business owners who use refrigerated trailers to deliver temperature-sensitive cargo, GoFleet’s wireless temperature monitoring system brings peace of mind. They do not have to worry about perishable items, such as meat, produce, ice cream or pharmaceuticals, arriving at the destination spoiled because the temperature in the trailer was too warm or too cold.

Unlike a temperature recorder, a wireless temperature monitoring system does not just note what happens en route so the data is available if an issue arises. The GoFleet wireless temperature monitoring system uses wireless technology to let you know if there is an issue with the trailer temperature in real-time. The moment the temperature is out of bounds, you can correct the problem before the products go bad. With a temperature recorder, dispatchers do not find out about the problem until after the load is spoiled.

When your business uses GoFleet’s wireless temperature monitoring system, you no longer have to rely on the truck driver to let your dispatchers know if there is a problem with the trailer temperature. They need to focus on getting your load to its final destination. They might miss the warning signs that something is wrong with the refrigeration unit in the trailer. Even if they do notice something is not working properly, they might forget to call dispatch to let them know about the problem. In the meantime, your valuable temperature-sensitive cargo is going bad.

The temperature monitoring system, will let you know the moment the trailer temperature goes out of range. You can arrange for a repairperson to meet your driver en route. The repairman can get your trailer’s refrigeration unit fixed before your cargo is affected.

Making sure your refrigerated trailers maintain the proper temperatures not only saves you money because your cargo does not get spoiled, it keeps customer satisfaction high. Customers are very disappointed with a company when the products they ordered are delivered at the wrong temperature. These types of issues can ruin your business reputation and cause you to lose customers. On the other hand, if you deliver quality products consistently, you will have high customer retention rates, a good reputation and gain more business.

GPS Tracking Devices Used To Study Sheepdog Behavior

Posted on | by Devin Johnson

Scientists Use GPS Tracking Devices To Study Sheepdog Behavior

A team of researchers in the United Kingdom used GPS tracking devices to study the movements and behaviors of working sheepdogs and their flock of sheep. The BBC reports that the sheepdogs do not just chase after the flock.

The relationship between a sheepdog and their flock of sheep has always seemed magical but now, thanks to GPS tracking devices, it can be explained. The GPS data revealed there are actually mathematical secrets of how one sheepdog can herd over 100 unruly sheep.

The GPS tracking devices uncovered two rules for the sheepdog and their flock of sheep. Rule one: The sheepdog first learns how to make the sheep flock together. Rule two: Once the sheep are flocked in a tight group, the dog pushes the group to where they want.

The sheepdog sees the sheep as fluffy white things. If they see gaps or notice the gaps getting bigger, the dog knows to bring them together. Dr. Andrew King, the study co-author, was shocked to discover how simple the rules are for the relationship.

Dr. King worked to design specialized backpacks with GPS tracking devices for the sheep and the sheepdog. The backpacks were then attached to the animals. The researchers had many different ideas when they first started. After looking at the relationship from a birds-eye-view, the researchers determined they needed to study it from the sheepdogs’ point-of-view.

The GPS data was used to develop computer simulations and the shepherding model. The mathematical algorithm, revealed by the GPS tracking devices, solves what is known as the “the shepherding problem”. The shepherding problem is how one agent is able to control a large amount of reluctant agents. The data could be used to develop “shepherd robots” that can be used for crowd control or oil spill clean-up.

Fleet Tracking System: The Ultimate Limousine Company Tool

Posted on | by Devin Johnson

A Fleet Tracking System Is The Ultimate Tool for a Limousine Company

A fleet tracking system is the most innovative tool for limousine companies since the introduction of reservation software. In addition to the most obvious function of GPS fleet management (seeing where your limos are located) there are many other valuable benefits that will make your limousine company more efficient and profitable.

The fleet tracking system can tell you the direction your vehicle is traveling in real-time, if the engine is on and the current speed. Your fleet managers will be able to provide limo drivers with efficient routes. You will no longer have to worry about your drivers getting lost on the way to a remote destination.

You can also manage your fleet of limousines even when you are offline. Alerts can be set up to notify you via SMS text message or email if a driver is speeding, aggressively driving, entering an unauthorized area or idling excessively. This will give you time to contact the driver to have them immediately correct their behavior.

Alerts can also be set up to notify you of upcoming vehicle maintenance requirements based on miles traveled or specified dates. The reminders can be set for maintenance issues that need to be performed such as oil changes, tune-ups and tire rotations.

For limousine companies that charge their clients on an hourly basis, there is no more accurate measure of service time than a fleet tracking system. You will be able to bill your clients for the exact amount of time the job took. In addition, when you pay your limo drivers on an hourly basis, you will not have to worry about paying for extra time they spent on personal errands. Your drivers will not be able to claim that a job took longer than expected because of a road closure or traffic accident. The vehicle becomes a virtual time clock that is indisputable.

Contact Us for more information about how a GoFleet fleet tracking system will benefit your limousine company.

Anti Theft GPS Tracker Devices Used To Catch Bike Thieves

Posted on | by Devin Johnson

Gulfport Police Are Using Anti Theft GPS Tracker Devices To Catch Bike Thieves

Bicycles have been notoriously known as easy targets for thieves. According to the FBI and the National Bike Registry, there are $350 million worth of bikes stolen annually in the United States. It is estimated that more than 1.5 million bicycles are stolen every year. Besides the financial aspect of the crime, it can be heartbreaking when a cyclist discovers that his/her bicycle was stolen.

Even if cyclists take all security measures possible to protect their bike, there is no way to fully theft proof it. They are light weight and easy to take from any location. Strong bike locks can get cut if the thief has the right tools. In major cities across the country, bicycle theft is a major issue. That is why police in Gulfport, Florida have started using an anti theft GPS tracker to help catch bike thieves in the area.

While many bikes are affordable, some road bikes can cost thousands of dollars. There are many unhappy residents and tourists in Gulfport with bicycle theft on the rise. Police state that the reason there are so many bike thefts is because it is an easy crime to get away with. Bikes are everywhere. Even when they are locked, they are extremely easy to get access to.

The Gulfport Police Department has equipped bikes with hidden anti theft GPS tracker devices. They are leaving the bicycles around town as bait to catch the thieves. When the bike is moved, a text message will immediately be sent to the police officers to notify them the bike has been stolen. The anti theft GPS tracker will allow the police to track the bike’s location in real-time. The police will use the anti theft GPS tracker to get the exact location of the bicycle so they can catch the thief in the act.

Although bike thefts may seem like a minor offense, the police say if someone is caught stealing one of these expensive bicycles, they could be charged with a felony. The Gulfport Police Department and residents want to reduce the bike thefts because they want to keep the community of Gulfport great.

Fleet Management Tracking: Plumbing Industry Benefits

Posted on | by Devin Johnson

Plumbing Fleet Tracking Benefits From Fleet Management

Companies in the plumbing industry have found many unexpected benefits when they implement GoFleet’s fleet management tracking solution. In addition to knowing where their vehicles are located in real-time, they also have gained simplified dispatching and driver management.

Fleet management tracking helps plumbing companies deal with a wide range of operational challenges they face each day from efficient routing and dispatching to managing service calls and customer satisfaction. These benefits, on their own, are extremely beneficial to business owners. However, once the fleet management tracking system is implemented, many owners are surprised when they discover that the fleet management system also increases the company’s bottom line.

A common problem many plumbing companies face is misuse of plumbing equipment and vehicles. These issues are often extremely time-consuming for managers to deal with and they have a negative effect on productivity. Reduced productivity can reduce the company’s potential profit and hurt the plumbing company’s reputation due to poor customer service and delayed service calls. Implementing a fleet management tracking system will prevent these issues from arising and keep the productivity levels high.

Using GoFleet’s fleet management tracking solution can also reduce a plumbing company’s labor costs. Plumbing technicians are able to clock in and out using the start/stop driving time on the GPS device. All service call arrival and departure times will be recorded throughout the day. This will ensure that labor costs are accurate. Many companies find that payroll expenses are immediately reduced, after the fleet management tracking system is implemented, because they have accurate labor costs.

The Aberdeen Group conducted a study to determine the productivity levels of companies with fleet operations. They found that the companies with the highest level of productivity (80% or higher) used a fleet management tracking system to manage their fleet. Companies without a fleet management system, in general, had a low productivity level (55% or lower). Implementing GoFleet’s fleet management tracking system improves business operations in many areas including increased fuel efficiency, safer driving habits, increased productivity and proper vehicle maintenance in addition to the more obvious benefits. Improving these areas of the business increases fleet utilization and efficiency as well as improving the company’s reputation and profit margin.

To learn more about plumbing fleet tracking, contact a fleet consultant today!

GPS Ambulance Tracking Available To Queensland Residents

Posted on | by Devin Johnson

Queensland Residents Now Have GPS Ambulance Tracking

Residents of Queensland, Australia will now be able to track the location of the state’s 1,000 ambulance fleet using a new online GPS tracking service. The location of each Queensland Ambulance Service ambulance is mapped out in real-time so the public can see the location of each ambulance conveniently on one screen.

This service is a first for Australia. It utilizes iROAM, Queensland’s Integrated Real-Time Operational Ambulance Management software, first launched in 2012 for the Queensland Ambulance Service.

iRoam was developed internally by the Queensland Ambulance Service. It uses GPS tracking to keep track of each ambulance. Operational supervisors may view many details including current case information, the amount of ambulances en route to the hospitals and the cases that are still waiting in the queue.

Although all of the case details will not be available for the public to view due to patient confidentiality, the public will be able to check out the map of ambulances. They will be able to track the vehicles’ locations and number of ambulances on the road. The public will also be able to see the number of the ambulances that are busy or dropping off patients at the hospital thanks to a link to the Queensland Ambulance Service dispatching system.

The reason for the new public GPS tracking online software for ambulances is to keep the public more informed. There is a huge public misconception that when ambulances are busy dropping patients off at the hospital, there are no ambulances available to respond to other emergencies around the state. The public will be able to feel more confident about Queensland emergency services. The Queensland Ambulance Service is using social media as a tool to dispel the myths. Their social media stream has doubled in the last 6 months.

GPS Real Time Tracking: The Snow Removal Industry

Posted on | by Devin Johnson

Snow Removal Industry Benefits From GPS Real Time Tracking

When you run a snow removal business, it is imperative that you know your mobile crew is safe, especially since they are often working in the midst of severe weather and poor driving conditions. You need to provide your crew with the clearest and most efficient routes while you stay aware of the constantly changing conditions. When you use GoFleet’s GPS real time tracking system, you will be able to make sure your drivers are safe as they provide a valuable service for your customers.

Safety is always a major concern for your snow removal crew. Implementing a GoFleet GPS real time tracking system will show your crew members how much you care about their well-being. When you care about your crew, they will work perform at their best for you.

The snow removal business is seasonal and when a big snow storm hits, you need to be able to schedule multiple crew members and plan their routes instantaneously. The GoFleet GPS real time tracking system lets you provide your drivers with the most efficient routes so they can focus on their job and complete as many jobs as safely possible. With GPS real time tracking, you will be able to prepare your crew’s schedules ahead of time or on-the-fly.

In the snow removal industry, timeliness is an essential component that is always present. The GoFleet GPS real time tracking system will provide your drivers with the most efficient routes to get to job sites. If you receive an emergency service call, you dispatchers will know the location of each snow removal truck so they will be able to dispatch the closest truck to the emergency job site. In addition, your call center will be able to give your clients an accurate time of arrival. Unlike many of your competitors, you will not give your customers a “dreaded” long service window. You can tell your customers, with confidence, “Our snow removal crew will be at your location within 30 to 45 minutes.”

Implementing a GoFleet GPS real time tracking system in your snow removal business, increases driver safety, improves dispatching, provides efficient routing and improves customer satisfaction which, in turn, increases your revenue. Also be sure to check out our Dickey-John integration add-on for salter/sander monitoring.

GPS Devices Help Scientists Monitor The Drought In California

Posted on | by Devin Johnson

Scientists Are Monitoring California’s Drought Using GPS Devices

A new study that was published in Science Daily suggests that that scientists are able to use GPS devices to monitor and track the drought in California. Although it is reasonably easy to measure surface water and precipitation, water sources that are underground and aquifers are hard to measure because they are difficult to get to.

Scientists are placing the GPS devices directly underneath the earth’s surface, throughout California, and measuring their movements. This allows the scientists to get an exact estimate of how much the water has depleted.

When there is a drought, the earth’s surface is “uplifted.” According to geologists, an “uplift” is when the earth’s crust slightly lifts up because there is less water weighing it down. In Coastal Range and southern Sierra Nevada, a previous study recorded uplift ranges from of 1 to 3 millimeters each year.

The current study reviewed the past 11 years of uplift data in the western United States using GPS devices. As of March 2014, there was a loss of approximately 230 gigatons of water over the past 11 years. That is equivalent to the mass loss in one year from the Greenland ice sheet. In an effort to save water, some California residents have even painted their lawns green. California’s agricultural sector has been tough on the limited water supply including thriving marijuana business. Furthermore, the citizens of California are consuming water at a rapid pace.

The new study using GPS devices provided some good news regarding the earthquake risk in California. In the past, there were some experts that expressed their concern that the drought could create additional stress on the San Andreas Fault, which runs through the state. The new study found that the additional stress will “unlikely” affect the earthquake risk.

The new approach to drought measurement and tracking using GPS devices provides a better way for scientists to monitor underground conditions. The GPS devices are placed in underground stations throughout the western United States. These stations provide a precise view of the amount of water in the soil. If the GPS method were to be widely adopted, scientists suggest that it could drastically change the range of water monitoring throughout the world, providing many economic and social benefits.

Fleet Tracking Solution Benefits Moving Companies

Posted on | by Devin Johnson

Moving Companies Find A Fleet Tracking Solution Highly Beneficial

GoFleet’s fleet tracking solution is extremely beneficial for moving companies; it provides you with efficient routing information, reduces costs, increases fuel efficiency and saves time. Additionally, a fleet tracking solution allows you to provide your customers with an accurate time of arrival. This is especially important in the moving industry because your customers are eagerly awaiting their possessions.

There are many great benefits to implementing a GoFleet tracking solution at your moving company including: .

Live Traffic Updates: When your customers are waiting on their deliveries, traffic nightmares can cause you a lot of stress. With GoFleet’s fleet tracking solution, you can avoid traffic jams by having your driver take an alternate route and getting them off of the road before they get stuck.

Customer Satisfaction: Many customers choose to hire moving companies with GPS tracking services. They want to be able to know where their belongings are and when they will arrive. In the case of a service delay, it is important that you are able to tell your customers exactly where their items are. When you have a fleet tracking solution, you will be able to give your customers the best possible moving experience.

Justify Your Billing: Many moving companies charge for their services on an hourly basis. When you have a GoFleet fleet tracking solution, you will be able to provide reports for every mile your moving truck drives from the original location to the final destination including any stops made. If there is a billing dispute, you will have evidence to ensure the hours were recorded accurately and back up your billing.

Save On Fuel Costs: When you implement a fleet tracking solution from GoFleet, you will be able to drastically reduce your fuel costs. More efficient routing means your drivers will spend less time driving from point-to-point. Alerts can be sent instantly to your fleet managers if your drivers are wasting fuel by speeding, excessively idling for climate control or deviating from their route. Your managers will be able to contact your movers to make sure they correct this behavior immediately.