Wednesday, September 19, 2012

GPS Fleet Management System


A GPS Fleet Management System should be designed for service and distribution business who want an easy-to-use, cost effective, scalable solution to manage their fleet.
It should have no software to buy or install; customers can simply log in to the password protected website for quick, 24/7 access to real-time information and management of their fleet from any web-enabled device.
Advantages of a Good System:
  • 2-way dispatch and messaging application
  • Vehicle routing and driving directions
  • Vehicle maintenance report
  • 12 real-time alerts
  • Automated email report delivery
  • 2 minute updates are standard
  • 90 days of historical data archived
  • No software to buy, or map controls to download
  • One monthly service bill (No additional fees from wireless carriers)

Customers universally experience reduced costs and increased overall operational efficiencies. Customers should experience dramatic decreases in fuel usage, speeding, personal use of vehicles and overtime. Combine this with significant increases in driver productivity and customer service, and you’ve got a healthier bottom line.
  • Increased driver productivity
  • Real-time dispatch tool
  • Decreased overtime
  • Reduced fuel expenses
  • Improved customer service
  • Reduced response time
  • More accurate billing
  • Validation of service calls
  • Benefits of virtual time-clock
  • Lower insurance costs (5-15%)
  • Decreased driver speeding 

Mapping:
  • View the location of a single vehicle or fleets and immediately see their status (moving, stopped and stop duration. Quickly find addresses and dispatch the closest vehicles.
  • Hybrid mapping powered by Google™ with real-time traffic
  • Send jobs and messages to mobiles by clicking vehicle icon
  • Look up addresses, user-defined locations and zones
  • Layer user-defined zones and locations on top of a map display
  • “Ping” vehicle for position updates if needed between set intervals

Routing:
  • Managers and dispatchers can create and save multi-point routes and directions. Managers can then easily view and edit driving directions and send them directly to the driver.
  • Use a vehicle’s current location, a previously saved location or generate a new location using route points
  • Organize route points in the order needed
  • View the route and directions
  • Create, name and save any number of customized routes
  • Send driving directions directly to the drivers using the additional
  • Marcus® Dispatch application

Alerts:
  • Provides instantaneous email notification when user-definable violations occur. View easy-to read summaries of exceptions without sorting through other mail.
  • Speeding:
  • Odd hours of operation
  • First movement of the day
  • Arrival at location
  • Departure from location
  • Enter and exit zones
  • Sensors (Idle, cargo door, lift, etc.)
  • Extended Stop
  • No movement
  • Enter / exit zip code
  • Excessive Idling


Customizable Reports - Tailored to Your Business Needs
Get all of the reporting capabilities listed below with a GPS Fleet Management System. This tremendous flexibility provides detailed vehicle and driver information specific to your business processes. Armed with the information in these customized reports, you will make more informed decisions that will improve your customer service and bottom line.

Report Features:
  • Generate reports on the fly via website
  • Automate email report delivery to key managers
  • Store 90 days of data and run reports for:
  • Any day, any week, any month
  • Custom day/date range using drop-down calendar selector
  • Single mobile or fleets
  • Highlight report entries for stops exceeding your customized time limit
  • Generate, print and email in multiple formats:
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Adobe PDF
  • CSV Text
  • HTML

  
2-way Messaging:
  • The powerful 2-way messaging system provides all of the necessary tools to quickly create and send text messages to all of your drivers, and they can respond directly back.
  • Send messages to connected in-vehicle device
  • Manage all messages from a single screen
  • Messages are sorted by driver for easy management
  • Quickly reply to or delete messages with a single mouse click
  • Easily create route directions and email them to your drivers, has both canned and free form send messages

Vehicle Maintenance:
  • Set maintenance points for each vehicle or fleet of vehicles, type of service and duration with notifications that can be emailed when maintenance points are reached.
  • Set maintenance points for each vehicle or the entire fleet
  • Configure service types and duration in actual miles or elapsed time
  • User defined maintenance lists such as oil changes, tire rotation, tune-ups, etc.
  • Maintenance alerts can be emailed directly to your computer, handheld device, cell phone or pager

Administration:
Administrators can easily view and modify all aspects of their users, drivers and managers from a single screen. Create and manage customizable zones and locations with a few simple keystrokes.
  • Zones and locations are resizable directly on the map
  • Define / edit automated email report delivery
  • Define / edit driver assignment to vehicle name
  • Define / edit saved locations
  • Define / edit zones
  • Define user groups by fleet
  • Define / edit vehicle names
  • Define / edit fleets
  • User interface preference selection
  • Password management

GPS Fleet Management System should be known as a user-friendly, intuitive, GPS tracking system in the fleet management industry. Continual improvement based upon customer input has resulted in balancing an affordable, extremely full-featured application with user simplicity to maximize our customers’ value of time and resources.
Improve efficiency and boost profitability with a GPS Fleet Management System.
Article by Axandra SEO software

Friday, August 10, 2012

Where to buy a Fleet Tracking System


As you search the internet for a GPS Fleet Tracking application for your fleet, you obviously come across a myriad of GPS Tracking Companies. 
This poses a question that everyone asks themselves.

Who do I buy from?   A Manufacturer or a Dealer

We will look at the pros and cons of each

There are some distinct advantages for buying your GPS FleetTracking system from a reseller, or a distributor.
The first is a reseller usually carries multiple platforms of GPS Fleet Tracking Systems.
This allows the reseller to select a system that is right for you. They do not persuade or push the one and only system on you, telling you it will do everything you need it to do.
Having multiple systems, each having a niche market, gives the reseller an advantage over the manufacturer. It could be a dispatch platform, to give you the ability to send your fleet vehicle two way communications and turn by turn navigation.
It may be an Electronic Driver’s Log, or HOS (Hours of Service), alerts or reports that you are looking for, or what about engine diagnostics, Temperature sensors.
Anyone of these may have you looking at a brand to help you improve you bottom line.
The second reason and maybe the most important, Pricing.
In order for a manufacturer to exist, they have a set pricing system. If you call up and tell them you want 10 units, they have a set price. They have this price in order NOT to undercut their dealers and in turn possibly loose there dealer network. So they will not negotiate with you on pricing. Where as a dealer will give and take on the cost. On a slow month, they may be more willing to move inventory and get a sale. They may even trader dollars on a system to make a month’s goal.
You may think that you will get better service and follow up care. Just not true. A reseller, if they are good, will follow up with training, and answer questions after the sale. As a fall back, you can always get additional customer service with the manufacturer. It truly is the best of both worlds.
So if you are looking to maximize your spending dollars, it might be wise to take a look at a reseller and see if they can help you out.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

GPS Fleet Tracking Units Save You Money


Saving money is making money, and Safety Track saves fleet companies thousands, even hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. These GPS fleet tracking units sport numerous features that make tracking vehicles and streamlining operations simple.

Below are some standard cost savings by implementing a GPS fleet tracking system.

·         Reducing speed on a single vehicle by 10MPH increases fuel economy by 20%
- 7 gallon weekly decrease in fuel usage
- Weekly fuel savings of $20-30
- Annual fuel savings of $1,000-$1,500
(varies based on MPG, daily miles driven and fuel cost)

·         Eliminating unnecessary driving by 10 miles per day for a single vehicle
- 4 gallons of fuel saved per week
- Weekly fuel savings of $16
- Annual fuel savings of more than $800
(varies based on MPG and fuel cost)

·         Losing 15 minutes per day of productivity from a single employee
- 65 hours per year in lost productivity
- Approximate savings of $1,200-$2,000
(varies based on hourly rate)

·         One employee uses a company gas card to fill their personal vehicle once a month
- Monthly fuel savings of $70
- Annual fuel savings of $840
(varies based on fuel tank size and fuel cost)

Gas savings
$2,200
Productivity gained
$2,000
Theft savings
$840
Total annual savings
$5,040
Safety Track’s first year cost
$587
First year ROI
10 Times Cost



Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Why Choose Safety Track for Your Fleet Tracking

The GPS Fleet Tracking System by Safety Track is designed for service and distribution business who want an easy-to-use, cost effective, scalable solution to manage their fleet.
There is no software to buy or install; customers can simply log in to the password protected website for quick, 24/7 access to real-time information and management of their fleet from any web-enabled device.
·         Vehicle routing and driving directions
·         Vehicle maintenance report
·         12 real-time alerts
·         Automated email report delivery
·         2 minute updates are standard
·         90 days of historical data archived
·         No software to buy, or map controls to download
·         One monthly service bill (No additional fees from wireless carriers)

Safety Track’s customers universally experience reduced costs and increased overall operational efficiencies. Our customers experience dramatic decreases in fuel usage, speeding, personal use of vehicles and overtime. Combine this with significant increases in driver productivity and customer service, and you’ve got a healthier bottom line.
·         Increased driver productivity
·         Real-time dispatch tool
·         Decreased overtime
·         Reduced fuel expenses
·         Improved customer service
·         Reduced response time
·         More accurate billing
·         Validation of service calls
·         Benefits of virtual time-clock
·         Lower insurance costs (5-15%)
·         Decreased driver speeding

These benefits explain why Safety Track Fleet Management products and services are currently used by over 5000 companies in The United States and Canada. Key industries include HVAC, plumbing, construction, transit and distribution. Safety Track is proud to have leading businesses such as LKQ, Keystone Automotive, Alpine Power System, and M. J. White as our customers.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Fleet Safety Tip of the Week - News - Automotive Fleet

Here’s some advice from the Connecticut DMV on the art of driver scanning. You may want to pass this along to your drivers as a friendly reminder.

To be a good driver, you must know what is happening around your vehicle. You must look ahead, to the sides and behind your vehicle. Scanning helps you to see problems ahead -- vehicles and people that may be in the road by the time you reach them, signs warning you of problems ahead, and signs giving you directions.

To avoid last-minute braking or turning, look well down the road. By looking well ahead and being ready to stop or change lanes if needed, you can drive more safely, save on fuel, help keep traffic moving at a steady pace, and allow yourself time to better see around your vehicle and along the road. Looking well down the road will also help you to steer more straightly with less weaving. Safer drivers tend to look at least 12 seconds ahead of their vehicles. This is the distance that your vehicle will travel in 12 seconds.

In the city, 12 seconds is about one block. When you drive in city traffic, you should try to look at least one block ahead. On the highway, 12 seconds is about four city blocks (or a quarter of a mile).
Here is how to figure how far ahead you are looking:

Read More….

Fleet Safety Tip of the Week - News - Automotive Fleet

Safe Driving...
http://www.safetytrack.net/

Friday, November 18, 2011

DOT & EPA Officially Release 2017 - 2025 Proposed Fuel Economy Standards - News - Automotive Fleet

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) unveiled their joint proposal to set stronger fuel economy standards for model year 2017-2025 passenger cars and light trucks on Nov. 16. The proposed program requires manufacturers to increase their average fuel economy to 54.5 mpg.

There will be an opportunity for the public to comment on the proposal for 60 days after it is published in the Federal Register. Public hearings will take place in January in Detroit, Philadelphia, and San Francisco to allow further public input.
Although the agencies expect this proposal to add about $2,000 to the cost of each vehicle in 2025, they expect consumers to save up to $6,600 in fuel costs for the lifetime of the vehicle, with a net lifetime savings of up to $4,400.
The proposal extends fuel economy standards set for model years 2012-2016, which will raise fuel efficiency equivalent to 35.5 mpg by 2016.
According to the release, auto manufacturers are already heavily invested in developing advanced technologies that can significantly reduce fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions beyond the existing model year 2012-2016 standards. Technologies are available for automakers to meet the new standards, including advanced gasoline engines and transmissions, vehicle weight reduction, lower tire rolling resistance, improvements in aerodynamics, diesel engines, more efficient accessories, and improvements in air conditioning systems. The agencies also expect the standards to spur manufacturers to increasingly explore electric technologies such as start/stop, hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and electric vehicles. The model year 2017-2025 proposal includes a number of incentive programs to encourage early adoption and introduction of "game changing" advanced technologies, such as hybridization for pickup trucks.
California plans to issue its proposal for model year 2017-2025 vehicle greenhouse gas standards on December 7 and will finalize its standards in January, according to the agencies.
For more detailed information, visit the NHTSA webiste.

DOT & EPA Officially Release 2017 - 2025 Proposed Fuel Economy Standards - News - Automotive Fleet

www.safetytrack.net/info/blog

Jeff Stoker

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Fleet Safety Tip of the Week


This week’s driver safety advice, provided by the Tennessee Department of Safety, concerns the "No-Zone" for large vehicles. You may want to pass this along to your drivers as a friendly reminder.
Many motorists falsely assume that drivers of trucks and buses can see the road better because they sit twice as high as the driver of a small vehicle. While trucks and buses do enjoy a better forward view and have bigger mirrors, they have serious blind spots into which a small vehicle can disappear from view.
The No-Zone represents danger areas around trucks and buses where crashes are more likely to occur.
1. The area approximately up to 20 feet directly in front of a large vehicle is considered a No-Zone. When small vehicles cut in too soon after passing or changing lanes, then abruptly slow down, trucks and buses are forced to compensate with very little room or time to spare.
2. Unlike small vehicles, trucks and buses have deep blind spots directly behind them. Avoid following too closely in this No-Zone. If you stay in the rear blind spot of a large vehicle, you increase the possibility of a traffic crash. The driver of the bus or truck cannot see your vehicle and your view of the traffic ahead will be severely reduced.
3. Large vehicles have much larger blind spots on both sides than cars do. When you drive in these blind spots for any length of time, the vehicle's driver cannot see you. When passing, even if the vehicle's driver knows you are there, remaining alongside a large vehicle too long makes it impossible for the driver to take evasive action if an obstacle appears in the roadway ahead.
4. Truck and bus drivers often cannot see vehicles directly behind or beside them when they are attempting to safely negotiate a right turn. If you cut in between the truck or bus and the curb or shoulder to the right, this maneuver greatly increases the possibility of a crash in this "right turn squeeze."

Fleet Safety Tip of the Week - News - Automotive Fleet