Category: Blog

Who Says Hours-of-Service Compliance Has to be Difficult?

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Hours-of-Service Made Easy With Our HOS Compliance Solution

Almost everyone in today’s society seems to have a smartphone or tablet device. In fact, a new study by the PEW Research Centre shows that over 90% of American adults own a cell phone, and that these devices are used for much more than just making phone calls. Companies are constantly developing apps to better capitalize on the ubiquity of mobile devices.

People continue to demand more and more from their technology – both in and out of the workplace. It is important for telematics providers to meet the needs of their customers and end-users. Geotab Drive – a recently developed app, which can be downloaded on Google’s PlayStore, has a multitude of features – including hours-of-service (HOS). This app is intended to comply with the DOT regulation needs of Truck companies, specifically in the USA.

Three important features make up our HOS solution:

  1. Compatability Geotab Drive is compatible with devices running Android 4.1 or higher. Preferably with a 7-inch screen and capactive touch screen. The device also must have a built in cellular modem (3G or LTE) and GP.
  2. FlexibilityEven if your dedicated HOS tablet were to stop working for whatever reason, the solution to the problem is as simple as pulling out another Android device with all the required specs and loading the Geotab Drive app on it. As long as you have a valid data connection, you can always login to sync with the server and instantly gain access to all your HOS and DVIR logs. You do not need to rely on a single device & you can easily switch from one device to another.
  3. CompliancyGoFleet certifies that the design of the HOS Solution has been sufficiently tested to meet the requirements of § 395.15 of 49 CFR Part 395 under the conditions it will be used.

Learn more about GoFleet’s HOS Compliance Solution here: HOS Compliance Solution or Contact Us!

References: Duggan, M. (2013, September 19). Cell phone activities 2013. Retrieved November 21, 2013 from Pewinternet.org: http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Cell-Activities.aspx

5 Ways to Reduce Fuel Expenses with GPS Fleet Tracking

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Reduce Fuel Expenses With GPS Fleet Tracking

Today’s elevated fuel prices cause fleet managers to spend as much as 30 percent of their budget on fuel alone. Fleet managers that aim to maximize their vehicles MPG performance with the use of fleet management technology can quickly lower those fuel costs.

The Us Department of Energy reported that gas mileage decreases rapidly at speeds above 50 mph. You can assume that for each 5 mph you drive over 50 mph is like paying an additional $0.25 per gallon for gas.

To start realizing a fast ROI here are a few tips on how you can cut fuel costs through GPS fleet tracking:

  1. Stop Unnecessary Idling. Our GPS fleet tracking devices come equipped with in-vehicle alerts (beeping) to prompt the driver to turn off the vehicle.
  2. Improve Your Routes. Give drivers better direction by creating zones in our vehicle tracking software. This will help your drivers arrive at their destinations faster and save you money.
  3. Reduce Speeding. Create in-software rules that will warn drivers when they should slow down through our audible driver alerts.
  4. Put an End to Unauthorized Vehicle Use. Always know when your vehicles are in use and where they have traveled through trips history.
  5. Start Using a Fuel Card. Track driver and company wide fuel purchases.

The ongoing increase in fuel prices are due to various reasons including natural disasters, political issues and of course the overall high demand and reliability on fuel. To help you cope with these increasing prices and reduce your overall fuel consumption please contact us today.

Misconceptions Related to GPS Tracking

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Myths about GPS Tracking and Telematics

There can sometimes be a negative attitude surrounding the use of GPS tracking systems when it comes to tracking company vehicles. This is because many business owners, workers, and employees misunderstand the product.

This article aims to disprove those myths and help you see the many benefits GPS tracking can bring to your business.

1. It’s expensive to use GPS tracking systems.
Not all customers will have the same needs and we certainly do not want our customers paying for services they will not use. Some customers want detailed fuel and engine reports while others just want basic GPS tracking; the pricing options vary depending on the customers needs. Also, you can analyze the data and plan your routes accordingly which can help reduce fuel costs helping you save money and get a return on investment.

2. Installation can be complicated and will cost me significant time.
Multiple cables and antennas are long gone. Our latest line of products are not only small and compact but they are also designed to be ‘plug and play’. This means exactly what it sounds like it does. You simply locate the OBD port in your vehicle, insert the device into the port and you’re done! You can begin live tracking your vehicles in a matter of minutes.

3. Why do I need to track drivers? I can just use their service cards and paper logs.
It is true. You can use service call sheets and paper logs to confirm work has been completed. Although, sometimes these can get lost or details can be forgotten. Furthermore, no one wants to be stuck doing paper work when there is a much simpler way. Why not use the automated (and of course, customizable) reports GoFleet offers? These reports can be used to streamline service reports and payroll activities. Also with real time GPS tracking you will have the ability to give your customers accurate information on when a service call will be performed, increasing customer service.

4. I do not need to track my employees therefore I have no need for GPS tracking.
GPS Tracking devices do not have to be used for directly monitoring employees driving. Some customers use the devices for a much more basic use, such as a security measure. If a vehicle (or expensive equipment) is ever stolen, GPS real-time tracking will increase your chances of recovering these assets exponentially. Also, our GPS Tracking devices can communicate with your vehicles computer directly, allowing it to pick up on any potential vehicle faults (through diagnostic codes) so you can perform preventative maintenance before these issues become a big problem.

5. My employees operate in remote locations so I won’t be able to accurately track where they are.
Although our devices do use cellular networks to upload data they also can store months and months of data on the device itself which it will then upload when it comes back into reception.

For more information on these myths or any other information in general regarding GPS tracking please contact us.

New York Emphasizes School Bus Fleet Safety

Posted on | by Victoria Gole | Leave a Comment on New York Emphasizes School Bus Fleet Safety

School Bus Fleet Safety Programs Keep Kids Safe

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read more about School Bus Tracking Systems.

Cut Costs With Fleet Maintenance Software

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Our Fleet Maintenance Software Will Cut Down Your Costs

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

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

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

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

Maintenance Management

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

Inventory and Equipment Control

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

Vehicle and Asset Management

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

Accident and Claim Management

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

GPS Tracking

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

 

What Type of Buyer Are You?

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

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

 

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

Township Installs Fuel Management System

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New Jersey Township Installs a Fuel Management System to Control Costs

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

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

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

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

Federal mandate for Electronic Log Devices In Effect Soon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Venice Installs Small Real Time GPS Tracking Device on Gondolas

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Local Venetian Government Installs Small Real Time GPS Tracking Devices

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

GoFleet’s Overview: Fleet Management Solutions

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A Comprehensive Overview of Fleet Management Solutions

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

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

Vehicle Tracking to Save on Fuel

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

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

 

Hard Data to Cut Back on Costs

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

Interesting Uses For Real Time GPS Tracking

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Track Luggage With Real Time GPS Tracking

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

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

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

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

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

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

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