Category: Fleet Management

Read about Geotab’s latest fleet management software updates and enhancements. To verify whether changes have been made in your system, go to Administration > About and check the build number, which shows the month of release, e.g. 5.7.1602.xxx release/2016-03.

In this Edition:

• Documentation Updates
  + Fill-Ups Report Now Included in Product Guide
• HOS/DVIR Enhancements
  + Support of HOS Passenger Carrying Rule Sets for Garmin Devices
• SDK Additions
  + Garmin Stop Status Data Added to LocationContent
• Localization
  + German, Japanese, and Vietnamese language Updates
  + Vietnamese Calendar Revisions
  + Translation of Notification Template Tokens
• User Interface (UI) Enhancements

Documentation Updates

Fill-Ups Report Now Included in Product Guide

The Geotab Product Guide now includes details on the Fill-Ups report. Read this section to learn how to view the fill-up events, fuel costs, and average fuel economy for your fleet.

Fills-Ups section in Product Guide

 

HOS/DVIR Enhancements

Support of HOS Passenger Carrying Rule Sets for Garmin Devices

Geotab now supports Garmin Hours-of-Service (HOS) Passenger Carrying rule sets, including:

• USA Property/Passenger 60-hour/7-Day
• USA Property/Passenger 70-hour/8-Day

SDK Additions

Garmin Stop Status Data Added to LocationContent

Stop status data from Garmin devices is now included in the LocationContent object in the Geotab Software Development Kit (SDK). This property is labeled as onRouteRanges. This is useful for determining when a driver has accepted a stop on the Garmin by tapping on GO.

onRouteRanges property in the LocationContent object.

 

Workflow for onRouteRanges property:

Localization

Geotab continues to update and enhance our support in multiple languages. This month, we made updates to the German, Japanese, and Vietnamese language versions.

Vietnamese Calendar Revisions

Geotab has updated the month and day names on the Vietnamese calendar to more accurately reflect the proper terms. The calendar now shows the full month name, e.g. Tháng một, and the days are indicated by T2, T3 and onward, with Sunday as “CN” — meaning Chủ nhật or Lord’s Day.

Updated calendar dates in Vietnamese.

 

Translation of Notification Template Tokens

Notification template tokens have been translated for all languages in addition to the descriptions, for an enhanced user experience. You can find the Notification Templates page by going to Rules & Groups > Rules and then clicking the Notification templates button. Customized notifications are useful for different tasks, such as sending a web link to a map, including an emergency contact number, or helping conserve data usage for mobile devices.

Translated tokens in Notification Email Template

 

Minor UI Improvements

• The line spacing in Zone comments on the map has been harmonized with spacing in the zone edit.
• A Search feature has been added to the Security Clearances page.
• Engine Faults and Fault Details have been joined into one page.
• Improved layout of work times page.
• The Trips Detail (default and advanced) Excel Reports are now sorted by the device name instead of device ID so they are easier to read.

For More Information

Please contact our support team.

 

Source:
Original Post by: Angie Milne, Solutions Specialist at Geotab
https://www.geotab.com/blog/fleet-management-software-device-updates-march-2016/

 

Managing a fleet isn’t easy, that’s why there are so many solutions available to help make it easier. Being able to keep customers happy while managing vehicles and drivers is difficult for any fleet manager. Unfortunately, even with all the technology now available, there are still fleet managers insisting on continuing to use a manual approach. This means relying on memory and known traffic conditions to inform customers of delivery times and finding vehicle issues through drivers reporting them, after already breaking down. This is not the best method for fleet management and can hurt customer retention as well as your bottom line.

The Right Solution That Fits Your Needs

Imagine knowing what vehicles were stuck and traffic? Or getting an email whenever one of your vehicles had an engine fault? Most importantly of all, what if you received an email the moment one of your vehicles were involved in an accident?

With our software, you can easily set up rules for any situation, no matter what your fleet specializes in (eg. transportation, delivery, personal, etc.). The preconfigured default rules include everything from idling to speeding; there are rules that are based on posted road speeds and geo-zones and so much more.

Still want more? You have the option to customize any of these conditions or create a rule from scratch using the simple and intuitive rule creator.

First, you will need to give the rule a name, and select the group of vehicles you want to apply the rule to. Then, pick the conditions you need to be met before an exception is created from a list of hundreds of possible conditions. Everything from engine lights to work hours to speed can be used as a condition.

Once you’re pleased with the conditions, the final step is to select the notification. You can either choose to receive an email or have our GO device beep at the driver when conditions are met. No more driving without a seatbelt, no more speeding over posted road speeds, no more unscheduled breaks and so much more.

Eliminate the Problem in Advance

Fleet managers can now focus on eliminating the occurrence of exception events and working with their drivers to reduce risky driving habits and increase safety. What could be better than solving a problem? Solving the problem before it even happens. Instead of finding out how many customers received their deliveries late, you can get a notification and work with the driver to make sure deliveries are made on time. Instead of dealing with downtime, you can know which vehicles are having issues and service them when it is convenient before a breakdown occurs.

Because our software is a data-driven platform, all exceptions can be received in a PDF or Excel format. You can use this data to create your own custom driver scorecards, customer and vehicle statistics and so much more. To do this, simply go to the appropriate section of the software, select the date/time of the default or custom report and click “apply changes”. It’s really that easy.

To find out more ways we can help your business move towards outstanding fleet management, contact one of our trained fleet consultants. Before signing up for anything, they will walk you through how our software works and how it will help optimize your business and ultimately save you money!

 

1-888-998-1122 | [email protected] 

Original Article By: Siam Ahmed, Technical Support Engineer at Geotab
https://www.geotab.com/blog/key-exceptional-fleet-management/

 

Manage Your Entire Fleet From One Platform

We offer a web-based GPS fleet management software solution; see all your driver and vehicle information in one place and use it to make quicker, better-informed decisions for your business.

Advanced Reporting

Advanced reporting flexibility makes managing your fleet easier. Start out with our standard reports, and make them more meaningful by tailoring them to your specific business needs. Easily gather, run and utilize the information you want the way you want it whenever you want it.

Manage Driver Behavior

Increase safe driving habits with in-vehicle driver feedback and coaching tools. Shared vehicles can still be individually identified with our Driver ID NFC technology.

Engine Data Reporting

Our devices collect and respond to common status information in your vehicle. This includes engine light, engine RPM, engine hours, seatbelt, odometer, emissions, vehicle battery voltage and vehicle identification number (VIN).

GPS Vehicle Tracking

See where your vehicles are in real-time or choose a custom date and look back to see where your vehicles have been. Our patented algorithms provide you with accurate and detailed trip information.

Route Optimization

Reduce vehicle mileage and fuel consumption through creating zones and routes for your drivers. Also, our GPS for fleets solution lets you compare actual routes versus planned routes.

Engine Health & Maintenance

Be alerted to potential critical engine health issues and easily prioritize repairs necessary for your vehicles. Detect issues early by focusing on proactive vehicle maintenance and setup vehicle maintenance reminders.

Open Data Integration

The open software development kit (SDK) allows you to integrate vehicle and location information into your company’s operations or with third party add-on/add-in applications.

Custom Mapping

Design your own business relevant maps which are automatically combined with the application’s vehicle information. Flexibility in map views, legends and zone shapes and sizes allow for further customization.

Source: http://www.geotab.com/fleet-management-software

 

Large Fleet Rollout

 

Rolling out a large fleet can be slightly more complex than installing the devices in 5-10 vehicles. But, if you take the right approach with a mix of planning, monitoring and resources, it will help you complete the rollout on time and achieve the quality results you’re looking for. The guidelines below will help you better manage your project and provide a general overview of the items it is important to consider.

Objectives

Communication is key; all project objectives should be effectively communicated and understood by everyone involved to make sure the roll-out is on the right track from the start.

These include:

• Outlined reasons for the implementation – what needs to change?
• Determine short and long term goals
• Understand the ROI results that are expected to be achieved
• Relate to our 5 main pillars to consider the main focus:
  Fleet Optimization, Productivity, Safety, Expandability, Compliance
• Create measurable objectives

Planning

Quite often, certain key factors are overlooked, which can have a negative effect on a project before it even gets started. There are many elements to consider when planning a deployment of Geotab GO devices in a large fleet:

• Recognize the scale of the project: identify whether it is a national or local rollout, single or multiple locations, and the number of vehicles.
• Determine who is involved: from administrative staff to project managers, ensure each individual knows what they are responsible for and has the skills necessary.
• Communicate effectively: share documentation within your product team and actively communicate.
• Shipment/Delivery of Equipment: Ensure realistic shipping and delivery times are taken into consideration when determining the dates of installation.
• Installation Schedule: When planning a large rollout, creating an installation schedule is key. You will need to consider the following: number of installers/team members doing the install, vehicle variations (necessary harness), locations, estimated time per install and vehicle availability.

Example of an installation schedule:

Once installation is complete, it is important a training schedule be put together. We offer training sessions Monday, Wednesday and Friday every week at 2pm EST and you can have your entire team join the sessions.

Kick Off Meeting

Before the rollout, setup a meeting to review the implementation plan to ensure everyone is working towards the same expectations and achieving the same goals. It’s also important to clearly set out how changes throughout the project will be communicated and handled between all parties involved. Additionally, this meeting allows you to discuss any concerns your team has and additional items that you may not have considered.

Track Progress

You want to keep the project on track and meet deadlines as best as you can. The better you keep to your deadlines, the faster the rollout, the faster you’ll start to achieve savings and increase the productivity of your fleet! It is common to have changes occur throughout the deployment of the devices but as long as you effectively manage these changes you should still be able to stay on track. Hold weekly meetings to keep everyone informed and address any problems.

A completion tracker can be a great way to keep track of of the planned versus actual progress for both the rollout and training. Check out the following example:

Follow-Up

About a week after rollout, we will set up a time with you to evaluate performance. We will ensure you have everything you need to move forward and will determine anything else you may need from us. We are happy to set up monthly reviews with you to look at ROI results and set up new goals moving forward.

Keep the project simple, set realistic milestones and expectations, deliver on time and keep everyone informed. And don’t forget, we are here to help as much as you need! We take pride in getting our customers up and running as fast as possible so they can start realizing just how much time and money can be saved with our solution.

 

Contact us to speak with one of our trained fleet consultants:
1-888-998-1122 | [email protected]

 

Original Article By: Laurelle Flewelling, Account Manager at Geotab
http://www.geotab.com/blog/rolling-out-large-fleets-with-geotab-go-devices/

 

Effective Fleet Management Tips

When you are managing a fleet of vehicles there are many factors to consider. Your fleet’s overall success is affected by everything from your drivers’ skill level to your inventory status. The larger the fleet, the more complicated it can be to manage the logistics. It is possible for important things to slip through the cracks, costing your business money, valuable time and causing unnecessary frustration. There are several fleet management tips that can help improve your fleet’s performance.

The following fleet management tips can help you manage your fleet effectively:

Develop A Fleet Management Policy

Establish a policy for fleet management including how company vehicles will be provided, required preventive maintenance and replacement life. In addition, create a policy for drivers including hours of use, driver safety, what you expect from drivers, required level of customer service, etc.

Establish Processes

Develop proper processes to support your policies that will deliver the outcomes that you require. This includes the method your vehicles will obtain fuel, arrangements for your drivers to access the maintenance and servicing facilities, and reporting processes for each driver.

Measure Your Drivers’ Performance

One of the most important fleet management tips is to identify areas that need to be accurately monitored and measured. These could include mileage, speeding, idling times, aggressive behavior or other fuel-wasting or unsafe driving behaviors. Constantly measuring and sharing drivers’ performance will play a huge role in increasing productivity, improving driver safety and reducing unnecessary costs.

Communication

When you are managing a fleet of vehicles, it is extremely important to communicate with the drivers and managers. It is critical that each member of your team is fully briefed about the part they play in the fleet. Your drivers need to have a clear understanding of what they are supposed to do each day.

As a fleet manager, you also need to perfect your ability to lead and motivate your team. As you are expected to do more with less resources, it is important that you are able to keep your drivers motivated in order to increase productivity.

Every fleet is different; however, the core goals are usually the same. Most fleet managers are trying to increase productivity, reduce costs, improve safety and improve efficiency. When you are determining which fleet management tips will work best for your fleet, make sure you consider what will deliver the most value to your company and help you achieve your desired outcomes.

Technology Options For Fleet Management

Fleets today are constantly under pressure to be as efficient as possible when they are delivering services or products to the customer. While this can be difficult, there are many new technological options that can be used to keep a fleet productive and efficient.

Web-Based Analytics

Fleet managers can monitor where the vehicle is driven and how it is being driven using web-based analytics. The data derived from the web-based analytics can be used to monitor safety as well as efficiency. Fleet managers can provide feedback to the driver using customized reports or automatic alerts to monitor the drivers’ behaviors such as speeding, excessive idling, deviating from the authorized route, aggressive driving, and long stops. Additionally, a beeping alert can be set up in the vehicle to warn the driver that they are driving unsafely or inefficiently. This helps identify at-risk behavior and helps to coach the drivers.

Fleet managers get instant insight on how drivers are behaving when they are on the road. Each driver can be scored so the managers will know immediately which drivers performing well and which drivers need more training.

Preventive Maintenance Monitoring

When you have a large fleet of vehicles, it can be complex and difficult to perform the proper preventive maintenance on each vehicle. With preventive maintenance monitoring, fleet managers can set up reminders for each vehicle for all maintenance activities based on engine hours, time and mileage. The maintenance activities can be customized based on the companies individual needs for their vehicles.

One of the most recent innovations is a vehicle diagnostic tool. The goal for this tool is to predict engine failure or major maintenance before it occurs. This way the vehicle can be serviced before the vehicle is down for an extended period of time. This not only can save time and money, it can improve the safety of the vehicle because the maintenance issue will not occur when your driver is behind the wheel.