Category: Blog

Driver Safety Management With Our GPS Tracking Software

Posted on | by Courtney redwell

GPS Tracking Software Manages Driver Safety

Attempting to interpret and understand accelerometer data can be complicated, as users will oftentimes need to sift through a large number of various vehicle insights. To make things easier, GoFleet in partner with Geotab has decided to take a sophisticated formula and transform it into a variety of safety rules that are easy to understand, use and apply.

Within the safety section of our GPS tracking software, the user needs to simply turn on the rules that are most relevant to company goals and select the corresponding vehicle set. From there, the software will automatically begin populating the unsafe driving data into reports that clearly illustrate the driving events.

It is vital to have a well thought out procedure in place that is communicated across different departments. This includes educating your HR professionals on your goals, and how you plan to put the data into action. Inform others on how your next action steps will look by outlining a communications plan for interacting with your drivers and team members. It’s what you do with the information (data) that counts, that is what ultimately helps improve driver behavior.

To become totally transparent in your communications it is recommended to also include your drivers. Our fleet GPS tracking software comes with a built-in driver feedback “beeping” feature. Fleet managers can turn the “beeping” sound on so as to assist drivers in modifying their behavior in real-time. The instant “beeping” of the audible alerts will inform the driver of when they are actually breaking a rule, or even about to break a rule. The fleet management software truly can assist with providing drivers with immediate safe driving insight, helping to avoid repeating the same behavior in the future.

Contact GoFleet for more information on our GPS tracking software and how our safety features can help better manage your fleet.

Eliminate Aggressive Driving with Fleet Tracking Devices

Posted on | by Courtney redwell

Fleet Tracking Devices Eliminate Aggressive Driving and Bad Driving Habits

Aggressive driving is one of the four main focuses of Road Safety Week. GoFleet’s fleet tracking devices can help you eliminate the aggressive driving habits of your drivers.

What exactly is Aggressive Driving?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Act (NHTSA) defines aggressive driving as occurring when an individual commits a combination of moving traffic offenses so as to endanger property or other persons. This includes, but is not limited to, tailgating, speeding, weaving in and out of traffic, running red lights or stop signs and preventing others from passing.

When applying g-forces to different driving maneuvers such as harsh accelerating, harsh cornering or harsh braking, what constitutes aggressive movement?

  • A force of ½ G in a passenger car when applying the brakes would equal enough to throw a driver towards the steering wheel and any vehicle load would shift to the front. Loose obstacles on the seat would likely be thrown to the floor.
  • Likewise, harsh acceleration producing a ½ G force in a passenger car would cause the driver to be thrown back in their seat.

Some statistics:

  • According to Automotive Fleet’s 2013 Accident Management Survey, there is an average of 21% of fleet vehicles involved in some form of crash each year
  • In 56% of fatal crashes between 2003 & 2007 aggressive driving actions were reported, with excessive speeding being the number one factor, as sited by the NHTSA.
  • NHTSA also states nearly 1000 deaths a month are associated with speeding
  • Exceeding the posted road speed limit or driving too fast for conditions is a factor in nearly 1/3 of all fatal crashes according to Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety

Most people don’t think they are a risky drivers. In a surprising 2008 survey by the AAA Foundation’s Traffic Safety Culture Index, 78% of respondents rated aggressive drivers as a serious or extremely serious traffic problem. Most of the same people then reported driving in ways that could not be considered aggressive.

Three out of four drivers reported they believe they are more careful than other drivers. What’s the point? It is crucial that all drivers, both of personal and/or commercial vehicles assess their own driving habits.

For businesses operating a fleet of vehicles, this is often hard to evaluate. One way of doing this is to be able to provide valuable feedback to drivers as they are performing the various driving maneuvers necessary throughout the day. This empowers them to change their driving habits before any management even has to get involved. Our fleet tracking devices offer instant feedback for different aggressive driving instances.

Studies show that instant feedback in any area is the most effective way of changing human behavior. Driver feedback paired with the ability of management to “see” how their vehicles are being driven provides a very effective way for companies to help ensure their drivers are the safest on the road.

For more information on our fleet tracking devices and driver safety feedback check out: Audible Alerts Reduce Risk or contact a Fleet Consultant.

GPS Vehicle Tracking Devices Increase Fleet Productivity

Posted on | by Courtney redwell

GPS Vehicle Tracking Devices Offer Amazing Performance Tracking Features

Real-Time GPS Vehicle Tracking Devices

Watch your vehicles moving on a map in real-time with our GPS vehicle tracking devices. And what’s even better? You can also see all of the associated trip details when hovering your mouse over the trip points (including broken rules, speed levels, and more). GoFleet’s rich breadcrumb trail tracking by Geotab is a patented technology that gives you the most advanced insights into your driver’s on-road performance.

live gps vehicle tracking devices

Trips & Activity Reporting

GoFleet stores all your trip history information allowing you to re-create any of your trips at any time for any specific date. The reports provide an in-depth analysis for various events, such as time spent driving versus at the office versus customer locations, helping you identify work time allocations with accuracy.

trips activity gps vehicle tracking devices

NFC Driver ID Keys

We have incorporated the latest in RFID technologies – NFC (Near Field Communications) – to deliver Driver Identification for drivers that switch between vehicles. Driver ID allows your management team to view drivers, regardless of what vehicle they may be driving – generating rules, exceptions and reports by driver OR by vehicle. Driver ID can be combined with vehicle immobilization, this means a valid Driver ID must be touched to the reader before the vehicle will start.

RFID NFC Key GPS Vehicle Tracking Devices

New Exception Rules

As an innovative engineering firm, GoFleet is continually raising the bar whenever it comes to driver productivity tracking. Within the software that comes along with our GPS vehicle tracking devices, you can set various preferences such as: early leaving, late arrival, unauthorized home stops, idling, long lunch, long stops during work hours and too much office time.

exception rules

Dispatch With Our GPS Vehicle Tracking Devices & Garmin Integration

Working with Geotab & Garmin, GoFleet has effectively transformed GPS vehicle tracking devices into powerful dispatching and messaging tools. Send route information directly to the Garmin unit which will then automatically navigate drivers to the right destination. Additionally, you can set driver statuses to “on the job” when drivers arrive on site, and have the vehicle color change on the map based on their status, making it even easier to identify your drivers.

garmin gps geotab gofleet

GoFleet works with you to improve your productivity, safety, and get a ROI quickly. We don’t simply sell you a product, we provide you a constant service to help make managing your fleet as easy as possible. Contact one of our Fleet Consultants today for more information.

Driver Safety Management with GPS Tracking Devices

Posted on | by Courtney redwell

GPS Tracking Devices Transforming the Way You Think About Safety

In honour of National Safety Week in Canada, May 13th-19th, we wanted to share some valuable safety information about our GPS tracking devices. We are an engineering firm, not simply a GPS fleet tracking company and our devices offer much more than tracking.

Risk & Safety Report and Driver Ratings
With the next-generation safety technology in our GPS vehicle tracking devices, you can gain insight into your driver’s on-road behaviour with our safety management reports. Safety and risk scores are assigned to individual drivers based on different key indicators: seat belt usage, speeding, sharp turns, harsh braking, over acceleration and after-hours vehicle use. GoFleet can help you realize your potential to enhance your driver’s safety with real-time safety and risk reporting.

increase driver safety gps tracking devices

In-Vehicle Driver Coaching
GoFleet wants to make it as easy as possible for your drivers to immediately improve their on-road driving behaviour; our in-vehicle audible alerts notify drivers of potentially risky or unsafe driving. Once the risky/unsafe behaviour has been corrected (eg. reducing speed) the alerts will stop beeping. GoFleet wants to help you develop a fleet-wide safety program that really works.

GoFleet Audible Alerts GPS Tracking Devices

Ensuring Seatbelt Usage
Along with our long list of advanced safety features, our GPS tracking devices make it possible to ensure your drivers are always wearing their seat belts. An automatic seat belt detection feature reminds drivers to put their seat belt on when the car is in motion. This feature will not only help protect your drivers and reduce the potential for driver injuries it also ensures compliance with the law.

driver seatbelt safety gps tracking devices

Posted Road Speed vs. Actual Speed
Our GPS tracking devices allow you to compare your drivers speed with the posted road speed for highway driving, local city driving or within specific zones (eg. school zone). On top of knowing driver behaviour, you can observe changes in driving styles depending on the environment the driver is in, such as work or customer zones.

posted-speed-vs-actual-gps-tracking-devices

GoFleet wants to work with you to help ensure the safety of your drivers. To learn more about how our GPS tracking devices increase safety and the many other benefits contact us.

The Future of Mapping with Geotab and OpenStreetMap

Posted on | by Courtney redwell

In the GPS fleet tracking (telematics) industry, having a comprehensive and up to date map is crucial. It serves as a tool that provides easy to understand visualization of real world data. There are many companies currently providing good mapping solutions – however, they do not always offer the most affordable options. It was only a matter of time before a free, open collaborative mapping project was born. OpenStreetMap was first created in 2004 and the number of contributors has grown to over 1.5 million as of April 2014.

How OpenStreetMap (OSM) Works
OpenStreetMap works similarly to Wikipedia, anyone can make an account and start making changes. It’s human nature to need things to be complete, when we notice a road or our favorite hiking trail is missing we want to add it in. As the number of map contributors grow, OpenStreeMap will become the most up-to-date map available. Just take a look at the detail that the community of mappers put into the downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada area:

openstreetmap-downtowntoronto

A map is not just a picture anymore, it has evolved to be a much more detailed tool. There is much more to a road than where it starts and ends; it has a speed limit, road type, number of lanes, direction of traffic and so on. These details are not always going to remain the same either, they often change at a very fast rate. As new building are put up , stores and locations change, walking trails may be cut, new roads are built, speed limits are changed, the map will need an update. At this rate how can a map provider possibly keep its data up to date? The only answer is open collaboration.

Geotab, GoFleet’s provider, is one of the many companies that has invested in the OpenStreetMap project. Their most recent donation has allowed the project to release a world wide address layer, big news to companies currently paying for this service from other map providers. Geotab would like OpenStreetMap to be the biggest map set out there which is why (like other big companies) they are giving back to the project any way they can.

OpenStreetMap Geotab GoFleet

A new feature in MyGeotab, Geotab’s web application GoFleet uses, allows administrators and supervisors to select and edit road speed data in real time. This data will “override” the speed data for a particular road which will then be instantly applied allowing any vehicle driving down that road to be ‘dinged’ for speeding at the new value. While allowing for flexibility, Geotab has a system that prevents this from being abused. Periodically these “overrides” are donated to the OpenStreetMap community of mappers to use as a reference. They validate that the speed is correct and add it into the project, after all these are complete Geotab will clear the “override” data and use the newly verified OpenStreetMap data.

Speeding rules are becoming increasingly important to organizations, and with the ongoing improvements to posted road speed data on OpenStreetMap, we believe this is one step closer to perfection. Geotab will continue to support the mapping community and we are looking forward to seeing this project continue to grow.

Original Article From Geotab: The Future of Mapping

Idling Time: What’s Preventable & What’s Acceptable

Posted on | by Courtney redwell

When it comes to obtaining return on investment (ROI) information with GPS fleet tracking technology, the lowest hanging fruit typically revolves around fuel savings by reducing speeding and idling time. Idling time can be defined as the duration of time the engine is running and the vehicle is not moving. When looking at the total idling time, the lower the amount the better right? Maybe, maybe not.

For example: Driver 1 has a total of 300 minutes of idle time and Driver 2 has a total of 250 minutes of idle time. If the lowest total idle time is better, Driver 2 is doing a better job correct? Not in this case.

idle-1-gofleet-geotab

To completely understand and address the idle time, we need to break it down into three segments:

  1. Idle time before the trip
  2. Idle time during the trip
  3. Idle time after the trip

Check out the chart below. The majority of preventable idling time occurs during the before and after trip segments. This time spent idling can be reduced by the use of the idling reduction campaigns which establish one-on-one communication with drivers, peer pressure, and continual feedback using the idling reports.

prevent-idle-time-gofleet-geotab

Idling time can be significantly reduced by instilling a culture that prohibits the running of the engine during pre-inspections, filling out paper work and on any/all activities where having the engine running is not necessary.

Idling time during the trip can be used in route planning because it helps to indicate travel conditions for a given area or route. Idling time during the trip is usually attributed to traffic signals, traffic conditions & driving conditions. It is more than likely drivers do not have direct control of this idle time, this route and time-of-day can be evaluated to ensure travel delays (idling time) is reduced as much as possible.

After analyzing the segments, Driver 1 has 100 minutes of preventable idling time while Driver 2 has 200 minutes of preventable idling time. In this particular example, Driver 1 is doing a better job of controlling preventable idling time.

To be effective in reducing the idling time of your drivers you need to look a little below the surface to fully understand what a good idling time is. To learn more about how telematics technology can help you better optimize your fleets, try our Fleet ROI Calculator or contact one of our Fleet Consultants.

National Road Safety Week: May 13-19

Posted on | by Courtney redwell

May 13th-19th 2014 marks National Road Safety Week in Canada, a campaign aimed at making Canada’s roads the safest in the world. This campaign is designed to remind Canadians just how important it is to drive safely, obey all driving laws and ultimately keep yourself and others on the road safe. It focuses on behaviours that put drivers, passengers and others on the road at most risk, this includes: seat belt use, impaired driving, aggressive and distracted driving.

It is important to always take precautions when you are driving, your driving not only can effect you but also those around you whether that be a cyclist, pedestrian, motorcyclist or another driver. Always be aware of everything around you to ensure the safety of yourself and others.

If you are distracted by answering your cell phone it becomes harder to react appropriately and avoid a potential crash. It is crucial to limit your distractions behind the wheel to ensure the safety of yourself and others on the road. By taking your eyes off the road, even for a second you are drastically increasing the chances of being in a collision. Studies have shown that a driver using a cell phone is more likely to be involved in a collision than a driver who is focused on the road.

In 2011, 31% of collisions resulting in driver/passenger fatalities were people not wearing a seat belt. That means 31% of fatal collisions in 2011 could have potentially been avoided if those individuals simply put on their seat belts. Seat belts save lives, always remember to buckle up.

Here are a few road safety tips from GoFleet:

  • Drive according to the posted road speed limits, do not speed
  • Avoid unnecessary distractions and drive defensively
  • Yield to vulnerable road users even if they do not have the right-of-way
  • Turn your phone off/on silent so you are not tempted to answer it or read a text message
  • Watch out for drivers who are not paying attention
  • Only reverse when there are no other options
  • Keep both hands on the wheel
  • Wear a seatbelt at all times
  • Keep a safe distance from the car in front of you
  • Be aware of pedestrians, cyclists, children, animals and motorcyclists

GoFleet works with companies to improve bad driving habits and overall increase road safety. Our advanced systems not only offer real-time GPS tracking, they also offer real-time in cabin audible alerts. Our devices will beep warning drivers immediately of a number of infractions such as not wearing a seat belt, speeding, and idling. Our devices also record high quality information about your drivers like speeding (their speed versus posted speed), harsh braking and harsh cornering allowing fleet mangers or company owners to then analyze the data and work with their drivers to improve safety.

Canadian National Road Safety Week is sponsored by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) and Transport Canada and is a part of Canada’s Road Safety Strategy 2015, which has a goal of making Canada’s roads the safest roads in the world by 2015.

Drivers can expect stronger law enforcement during Safety Week, drive safely and make sure to obey all traffic laws.

For more information on how GoFleet can help you run a safer & more efficient fleet, or for more information about GPS fleet tracking in general, contact us.

5 Ways to Put Management Into GPS Vehicle Tracking

Posted on | by Courtney redwell

GPS Vehicle Tracking Management

It’s quite easy to argue the positive benefits of GPS vehicle tracking for fleet managers: reduced operating costs, more efficient logistics, increased safety and effective maintenance scheduling. Tracking driver behavior is also a positive benefit but can sometimes be a sensitive topic if the underlying objectives are not properly communicated to drivers.

Currently, GPS tracking technology can detect and monitor vehicle position, braking and speed at all given times. Sudden acceleration, cornering, deceleration, or swerving can also be measured in real-time. The more sophisticated systems, like the Geotab platform GoFleet provides, takes it one step further and can detect seat-belt usage, idling, reversing and usage of auxiliary devices.

In the commercial world, fleet managers can create a strategy including training, positive motivation and policy transparency to ease drivers into the concept of GPS vehicle tracking. The introduction of the GPS system is key, you want to start off on the right foot with your employees and make sure they understand exactly why you need GPS vehicle tracking. For the consumer, insurance companies are offering discount rates to customers choosing to use GPS vehicle tracking in their personal vehicles.

To ensure you are managing your drivers and vehicles, first consider following these steps:

  1. Conduct an internal analysis to identify gaps
  2. Create actionable and measurable objectives and goals
  3. Implement the new program
  4. Watch and monitor the results
  5. Give your drivers constructive feedback

GoFleet does not simply want to provide you with GPS vehicle tracking, we want to provide you with a complete fleet management solution. To learn more about how GoFleet works with our customers to manage measurements and ensure a ROI, have one of our fleet consultants contact you today.

Download: How To Present GPS Vehicle Tracking To Your Team for tips on how to introduce the system to your team.

Fleet Management Flexibility with Automatic Geotab VIN Detection

Posted on | by Courtney redwell

The Geotab GO GPS tracking device can automatically detect vehicle identification numbers, also known as VIN. This enables fleets to easily determine the vehicles they’re looking up, and also to cross-reference with their records should the need ever arise.

From an operational stand point, the collected data by the Geotab GO GPS tracking device is not directly coupled with the vehicle identification number. This means that companies, such as vehicle rental businesses, who transfer their Geotab GO device(s) between different vehicles, can easily manage a fleet of vehicles that are periodically used. Further to this, Geotab’s intelligent VIN detection is being used in new and interesting ways with smart decoding to understand both the model and make of vehicles, along with corresponding specific vehicle engine data.

For example, there are many differences between diesel, electric and gasoline engines that describe the types of engine diagnostics reported. This allows managers to make informed decisions about their fleet-based, real-world vehicle information instead of simply “dots on a map”.

See Device Editor below, VIN is highlighted:

Geotab-auto-vin-detection

Graph of the odometer over time where the device owner bought a new vehicle and it drops off with the new odometer:

Geotab-auto-vin-detection

As a fleet manager we understand your job is hard enough; at GoFleet we want to do whatever we can to make your job easier. To learn more about the Geotab GO GPS tracking device contact one of our fleet consultants today.

Original Article From Geotab:
Fleet Management Flexibility with Automatic Geotab VIN Detection

Accidents Happen, Fleet Management Services Can Help

Posted on | by Courtney redwell

Fleet Management Services Help Protect In Case of an Accident

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, in 2012 317,000 large trucks were involved in crashes in the USA alone.

  • 65% of accidents involving two vehicles were front impact crashes
  • 12% right side
  • 17% left side
  • 6% rear impacts
  • 46% of these crashes involve both vehicles proceeding straight

These numbers suggest that vehicle collisions have cost these organizations a large sum of money, in personal injury and vehicle damage. However, the truck or vehicle driver may not be at fault, and there may be an opportunity to avoid costly repair and insurance fees. To accurately uncover what occurred and re-create a trip is to leverage fleet management services provided by a GPS fleet tracking company.

While the goal of fleet management services is to eliminate accidents from happening in the first place by being proactive, such as improving driver behavior, bottom line is accidents can still happen. Even the carefullest drivers can find themselves in an unexpected problem on the road. The key thing is to be aware that an accident does not always have to have an effect on your bottom line. With the use of our fleet management software, My.Geotab, fleet managers and business owners can use the tools provided to instantly analyze accidents.

Reports and Data
Looking at the trips history report and the map in My.Geotab has been the traditional way of looking at an event. There are more tools however, that provide insight into different occurrences, from acceleration graphs to point of impact graphs.

Acceleration Graph:
Below you will see a side-to-side acceleration graph. Negative represents right in this case. The graph shows the vehicle accelerated to the right at the point of impact, indicating to us the vehicle was hit from the left side.

acceleration graph fleet management services

Point of Impact Chart:
This is a speed profile chart that shows the speed of the vehicle during the time of the accident. In the case shown below, the yellow section indicates the vehicle was stopped before the impact occurred.

Point of Impact Fleet Management Services

Engine Data:
The data from the device after the accident can also be looked at to assess any internal system damage. The key here is to look for any Engine Fault Codes. These codes will refer to problems in the vehicle reported through the engine computer. Anything from ABS (Automatic Braking System) to transmission issues. Engine status data can also be used to identify issues with the vehicle. An increase in coolant temperature, for example, can indicate possible coolant leaks or damage to the engine. Engine status data is displayed under Engine and Maintenance within MyGeotab.

engine-diagnostics-fleet-management-services

Original Article From Geotab: Accidents Happen