Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Fuel Savings with a Fleet Tracking System

We did training today with one of our new customers. They have 160 plug and play tracking units, the ST-400’s installed in their fleet of vehicles.
Now one of the biggest cost savings that a tracking unit can save a company is by understanding the idle habit of the drivers. Do they ever turn off their trucks?
We were going through a certain segment of this customer’s fleet and we noticed that one driver had over 24 hours of idle time in one week. We discuss that for each hour of idle time, a vehicle will burn about ¾ of a gallon of fuel. So this one driver used an additional 18 gallons of fuel for this one week. With fuel being $3.50 per gallon and that is being pretty gracious, this driver wasted $63.00 of fuel alone. Now multiple that times 52 weeks and you get $3276.00 in wasted fuel cost. Now take that times 160 trucks and you could be wasting over ½ million dollars in fuel. 
Once the customer caught his breath, he said that his fuel bill for the year was 3 million dollars!!!  If you cut just 10% of that bill, you savings would add up to $300,000.00 per year in savings.
It’s hard to run a fleet of vehicle without knowing what is going on. What are my drivers doing? Are they idling to long?
Tracking your Fleet with a GPS Fleet Tracking System can give you the data you need to manage your fleet better.
For more information contact:
Jeff Stoker

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Thursday, September 8, 2011

Safety Track’s New ST-60 Trailer Tracking Unit

Safety Track’s ST-60 mobile asset tracking solution provides 24x7 visibility to the location and status of trailers, roll-off boxes, mobile generators, construction and yard equipment and other assets.  It gives managers the power to efficiently manage asset inventory, improve revenues and reduce operating costs.
The ST-60 is an easy to install, self-contained GPS trailer tracking device with an internal long-life battery. It incorporates the latest in GPS, radio, antenna and micro-controller technologies in a weather-proof enclosure.  Safety Track’s breakthrough power management technology enables the ST-60 to operate up to 7 years without changing the battery.
It is available in two form factors to suit different operational requirements.  The ST-60 is a standard 1” high device for mounting on top of trailers. 

Hardware Features
  • Easy vertical or horizontal installation
    using very high bonding adhesive
  • Long-life, non-rechargeable lithium
    battery
  • Updates can be sent at customer
    specified times and/or triggered by events
    such as start/stop, change in orientation,
    change in temperature
  • Full duplex GSM/GPRS system – allows
    reporting configuration to be changed
    via over-the-air commands any time.
 Web-based 24x7 Visibility
  • Customers access asset tracking data
    and reports via the web gateway
  • No software to install or maintain

Monday, September 5, 2011

GPS Tracking & Business

Managing assets is the same whether you have a small business or are in the accounting department of a large corporation.  Keeping track of the things that are used outside of the walls of your business is a major task.  That’s why GPS Tracking is an important addition to any business.
GPS Tracking & Business
For many large corporations, physical assets make up millions and millions of dollars on a balance sheet.  For that reason alone, tight control and close management are mandatory.  That is why GPS Tracking systems should be instituted into all businesses that are tasked with managing mobile or near-mobile assets.  Anything that can easily be moved should be outfitted with a GPS Tracking device.
Protect Assets. When these systems are implemented, location is never a question.  Even if the models that just allow for periodic checking on location are used, then that makes them worth the money.
Movable and Mobile. If the assets in question are vehicles, then that is all the more reason to get GPS Tracking systems.  Not only can location be ascertained, but also direction of travel and speed as well.  Part of managing vehicles is making sure that they are properly cared for on an on-going basis.  That is what you get with GPS Tracking systems.
Lower Insurance Premiums. Lowering insurance costs means mitigating risks inherent in the managing and deploying of assets.  If lower risk from theft occurs, or even if GPS Tracking systems means finding stolen property sooner, then the cost is worth the investment.
Theft Recovery. If asset are stolen which are being tracked via GPS Tracking systems, then they can be recovered in days, not weeks, months or even years.  Or , worse yet, not at all.  Theft occurs not only from without, but within a company, too.  So, weeding out those types of employees is a positive step, as well.
Maintenance Monitoring. Close control of assets means tracking and scheduling their maintenance.  This helps increase the longevity of the assets with saves money in the long run by not having to replace it sooner because of misuse.  It is like money in the bank.
Increased Profitability. GPS Tracking systems are like adding profit to your bottom line because of the savings you can realize in other areas of asset management.  Fewer employees can manage more devices.
When GPS Tracking systems are added to a business, you achieve a balanced and controlled organization with accountability at its core.  The more you use GPS Tracking systems, the more you realize that you cannot be successful without them.
As the global economy continues to suffer, the value of business assets rises in importance in helping to keep companies afloat financially.  Sometimes businesses are just one small catastrophe away from bankruptcy.  That is why GPS Tracking as a tool for business operations is more valuable now than ever.

When is the Right Time for GPS Tracking?

This is an age old questions that seems to be asked all the time.  When do I really need to track my fleet? Is Fleet Tracking right for me?
Is it when there is an economic downturn, or is it after I find out that someone has stolen my vehicle, stolen time from my company, or stolen gas from my fuel card?  All very good time to ask this particular question, but is it too late them. Is it like closing the barn door after the cows are out?
The cost of tracking your fleet has come down over the past few years. Competition has lead to a buyer’s market. Hardware costs are falling, with airtime doing the same.  But like any other technology, the lowest price isn’t always the best buy. Think about what feature you really need, must have.  Feature you would like to have. See what the cost difference is for system with the different feature.
Some fleet owners like going directly to the manufacturer and “think” they are getting the best price for the system.  But really what they are getting is “that” system.  What if it doesn’t give you the entire feature you need? They sell you they system and hope it covers all the features you want. Going to a dealer that may sell three of four different systems, can hear what it is you are looking for, can give the system that fits your needs, and not one that may not. Find a deal that has been doing this for over five years.  They know what is going on in the industry.
Take your time and ask the right questions and see just how knowledgeable they are.
The time to buy a GPS Fleet Management and Tracking System may be closer than you think.
http://www.safetytrack.net/st-m3g/