Category: Blog

Electronic Log Mandate in Effect April 9th

Posted on | by Victoria Gole

Mandate for Electronic Log Devices or Electronic Onboard Recorders Soon In Effect

Please See Updated Article: Electronic Logging Devices Proposed by FMCSA

A rule mandating Electronic Log Devices or, Electronic Onboard Recorders as they are also known, is expected to be published April 9th 2014 according to a monthly report from the Department of Transportation. DOT has been pushing back the publication date for the rule since late 2013.

The mandate will require all drivers responsible for keeping records of duty status to use an electronic logging device. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration submitted the rule to the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on August 7th 2013 with a projected publication date of November 18th 2013.

In the Department of Tranportation’s last report which was issued March 11th 2014, projects the rule will clear OMB on March 28th. The publication of the Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking projected for April 9th will follow. The proposal will then allow 60 days for public comment ending on the 9th of June.

Any comments will be taken into consideration before the agency would publish a final rule.

The Department of Transportation still also projects its driver coercion rule to be published on April 23rd 2014, The rule would create a requirement that the agency “consider whether coercion of drivers” by shippers, receivers, carriers or brokers “is a concern when developing a rule.” It too would have a 60-day comment period.

FMCSA’s Carrier Safety Fitness Determination rule proposal is, as per the report, still set to still be published August 4th 2014. The rule would change the agency’s data gathering process in regards to the way it calculates a carrier’s Safety Fitness Determination score. After the rule passes, if it does, the agency will use data from crashes, roadside inspections, violation history and investigations, nearly an identical data set used in calculating a Safety Measurement Scores in the agency’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability program.

Source: Overdrive Magazine

Tips For Becoming a Customer Support Star

Posted on | by Victoria Gole

In the rapidly growing and competitive fleet management/telematics industry, having a quality product is essential, but so is having an excellent customer support system. Your ability to provide support as a service to customers is crucial. You must strive to consistently support your:

  • Current Customer Base: Keep your existing customers happy, and continuously build and enhance brand loyalty.
  • Returning Customer Base: The next time the customer needs a new solution or product, your brand should be the first to come to their mind.
  • New Customer Base: Superior customer service means having a great reputation. Combining this will a strong product will create new business.

Here are a few tips for becoming a customer support star:

  1. Know the ProductIt is very difficult to sell something you aren’t familiar with. Learn everything you can about the product, use the product, train other employees about the product. A deep understanding of what you sell will definitely help you support it.
  2. Establish Effective Communication LinesOutstanding communication is key when it comes to support. Set up an easy-to-use support system for your customers, such as a phone or email system. The easier it is for customers to reach the business, the easier it is for you to provide support for your customers.
  3. Go Above & BeyondFollow up with your customers and be proactive. Check in every now and then even if they do not contact you. Even if everything seems to be going well, this type of extra effort will be greatly appreciated.
  4. Use Your ResourcesMany businesses provide higher-level support as well as a plethora of information, such as documents, videos, web links, blogs and other media. Use these tools to support your existing customers and stay on top of what’s new and happening within the industry. This allows you to stay one step ahead and always keep your customers informed.

The tips listed above, if implemented, will help your business to grow not only by keeping your existing customers happy but also provide an outlet for attracting new customers.

Prevent Dangerous Driving with GPS Fleet Management Software

Posted on | by Courtney redwell

GPS Fleet Management Software Helps Prevent Dangerous Driving

Fleet managers, parents and business owners all have something in common, worrying about dangerous driving. It is not only important to ensure the utmost safety of your drivers at all times, but you also want to avoid any unnecessary costs associated with dangerous or careless driving. What can you do about the way your drivers behave on the road? GPS fleet management software, also known as telematics, is the answer.

With GPS fleet management software, you have immediate insight into all driving activities allowing you and your drivers to better identify dangerous driving behaviors. These behaviors can be anything from speeding, sharp cornering and engine revving to rapid acceleration and harsh braking. Furthermore, you have the ability to view past trips your drivers have made. This allows you to:

  • Communicate proactively with your drivers using in-vehicle audible alerts.These alerts create a beeping sounds that informs your driver(s) when they have broken one of your custom safe driving rules, or when they are just about to break a rule. This gives the drivers an opportunity to realize and correct their driving mistakes and correct them on their own. Over time, these ‘beeps’ will improve driving habits and break the bad ones.
  • View & re-create trips on a map at any time.You can hover your mouse over any points on the map, and also see the exact location a driver broke a rule, such as speeding.
  • Review custom reports & set up new reports at your own convenience.These custom reports graphically illustrate the top speeding drivers, unauthorized after-hours usage, risk and safety scoring reports, and much more including personalized reports to fit your company’s specific needs.
  • Create custom notifications in the GPS fleet management software to notify you when your drivers are breaking a rule.For example, you may want to set up email or text message alerts if your drivers are ever on the road without wearing his/her seatbelt, idling, speeding, etc.

Unfortunately, despite proactive management efforts, accidents can still happen. GPS fleet management software allows you to re-create the trip of an accident to identify what happened and who was responsible. This valuable information will allow you to act fast on the incident, and depending on the outcome, provide ‘no-fault’ evidence for insurance coverage purposes.

Each and every business is unique and requires a customized approach to developing a safety plan for your drivers. To learn more about the audible alerts our GPS trackers offer, connect with us today. Email [email protected] or call 1-888-998-1122. They can help you better understand how GPS fleet management software can be used to help prevent dangerous driving.

Also, check out this article on how our Fleet Tracking System helps lower fuel costs.

GPS Tracking Units Put Dog Walkers Minds at Ease

Posted on | by Courtney redwell

Dogs Made Easy to Find With GPS Tracking Units

A company in Alberta, Canada that offers off-leash dog walking is using GPS tracking units to keep track of its dogs at all times.

Before Clever Canines takes any of the dogs out for any off-leash activity, the dogs are outfitted with a harness containing a small GPS tracking unit. It is included in their WalkAbout Program which uses a combination of on and off-leash activities.

The dog walkers will take up to 10 dogs at a time; all are tracked with the GPS tracking units using GPS and cellphone tower frequencies. The walkers can easily keep track of each dog on their smartphones, and the company’s owner can do the same from the main office.

The GPS tracking units help put not only the dog owners mind at ease but also the company owner and dog walkers, much like our units put the minds of fleet owners and managers at ease.

At first it might sound a bit strange and maybe too precautious, but it makes sense. Clever Canines would not run a dog walking service without using GPS tracking units; a dogs safety is too important to too many people to risk anything going wrong.

The units are especially useful for new dogs and ones who may not be as well trained at the rest of the group.

Joe Scorgie, one of the co-founders of Clever Canines does not expect GPS tracking units to become common among other dog walkers anytime in the near future. It is not something all dog walkers are able to afford, but the peace of mind the units provide is absolutely priceless.

Source: CBC News, Clever Canines

Not Taking Action Puts Your Company at Risk

Posted on | by Courtney redwell

Improve Driver Safety With Telematics

Many fleet managers put off implementing telematics to improve driver safety because they fear they will become aware of something that until now they did not have to subsequently manage. If you are in this situation ask yourself, what do you think is riskier? Not knowing if safety training is needed for your drivers OR knowing that there are drivers who require safety training and focusing attention on how to help them by developing a policy and various procedures?

To put this simply, the cost of not knowing far outweighs the cost of measuring and managing safety using an affordable telematics solution. Plus, not only will telematics help with driver safety, it will also help save money on fuel, allow for better route management, maintenance reminders and more.

If protecting your employees isn’t incentive enough, the courts are awarding increasingly large punitive settlements against companies that do not apply what is considered to be predominantly accessible technology.

In 2012, the court awarded $22 million to a plaintiff where the fleet failed to reinforce its non-use of cell phone policy. The court found the fleet at fault for failing to enforce a common and practical cell phone policy for improving driver safety. In New York State, backup camera use by trucks was mandated after a fatality, in addition to the use of external alarms of reversing trucks in Illinois. Not having equipment installed costs companies far more than the cost of the technology itself. The same case can be made for not applying practical and common tools to monitor and enforce safe driving. It is better to measure – in order to understand, develop a policy, and reinforce that policy than it is to ignore the risk of unsafe drivers in the first place.

With a massive payback by managing safety, fuel, and maintenance, it is surprising that not every fleet is already fully equipped with telematics. So the question becomes: will a court find that telematics technology is ubiquitous enough with 40% of fleets installed in North America, to find a fleet negligent if it is not measuring and ultimately managing safe driving?

To learn more about how GoFleet can help you run a safer fleet with our GPS Tracker Audible Coaching call 1-888-998-1122 or email [email protected].

How GPS Tracker Devices Will Ensure Top Quality Customer Service

Posted on | by Victoria Gole

GPS Tracker Devices Ensure Top Customer Service Quality

Each and every business knows that providing top-notch customer service is the name of the game; without it businesses will quickly be overridden by a competitor that respects the importance of taking good care of the customer. You may have the best product on the market or provide an incredible and unique service but without being reliable, friendly and dependable you will quickly lose out on valuable repeat customers and referrals. The benefits of GPS tracker devices to this area of business may not seem obvious, but in both short and long-term, you will find that meeting and exceeding customer expectations is a much more achievable goal with the use of a GPS fleet tracking system.

The data that is sent back to the central database is in real-time, which means you are able to provide the customer with live up-dates regarding the location of the vehicle. You can provide them with a very specific time of arrival and ensure that the driver stays on the designated route; you will find that more destinations can be reached in the same time period and therefore more satisfied customers to appreciate.

Employee-customer disputes will be eliminated thanks to GPS tracker devices. You will know the exact time your employee arrives at the customer location and the time they leave. If a customer complains about one of your employees being late or taking too long to fix an issue you will now be able to know the truth of the matter.

These are just a few of the features GPS tracker devices have to offer. Your company can benefit from installing these devices in a multitude of ways. To learn more about our GPS tracker devices and how they can save your company money and time please contact us via email: [email protected] or phone: 1-888-998-1122.

Take Advantage of the Mobile Driver Log Book

Posted on | by Victoria Gole

Mobile Driver Log Book Advantages

A driver logbook is necessary for a number of reasons and any business that requires the use of vehicles for transport, pick-up, delivery or in order to provide a customer service will know that completing the logbook is a standard part of the job. Nowadays technology is everywhere and providing a great number of benefits and uses to everyone. Drivers can now also benefit from the use of technology within their job as a mobile driver logbook makes the tedious daily task a great deal simpler and faster.

Drivers can save themselves time, and help the environment, as paperwork is drastically reduced thanks to the device; it automatically records essential data such as time spent on the road. It also creates a safer environment by helping you to stay on top of mechanical functions such as speed, mileage and engine diagnostics. All of these different features will help to ensure that driving behaviour is safe and efficient as well as ensure that drivers don’t go over their allowed driving hours. As all drivers will know there are many regulations that are often being updated and changed and a mobile driver’s logbook will ensure that everything is in order when it comes to inspections.

Take a look at our mobile driver log book solution or send us an email at [email protected] for more information.

Tips For More Effective Fleet Management

Posted on | by Victoria Gole

Effective Fleet Management Tips

Choose the most suitable vehicle for the task

Your fleet probably includes a variety of vehicles of different sizes and they are therefore probably all best suited to slightly different tasks. Make sure you use the more appropriate vehicle for each and every job.

Integrate a GPS tracking system

It’s essential that you know the location of your vehicles at all times for effective fleet management, and this means installing a GPS tracking system.

Keep data centralized and organized

Fleet management> depends on accurate and organized data so make sure that the information you receive from the GPS tracking system is centralized and analyzed so that it provides a real use.

Go green and cut costs

As we all know being as green as possible is a good idea for the sake of the environment but by reducing your fuel emissions and energy waste you will also find that you reduce your expenditures. Fleet management can help you save on fuel by cutting idling times, reducing speeding, and reducing harsh braking.

Be compliant to all regulations

When it comes to fleet management there are various regulations and compliance that need to be adhered to at all times. Effective data keeping on the part of both the driver and those analyzing, should help to ensure that all regulations are being respected.

Choosing GPS Fleet Tracking

5 Things to Look For When Choosing GPS Fleet Tracking

Posted on | by Courtney redwell

What to Look For When Choosing GPS Fleet Tracking

  1. Beware of Extra Hidden CostsMake sure the price you are quoted is the price you pay. Some companies will charge you for installation and/or to remove the units at the end of your contract. Another common hidden cost is roaming; companies will charge you roaming fees if your vehicles go out of the country.
  2. Ease of UseThere are a ton of powerful GPS fleet tracking options out there in today’s market that offer amazing features. Unfortunately, many can also be difficult to understand and take a while to get the hang of. It is extremely important you know how to operate the software as quickly as possible to not waste any of your valuable time.
  3. Ensure The System Works Even When You Aren’t at Your ComputerThis is critical when choosing GPS fleet tracking. Many people do not have the time to monitor their fleet 24/7; it is important your GPS tracking system has the ability to send real time alerts and reports without having to be logged into the system. Some people may not have time to login to the software everyday and it takes much less time to check a quick email with a simple report displaying information like fuel usage, idling, and time card reports.
  4. Live Support and TrainingWhen you make the decision to purchase GPS fleet tracking software for your company not only are you buying a product and service, you are also creating a relationship. A GPS Unit simply installed in one of your vehicles will not be very useful to you; the units reach their full potential when you fully understand the software they come with. In order to understand the ins and outs of the software and all the different reporting capabilities, live support and training is a necessity. It is important to have on-going training available to you when and where you need it.
  5. The Necessary Features to Create ROI Some systems may look great at first but when diving into the software they may actually be relatively useless; many systems lack the necessary features to ensure adding money to your bottom line. Some examples of these features include various alerts (eg. idling and harsh driving), geo-fences, dispatching capabilities and fuel usage reports.

For more information please email [email protected] or call 1-888-998-1122.

How GPS Tracking Benefits Your Business

Posted on | by Victoria Gole

GPS Tracking Benefits For Your Business

GPS Tracking is a system of which an increasing number of businesses are choosing to take advantage. The benefits are plentiful and varied and the following are just a few examples of the way in which you can expect GPS tracking to improve your business.

Reduction in costs

As all businesses will be aware, one of the most important aspects is to keep the costs down whenever possible. A GPS tracking system will help to achieve through a number of ways including the driver scorecard that ensures efficient use of fuel and the GPS tracking system that ensures that all vehicles are located where they should be.

Improved customer service

Through keeping all drivers on track and on route, businesses have found a significant increase in productivity and therefore a more efficient customer service.

Safer driving environment

Drivers are alerted by beeps when they are speeding and are provided with engine diagnostics to increase their safety.

Improved performance

Using GPS tracking to record data from your drivers and to pin point the location of all vehicles on the road offer all of these different benefits, which ultimately results in an improved overall business performance.

Still in the process of deciding on a GPS tracking service provider? This article can help: Choosing GPS Fleet Tracking