Author: Courtney redwell

GPS Fleet Management Technology Cost Savings

Posted on | by Courtney redwell

GPS Fleet Management Technology: How to Realize Cost Savings

Something all companies can relate to is that they are always looking for ways to grow their profits. A proven way to reduce fleet costs and increase profits is through more efficient use of fleet vehicles. This can be achieved in multiple ways such as: reducing fuel costs, optimizing on-road driver productivity, and monitoring and improving vehicle maintenance. To assist fleet managers in developing a positive business case for investing in GPS fleet management technology, this articles will focus on some cost reducing and expense consideration elements. Through identification of these elements and associating the savings of managing them you will be able to put together a business case for taking action based on facts!

How will I justify an investment from my company in GPS fleet management technology?

 

Start by taking a look at the investment:

Calculate the one-time upfront costs for the GPS tracking device and the monthly reoccurring fees. Also consider whether or not the device is plug-and-play (self installed) or if you will have to install a professional installer (addition cost).

Then take a look at the cost savings:

GPS fleet management technology provides benefits from the utilization of valuable data.

1. Fuel Savings

Reduce fuel consumption by:

  • Reduced speeding – the system has the ability to remind drivers immediately when over speed limits.
  • Take advantage of in-vehicle driver coaching alerts to manage idling.
  • Utilize fuel reports to get fuel consumption data for your entire fleet and driver behavior reports/trends over time.
2. Route Optimization Cost & Time Savings

Reduce labor and fuel costs by:

  • Regularly review real-time information such as optimal daily delivery routes.
  • Fleet managers can view all vehicle locations in real-time and can provide important information to drivers to make fast and accurate deliveries.
  • Dispatch drivers effectively with our route optimization tool; locate and direct drivers to dispatch the closest driver to a destination, avoid traffic, or alter routes if additional stops become needed.
  • As a fleet manager you can track driver behavior that directly translates into increased fuel costs. Also, you can compare vehicles or drivers with one another to target improvement areas.
3. Maintenance Savings

Our GPS devices help determine a vehicle’s condition, performance, and when to schedule maintenance to avoid problems and breakdowns.

  • Completing maintenance at set time intervals is great but then it is done regardless of mileage or usage; scheduled maintenance is based on actual vehicle use and performance.
  • This will help determine when your vehicles will need to be taken off the road for maintenance, reducing wasted maintenance expenses (eg. oil change) and downtime.
  • The GPS fleet management technology will help to identify less efficient vehicles or when vehicles should be placed on a shorter route.
  • Avoid engine issues before they result in vehicle down-time or costly repairs by managing your engine fault code information. These codes explain the engine issues (what it is & where to locate it) to help save on vehicle inspection costs and time.
  • When focusing on predictive engine health you’ll realize savings through pro-actively working with service technicians to pinpoint core problem areas.

Synopsis
Data offers an invaluable power. It will allow your company to set standards for your business, achieve higher levels of customer service and identify spare and/or underused equipment. The return on investment is driving the demand for GPS fleet management technology and raising the standards in fleet management. If you would like more information please feel free to give one of our fleet optimization specialists a call at 1-888-998-1122 or use our contact form and we will get back to you asap!

 

Original Article Written by: Robert Mowat, Geotab
http://www.geotab.com/blog/realizing-cost-savings-gps-fleet-management-technology/

Fleet Management Challenges

Posted on | by Courtney redwell

Fleet Management Made Easier

Today, fleet managers are under pressure to minimize fleet costs but are missing the information necessary to make informed decisions. It is important fleet managers have access to the tools they need to better manage their vehicles and drivers on a daily basis; fleet management technology provides these necessary tools. This information, paired with the appropriate follow-up by management, can help achieve significant cost savings. The key challenges fleet managers can face daily include:

Unnecessary Vehicle Idling
Fleet Manager’s may recognize unnecessary and excessive idling can be a significant contribution to operating costs, not all fleet managers know the extent of their fleet idling or what areas they should focus on. GoFleet’s Geotab fleet management solution enables fleet managers to:

  • Visualize total fleet idling as a whole
  • Measure idling in the yard, at drop off locations, at customer stops etc.
  • Understand idling as a percentage of total engine time
  • Monitor weekly and monthly idling trends with easy to use custom reports

Fleet Managers equipped with this knowledge can more easily identify the drivers, vehicles, and locations that exceed acceptable levels of idling and take corrective action. Reducing unnecessary idling is a simple way to reduce fuel costs.

Repairs and Maintenance
Vehicle downtime and fleet repairs are an expensive cost that fleet managers deal with daily. Managing these costs can be a major challenge. Using GoFleet’s Geotab fleet management solution fleet managers can:

  • View vehicle diagnostic codes right from a mobile or desktop device
  • Quickly identify potential vehicle issues which assists in prioritizing repairs
  • Set up regular maintenance reminders

When fleet managers act on this information, they can identify vehicle issues before they become major repairs and more efficiently manage vehicle maintenance. This can help reduce vehicle downtime and major repair costs which is an essential part to all operations. Additionally, regular maintenance on vehicles can likely prolong the life of major vehicle parts as well as increase the longevity vehicles.

Fleet Productivity
Are you getting the most out of your vehicles? Fleet managers constantly aim to achieve maximizing one’s fleet potential. GoFleet’s Geotab solution can provide important insight into the productivity of a fleet:

  • Fleet utilization visibility
  • Number of customer stops made in a day
  • Time spent at the office versus customer site
  • Real time dispatch and ability to identify nearest vehicle to a location
  • Driver’s congregating reporting
  • Routing

Gaining insight into the routes taken each day and knowing the utilization of vehicles can help fleet managers recognize where changes are needed to improve fleet efficiency and avoid unnecessary distance driven. Having access to this valuable information helps management make informed decisions on purchasing new vehicles. For example, vehicles identified as not in use can be re-assigned to locations that require extra vehicles, helping to eliminate the need to make big purchases that are unnecessary.

Contact GoFleet to learn more about this topic, or schedule an online demo to see the solution work in action.

 

Original Article Written by: Laurelle Flewelling, Account Manager at Geotab
http://www.geotab.com/blog/fleet-management-challenging-world/

An Overview of Geofencing and Routing in MyGeotab

Posted on | by Courtney redwell

Routing & Geofencing in MyGeotab GPS Fleet Management Software

A geofence is a virtual perimeter (or fence) around a geographical real-world area of interest. Geofencing allows users to draw virtual perimeters around places of work, gas stations, customers’ sites, homes, entire states, airports and more. It can also be a critical component for analyzing fleet behavior when combined with notifications and exception reporting. There are multiple benefits that can be gained through making use of geofencing, some of which include:

  • Increasing productivity
  • Establishing driver accountability
  • Tracking high value assets

 

Geofencing within MyGeotab
GPS Fleet Management Software

 

In the MyGeotab software, provided by Geotab and GoFleet, geofences are referred to as zones and the software provides easy-to-use tools for the user to create them. It is not necessary to be tech-savvy in order to understand how to create zones within MyGeotab. Also, you can create a large number of zones at once by importing a bulk list of latitude and longitude information prepared through a spreadsheet application, such as Microsoft Excel, or by defining the boundaries of the zone through the map.

routing mygeotab gps fleet management software

Example of creating a zone on the map within MyGeotab
One unique aspect of the MyGeotab GPS fleet management software is that it allows for zones to be combined with exception reporting. This results in the zone-based exceptions that are generated by drivers can provide information about which zones the drivers were close to throughout their work day and the duration spent around these set zones. This then allows for the following potential scenarios:

  • Send an email when drivers leave or arrive in a certain zone
  • Alert drivers who have left a certain zone early with an in-vehicle sound
  • When a delivery truck is about to arrive a notification sent to a shipping department
  • Notify managers if a driver has entered an unauthorized zone
  • Notify managers if a driver is spending too much time in a certain zone
  • Special cases of zone use with MyGeotab

Exception reporting in the MyGeotab GPS fleet management software is usually used to report when a vehicle is breaking a rule and may not typically be related to zones. The fact that MyGeotab has the ability to combine regular exception reporting with zones allows for some uniquely useful scenarios. Take a look at the following examples:

Example 1:
An oil and gas company located in Australia normally has to send their fleets to the outskirts of town to work on different projects. Most places these fleets need to go are off-roads and may not have speed limits. What this company has done with MyGeotab is create speed limit zones in these areas so that the fleet manager gets a notification if a driver is surpassing a certain speed. This allows fleet managers to create their own custom speed limits and to help ensure the safety of the drivers.

Example 2:
A taxi company located in Nova Scotia has combined the use of zones with auxiliaries. The company has attached auxiliaries to the taxi fare meters so that they are able to receive reports through MyGeotab whenever the fare meters are in use. In addition, the taxi company has placed different zones in the area where the taxi company operates. As a result, the company is able to receive reports on what areas their taxis are picking up customers and they are able to gain useful insight into where to allocate their taxis to get the most business.

 

Routing within MyGeotab

 

MyGeotab GPS fleet management software allows for the option to create routes based on zone locations. Some benefits that result from routing include increased organization operational efficiencies as well as reduced fuel consumption, mileage and CO2 emissions. Users can create a zone in the software by connecting a sequence of zones together to create a path. The routes can be defined in any order the user wishes, and can alternatively begin and end at the same zone. Further to this, MyGeotab software offers users the option to optimize the order of zones in which the driver should visit once the route has been created in an effort to minimize fuel consumption. Routing is especially useful for fleets consisting of school buses, for example, because these vehicles have predefined locations they visit everyday.

For a more detailed look at how to create zones within the MyGeotab GPS fleet management software, check out this video tutorial:
Creating & Adding New Zones in MyGeotab

For more information on how zones and routing could potentially increase the productivity of your business, contact a fleet consultant today.

 

Original Article Written by: Dominic Loong, Technical Support Engineer at Geotab
http://www.geotab.com/blog/overview-geofencing-routing-mygeotab/

True, Automatic Drop and Hook

Posted on | by Courtney redwell

Constant drop and hook is a very common practice in the trucking industry. It has always been a challenge when a new trailer is hooked up to make sure all the tires on this new trailer are being monitored without extra work for the fleet and driver.

Other companies either do not have drop-and-hook capability or they require time-consuming manual programming. In some cases all sensors in a certain number of trucks have to be pre-registered into each cab display unit, or only a few trucks can interchange trailers among them. They are not true, automatic “drop & hook”.

The only true drop and hook TPMS solution, is this one.

This innovative drop and hook solution has been designed specifically for the trucking industry to overcome this commonly faced challenge; it is completely wireless and automatic.

You don’t have to do anything other than your regular trailer changing procedure. The tractor will automatically recognize the new trailer once the trailer is hooked up with the tractor; all the sensors in the trailer will pair with the tractor automatically through the transceiver.

TPMS automatic drop and hook technology

A tractor can go with any trailer in your fleet and our TPMS will automatically recognize the trailer and all its tire sensors.

TPMS automatic drop and hook technology

A trailer can go with any tractor in your fleet and together with all its tire sensors, will be automatically recognized by the tractor.

automatic drop and hook technology

More info: Real-Time Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)

Control Monitoring System

Posted on | by Courtney redwell

Control Monitoring System | CMMS

Maintenance Assistant Monitoring is an OEM machine-to-enterprise CMMS that enables real-time maintenance work orders and notifications to be created from the meters, triggers, alerts, alarms and state data provided by equipment and control monitoring systems. It will help you implement effective preventive maintenance, avoid costly unexpected breakdowns, and improve safety and regulatory compliance.

With Maintenance Assistant Monitoring you can connect and sync with Obix, Tridium and other machine interfaces using our adapters.

sync with existing control monitoring systems

Associate your machine alarm, meter and sensor point data with preventative maintenance schedules.

preventative maintenance schedules

Connected devices can instantly add themselves to your CMMS database saving you tons of set up time.

control monitoring system

Maintenance Assistant Monitoring can create detailed reports from machine point data to give you valuable insights on how your equipment is running.

detailed reports customized data

Better Route Optimization With A Fleet Management System

Posted on | by Courtney redwell

Fleet Management System & Route Optimization

Original Article Written by: Thomas Jiang, Geotab Senior Developer

It wasn’t that long ago drivers of fleet were using paper maps with directions on paper. They would rely on their own memory to come up with the best route for reaching the destination. With the introduction of advanced fleet management technology, organizations and companies with large fleets have recognized the significance of route optimization for improving the efficiency of an entire fleet.

Routing has proven to be one of the most important parts of fleet management, especially in an economy with rising fuel prices. Routing can significantly increase productivity and efficiency of the fleet while reducing costs at the same time. Route planning is especially important to fleet managers; for example, a fleet manager at a delivery company would be responsible for setting a delivery plan each day for every driver using the best possible route. The driver would then be required to follow this route. While this may have proven to be somewhat efficient there was room for improvement and simplification to further increase productivity. With the integration of routing into the always advancing fleet management systems, drivers now follow pre-scheduled routes that have been put into the system and directly sent to the driver. The fleet managers can then review at the end of the day whether the driver followed the provided route and can determine the productivity of each individual.

Users can easily create a route consisting of multiple zones on a map in the My Geotab fleet management system. Drivers can then see the routes from their GPS device.

The fleet management system also provides an easy way to compare actual routes versus planned routes, as well as other important information such as:

  • Expected Arrival Time
  • Actual Arrival Time
  • Stopped Zone
  • Duration of Idling

Managers can also access the Route Summary Report to find out the number of routes that have been followed over any specific time period. This will allow them to see a summary of the entire fleet. Through the Route Summary Report, users also can access:

  • Route Name
  • First Departure
  • Last Arrival Time
  • Office Duration
  • Home Duration
  • Driving Distance

fleet management system fleet route optimization
fleet management system fleet route optimization

The routing calculation itself can be quite complicated.
Many larger corporations have developed their own route calculation system over the years based on their own requirements. Creating thousands of routes one by one, however, is a huge task – especially when routes change over time. In order for users to be able to integrate their routing calculation into the MyGeotab fleet management system and make the best use of the other fleet management features, MyGeotab provides a comprehensive solution where users are able to import their routes using the Software Development Kit (SDK).

In a typical case, with the help of the SDK users are given the options to import vehicles, zones, routes and drivers in just a few API calls, and MyGeotab will automatically pick up the defined route. The fleet manager can then go to MyGeotab to view and dispatch the routes as well as run different reports on these routes. Because of the powerful SDK from Geotab, users can update their routes regularly.

To learn more about our fleet management systems, MyGeotab, or about route optimization, contact one of our fleet consultants today!

 

Original Article Written by: Thomas Jiang, Geotab Senior Developer

http://www.geotab.com/blog/ins-outs-route-optimization/

What is a CMMS System?

Posted on | by Courtney redwell

What is a CMMS System?

We are very excited to have formed a partnership with Maintenance Assistant to bring our customers the best in CMMS Systems. But what does CMMS stand for? CMMS stands for Computerized Maintenance Management System. A CMMS is computer software that assists your maintenance team in keeping records of all assets they are responsible for, schedule and track all maintenance tasks and keep a record of work that has been performed.

What CMMS is used for:

  • Tracking Work Orders:
    Maintenance managers can easily select the equipment in need of repair, assign a technician to the job and describe the problem. Once the machine is fixed, the technician responsible marks the word-order as “complete” and the manager will be notified that the work is done.
  • Scheduling Tasks:
    CMMS systems are excellent tools when it comes to scheduling recurring work and sending reminders to the correct people. Organized maintenance will not only help ensure no tasks are forgotten to keep your vehicles in top shape, but it will also even out the workload for a maintenance team.
  • Recording All Asset History
    The older the machine, the longer the history of repairs. When problems arise it is useful to see how this problem was solved in the past. In CMMS systems whenever a repair is performed they are recorded in the machine’s history log and can be viewed again in the future by the maintenance team. This will help the team save time in the future should the same problem happen again.
  • Managing Inventory:
    Maintenance workers are responsible for storing and managing a large inventory. This can including anything from spare parts to everyday supplies like grease and oil. CMMS systems allow the maintenance team to see how many items are in storage and what has been used in repairs to determine whether new supplies need to be ordered. Inventory management can help save the company quite a bit of money because you can pre-plan purchases in order to shop around for the best price instead of paying anything when you need it last minute.

If you would like more information on Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS Systems) contact us!

Tips to Improve Driving Habits

Posted on | by Courtney redwell

Reduce Distraction, Be Proactive, Improve Driving

You should never stop improving driving skills. Many of us get over confident or too comfortable in our bad habits that we often forget simple defensive driving skills. Driving defensively is the best way to avoid traffic accidents and keep the roads a safer place.

Avoid Getting Distracted
Distracted drivers are 3 times more likely to be involved in an accident than attentive drivers (CAA Distracted Driving Statistics). Anything that takes your eyes off the road makes your reaction time much slower to the constantly changing road conditions. Cell phone use if a huge contributor, but this can be avoided easily with a Bluetooth device. Cell phone use may be the most commonly recognized form of distracted driving but anything from eating your lunch while driving to fiddling with the controls on your car can be just as distracting. Try your absolute best to avoid any distractions.

Be Proactive
A very common piece of driving advice is to not trust any other driver while on the road. This refers to never knowing what another driver may or may not do. We have all experienced those drivers who forget to turn off their turning signals or those aggressive drivers right on your bumper. Always remember, the only thing you are in control of is your own driving.

Try to look 10-15 seconds ahead of where you are going while constantly checking your rear-view mirrors to stay aware of your surroundings. Anticipate what the other drivers around you will be doing but also envision an escape route in case of an emergency situation. This will greatly increase your awareness.

Being proactive also means avoiding any situation that may increase the chance of a traffic accident. For example: sometimes you may be getting tailgated in the left lane on the highway even when going above the speed limit. As much as you may like to force that person to slow down by staying in front of them, it is most likely not worth the risk. By letting this person pass it leaves both drivers to continue on without conflict.

Smooth & Steady Driving Control
You want to make sure your control operation is done as smoothly as possible. Lightly applying pressure to your gas and brake pedal as opposed to having a lead foot will save you money on fuel and on vehicle wear. It will also give you the most control of your vehicle. This becomes even more important in bad weather conditions where hard braking or accelerating can force your vehicle into the wrong direction. It is also important to be as familiar with your vehicle and its safety features (ABS, traction control, 4WD, etc.) as possible. You want to know how your vehicle will react in all kinds of situations to avoid any surprises while driving.

How can GoFleet help?
GoFleet’s Geotab GO devices are designed to reduce driver interactions. Limiting notifications coming from the device to audible alerts allows the driver to get feedback on their driving while maintaining complete focus on the road. By using driver feedback with accelerometer data, Geotab is able to alert the driver when they exceed a certain amount of force.

Being a proactive driver continues when you are out of the vehicle. You can use GoFleet’s Geotab GO GPS Tracking Device to keep up with vehicle maintenance to ensure your vehicles are in top shape.

To learn more about GPS fleet tracking and how GoFleet can help you improve your driving habits and keep your fleet vehicles in top shape, contact one of our fleet consultants.

Source:

Original Author Piotr Zub in Geotab Blog:
http://www.geotab.com/blog/tips-improving-driving/

CAA Distracted Driving Statistics: http://distracteddriving.caa.ca/education/

Top 8 Heavy Vehicle Driver Safety Tips

Posted on | by Courtney redwell

Heavy Vehicle Driver Safety Tips

There is nothing more important than safety on the road, and it is a two-way street. Most truck, logistics and haulage companies as well as their drivers take it quite seriously.

From the 1980’s to today overall heavy vehicle driver safety has improved. There are multiple reasons for this, including vehicle design and better roads, limiting speeds and many more, but a lot of it probably comes from the development of better safety policies and an increase in safety awareness.

Here are a few heavy vehicle driver safety tips:

  1. Safety is always priority number one
    Heavy haulage is significantly more dangerous than office work.
  2. Defensive driver training
    It is important to teach drivers how to deal with the unexpected and avoid problems before they happen. Our devices offer in-cabin driver feedback to help train your drivers to eliminate bad driving habits.
  3. Know what to do in the case of an accident
    It is crucial drivers are aware of their responsibilities and the safest way to deal with accidents
  4. Regular maintenance and inspections
    Keeping your haulage fleet in excellent working order is critical to staying safe. GoFleet offers many solutions to help ensure your fleet is always in top shape, check these out: Diagnostic Vehicle Data, Maintenance Assistant, Tire Monitoring.
  5. Engage drivers in keeping a safe workplace
    Encourage drivers to report any potentially dangerous situations they encounter. Discuss safety on a regular basis including driver input. If everyone works together and looks out for one another it will make it easy to ensure workplace safety.
  6. Conduct pre-trip inspections
    Make sure there are no leaks and lights, brakes, and steering are in working order.
  7. Avoid tiredness
    Driving while tired is often compared to driving while drunk. There is no cure for fatigue other than sleep, make sure your drivers are getting enough rest.
  8. Check the weather regularly
    Driving conditions can be greatly affected by weather conditions and being aware of the weather forecast before heading out on the road can come in handy.

For more information on GPS fleet tracking and/or information on how GoFleet can help with heavy vehicle driver safety, contact us today.

Source: Fleet Safety & Efficiency. Top 12 Heavy Vehicle Driver Safety Tips

Distracted Driving: Road Rage & Texting While Driving

Posted on | by Courtney redwell

Road Rage & Texting While Driving Result in Distracted Driving

Texting while driving has become a rising concern across North America. The Province of Ontario in Canada has implemented increased fines, and in the USA President Barack Obama has signed an executive order formally forbidding federal workers from texting while driving government vehicles. However, the road has been a dangerous place way before cell phones/smart phones were introduced, and road rage is still a major ongoing issue.

What’s Causing Distracted Driving?
Leasetrader.com conducted a survey including over 3,000 American drivers in order to determine the most dangerous distractions during driving. 18.3% of men agreed that the most dangerous distraction today is road rage, followed by eating/drinking (14.7%), checking out other drivers (10.9%) and other passenger conversations (9.5%). The women involved in the survey had different opinions. They ranked the primary distraction in driving to be kids in the car (26.3%), putting on makeup was the second highest ranked (16.6%), and navigation (9.5%), all above texting.

What exactly is Road Rage?
It is important to have a strong understanding of aggressive driving and road rage in order to execute fleet management policies focused on this topic. The AAA Foundation defines road rage as “violent anger caused by the frustration and stress involved in driving a motor vehicle – a motorist’s uncontrolled anger that is usually provoked by another motorist’s irritating act is expressed in aggressive or violent behaviors with an intention to cause physical harm.”

Frequent characteristics of an aggressive driver include:

  • High-risk drivers, more likely to speed, drink and drive, or drive without a seatbelt
  • Drivers with high levels of frustration and low to no concern for others on the road
  • Motorists who disobey red lights, run stop signs, tailgate, speed, weave in and out of traffic, honk their horns, make facial or hand gestures, make unsafe lane changes

What Causes Road Rage?
As a motorist, you may have driving habits that are linked to other motorists’ aggressive driving. According to the 2014 Road Rage Report by NorthStar for Expedia, texting has surpassed tailgating in terms of behaviour that provoke the most anger in other drivers. Almost 7 of 10 American drivers surveyed agreed, ‘The Texter’ is viewed as the most aggravating driving behaviour, followed by ‘The Tailgater’ (60%), ‘The Multi-Tasker’ (54%), ‘The Drifter’ (43%) and ‘The Crawler’ (39%).

How to Avoid Road Rage:

  • Avoid communication with an aggressive driver
  • Do not engage with an aggressively acting motorist; do not respond with further negative behavior which may escalate the situation
  • Drive responsibly, steer clear of aggravating driving behaviour
  • Follow traffic laws including not texting while driving
  • Report unsafe motorists to authorities when necessary

Along with a fleet safety policy, GoFleet’s sophisticated GPS fleet management system can help organizations develop company-wide management polices to enhance driver safety, improve driver behavior, and increase on-road productivity. GoFleet’s Geotab GO GPS tracking device offers reporting and driver notification on harsh braking, acceleration, and cornering, as well as if seatbelts are being worn and speeding above posted road speeds.

We are not simply a GPS fleet tracking company, we offer a fleet management solution. Contact GoFleet to learn more about how you can help your drivers avoid road rage, schedule an online demo, or get a copy of our fleet safety policy.

 

Original Article From Geotab:
http://www.geotab.com/blog/distracted-drivers-road-rage-texting-driving/