Tag: GoFleet

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Part 1: Telematics Solutions That Work For Any Vehicle Year In School Transportation

Posted on | by Burhanuddin | Leave a Comment on Part 1: Telematics Solutions That Work For Any Vehicle Year In School Transportation

Many fleets understand how telematics solutions can benefit fleets, but often managers may be misinformed about how the solutions can be adopted by their fleet if their vehicles vary in age. Numerous solutions can be used by school transporters regardless of the make, model or year, continue reading to learn more. 

 

Why Telematics Solutions Are Important For School Transportation Fleets

Safety is of utmost importance and depends entirely on the decisions that drivers make. However, in some industries, there is even more stress placed upon safety as it can affect the lives of others. When discussing school transportation, this is visible as the driving behaviour and vehicle upkeep can not only affect the life of the driver, but of the students boarding as well. 

 

Safety and Telematics 

When addressing fleet safety, telematics can help support drivers with feedback and coaching by implementing driver scorecards, reports and alerts to ensure they know how to make safe driving decisions.

When discussing fleet safety and maintenance management, fleets are turning to systems that monitor and alert teams when maintenance checks or repairs need to happen. This ensures that unexpected breakdowns are drastically decreased and repair turnaround times are increased.  

 

Efficiency and Telematics 

Boosting efficiency can help school districts that face tight budgets accomplish more with less. By cutting down on idling time, speeding and inefficient bus routes, more money can be saved to ensure students have adequate transportation to and from school. 

While telematics may seem important to be used in all school transportation vehicles, sometimes fleets overlook it. Even though there are varying reasons as to why this is, many are simply misinformed about whether the technological advancements can actually be adopted and implemented. 

 

Why School Transportation Fleets May Initially Overlook New Technologies 

It’s not unheard of for school transporters, or any fleet for that matter, to have fleets that include vehicle models of varying years. With tight budgets, school transportation fleets are often seen to purchase new buses to replace older models that are no longer functioning. As a result, fleets have a variety of old and new buses, which in turn seems to cause a concern about whether telematics will be of use for the entire fleet. 

This poses the need for teams like GoFleet to share knowledge and insight to all-year inclusive vehicle solutions that fleets with varying makes and models can use.

 

Finding All-Year Inclusive Vehicle Solutions: Where To Start

As there seems to be miscommunication about model years being a requirement for using telematics solutions, our team has outlined four steps to take when searching for all-year inclusive vehicle solutions: 

1. Evaluate Your Fleet Needs

Before purchasing a new system or solutions to implement, managers must evaluate the current tools they have in place, as well their goals with utilizing telematics. Whether it’s to increase safety, lower costs or boost efficiency, these must all be determined to ensure the right solutions are later implemented. 

2. Do Your Research On Solutions

With your fleets needs in mind, it’s vital to research and find the right solution amongst the countless ones available while ensuring the age of the vehicle will not affect the success of the implementation. For example, if the priority is to cut down on fuel costs, looking for a solution to reduce idling time and monitoring driver behavior is the way to go. As well, it’s important to keep in mind that there are various solutions that work hand-in-hand with each other, in addition to being all encompassing. 

3. Review The Costs Of Implementation 

Fleets need to ensure that they make use of every dollar wisely. Setting aside and organizing the budget to adopt telematics may seem difficult, but it will result in great returns on investment. 

Systematic maintenance will avoid expensive repairs and result in the buses having longer life spans. Longer vehicle life span will also result from increased safety, and the frequency of school bus accidents will in turn reduce.

Although these telematic solutions can be implemented into the fleet at an affordable rate, agencies like Sourcewell can offer competitively, solicited purchasing contracts to get you these solutions and equipment at a discounted price. 

4. Speak With An Experienced Solutions Provider

Implementing telematics into your fleet can seem daunting, but by working with an experienced solutions provider you can rest easy knowing you’re in good hands. Working with GoFleet, an industry leader in this sector, will make the process simple as our team of industry specific specialists will ensure that your fleet receives a custom solution to drive your efficiency, safety and maintenance management as well as increase your ROI. To learn more about the right telematics solution for your fleet, get in touch with our School Transportation Experts.

To read more about the specific telematic solutions that can work for fleets with varying vehicle years, read the continuation in Part Two.

GoFleet’s Yearly Review: Taking a Look at 2020 and 2021

Posted on | by Victoria Gole | Leave a Comment on GoFleet’s Yearly Review: Taking a Look at 2020 and 2021

This past year has been like no other. Over the course of the last 12 months our organization not only had to change the way we operate as a result of the pandemic, but we learned new ways in which we could help our customers who came to us with new and changing needs. With that being said, we believe it was critical to self-reflect on this year and share our findings with a yearly review. 

How Did GoFleet Grow as an Organization as a Result of the Pandemic? 

As an organization, we felt the impact of the pandemic as our customers and their businesses were directly affected. A positive result that arose was that we were able to connect with our customers more on a personal level to help them navigate the uncertain events that were happening. In fact, it made us appreciate the relationships that we formed with our customers and appreciate even more the work that they do on a daily basis. 

To help, we not only reflected on our business offerings and tried to help with cost-savings incentives to our customers, but we searched for more solutions that would better fit their unique needs and budgets at this time. 

As we are focused on building long-term relationships, this is something we are doing and will continue to do. 

What was GoFleet’s Goal in 2020 and what will be GoFleet’s Goal In 2021? 

At the beginning of 2020, GoFleet created a roadmap and listed various goals that we thought was important to work towards throughout the next 365 days. More specifically, we wanted to focus on sharing how Managed Services can help our customers not only improve their operations but save them time and money. In addition, we aimed to begin to network with OEM dealers while also being leaner as a company. With the course of the events that took place in 2020, it only encouraged us even more to reach those goals and remain successful. 

In 2021, we are excited to continue to grow our OEM Sales Program and our connections as we see this to be a valuable position not only for our company, but our customers as well. With such a program available, we can better help more fleets at the beginning of their journeys. In addition, we are looking to continue to further the expansion of Managed Services to non-traditional telematics services and data consulting as we are seeing positive possibilities from being Zenduit-powered.  

What Trends do you see Coming for Fleets in 2021? 

This year we believe that there are various trends that fleets must prepare for to remain successful. Below we list the trends and/or focuses that we anticipate: 

∙ More Electric Vehicle (EV) oriented insights and analysis as EV technology is advancing and zero emission regulations are discussed and put into place.

∙ OEM data integrations growing in popularity in comparison to aftermarket hardware integrations. 

∙ More car sharing and fleet pooling which leverage iox-keyless and sharing strategies to reduce the number of vehicles that a fleet has by using mobility apps to order and manage on demand.

 

A Quick Review: What did GoFleet do in 2020? 

A lot happened in 2020, keep reading to learn more about what happened! 

 

How Our Organization Changed: 

∙ We started working remotely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure staff safety.

∙ We continued to work and adjust our approach to customer success.

 

How Our Offerings Changed:

∙ We partnered with Samsara to better help fleets.

∙ We leveraged Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) to improve safety in all fleets.

∙ We focused on promoting responder-to-vehicle (R2V) communication to improve public and first responder safety 

∙ We added a new support add-in on MyGeotab.

∙ We partnered with Drivewyze to help fleets improve efficiency.

∙ We launched GoFleet Health Check to help fleets digitally monitor the health status and potential symptoms of drivers.

 

A Few Customers We Helped: 

∙ We helped CR&R Environmental Services improve training and driver behaviour with the installation of ZenduCAM devices. 

∙ We helped DeCarolis Truck Leasing and Rental improve visibility, reporting, data collection, maintenance scheduling and more with Geotabs and Flex trackers.

∙ We helped Speedy Transport Group Inc lower unnecessary fuel consumption and increase overall productivity with the Geotab Drive app.

∙ We helped Forest Trotter with trailer made solutions to improve data collection and visibility. 

∙ We helped Rogue Transportation Inc avoid strains on work processes by leveraging new integrations. 

A lot happened in 2020 making it a year like no other. While our team was able to accomplish a lot, we want to take a moment to thank all of our customers and supporters. 

We are looking forward to what 2021 has to offer and how we can continue to not only help fleets in various industries improve their operations and save costs, but how we can drive change in the sector! 

power take-off, gofleet, tax, return, refund, iox aux, fleet

All You Need to Know About Power Take-Off and Tax Refunds

Posted on | by Alan | Leave a Comment on All You Need to Know About Power Take-Off and Tax Refunds

Power take-off (PTO) is a crucial device used to transfer mechanical power from vehicle engines to other pieces of equipment. It is adopted in a wide range of industries and sectors, such as forestry, energy, winter operations, waste management and many more. It allows the vehicle’s add-on equipment to extract and receive power from the vehicle’s host energy sources without installing an external energy source. 

Many fleet managers and asset operators favour PTO as an efficient and reliable way of attaching additional equipment and machinery to the vehicle, which helps them complete demanding tasks and dramatically expand vehicle utility. As a telematics company, we pride ourselves on using an innovative approach to derive changes and outcomes and we decided to give PTO a magical refresh and update. Our approach focuses on helping you extract the most information from PTO systems, which empower your operation to unmatched efficiency and drives down costs. 

 

The GoFleet Way of Mastering the Power Take-Off (PTO) System

Our IOX-AUX Harness links auxiliary sensors to our industry-leading fleet tracking systems, which enable operators and fleet managers to access information that they previously could not see. The IOX-AUX facilitates advanced sensor monitoring, enabling fleet managers and operators to view the real-time status and activities of the PTO. Fleet managers are also able to set up exception rules in the system to restrict and monitor operators’ behaviours, and any violation will trigger alerts, which immediately notify fleet managers to take appropriate actions. One of the most useful capabilities of PTO integration is that the system can organize PTO sensor data and formulate detailed reports at the end of the operations, which inform fleet managers about any event or violation that took place during the operation. These reports are also extremely valuable and helpful to fleet managers when preparing and submitting fleet management reports to the corporation’s executive team. Being able to extract more data and insights from the PTO system simply gives businesses a leading-edge over its competitors as these pieces of information can help fleet managers and executive teams better optimize the operation through a data-driven approach.  

Talking about system expandability, we want to offer you the most choices out of competitors. That’s why our IOX-AUX harness supports up to 4 digital inputs each. With two IOX-AUX, you can monitor up to 8 inputs at any time. If you have multiple sensors or inputs needed to track on a vehicle, you now have the complete freedom and control to do so. For example, fire truck operators or fleet managers may want to monitor sirens, fire pumps and aerial ladder activities simultaneously. It is vital for them to have access to all parts’ status and real-time information at one intuitive software interface, especially during an emergency operation. This poses stringent standards for the telematics solution as fleet managers and operators demand a high level of connectivity and integration, which allows them to monitor every component and part of the fire truck. Our solution, which supports up to 8 inputs, can handle these kinds of tasks with ease. No matter which part you want to track and monitor, you can link them with the vehicle onboard GPS tracking system through IOX-AUX to experience a streamlined workflow. 

When you are ready to go, we also want to make sure the installation process of IOX-AUX is simple, easy and problem-free. Our plug-and-play installation process guarantees that your entire system will be up and running in under a few hours. The USB connector of the IOX-AUX connector plugs right into the GPS tracking device, and you just need to connect the desired auxiliaries to the IOX-AUX wire as needed. There is no complex configuration or additional hardware required, and the installation process is easy enough where you can self-install and set them up by following our step-by-step instructions. 

 

Economic Returns of Using Power Take-Off Device

Did you know that you may be qualified for a refund if you paid tax on fuel used in Ontario to operate power take-off equipment? If your fleet qualified for the requirements listed below, you could apply for a power take-off tax refund:

  • The vehicle is licensed to operate under the Highway Traffic Act
  • The use of the auxiliary equipment occurs in Ontario
  • The motor vehicle is not used to transport passengers
  • The auxiliary equipment is powered using the same power source that is used to power the vehicle
  • No use of the power from the auxiliary equipment to drive the vehicle
  • No use of the auxiliary equipment for personal use, pleasure or recreation
  • Have paid fuel tax to Ontario 

A refund request must be filed and received by the Ministry of Finance within four years of paying the fuel tax. Remember that your fleet needs to meet all the above conditions to get a power take-off tax refund, and the exact amount of refund will be determined and calculated based on the vehicles’ total distance travelled in Ontario. 

DISCLAIMER: Before placing the information contained within this article in your fleet strategy, it is always recommended that you perform your own research and speak to the appropriate individuals to ensure it is right for you.

 

Q&A of Tax Refund for A Power Take-Off

 

Question: How is the refund being calculated?

Answer:

Calculating A Refund – PTO Activity Before July 1, 2017

There are two ways to measure the fuel used during the PTO operations; you may use either one of the below:

  • Readings from meters or electronic control modules that measure the fuel supplied to the auxiliary equipment
  • Set allowances approved by the ministry for different kinds of PTO operations, based on information from equipment manufacturers

You may need to contact the ministry to confirm if there is an approved allowance for your equipment. 

 

Calculating A Refund – PTO Activity After July 1, 2017

Starting from July 1, 2017, the PTO refund is calculated by applying a pre-determined percentage allowance against the total fuel disbursed to the licensed vehicle containing the qualifying auxiliary equipment.

You can find the PTO allowance chart on the Ontario Ministry of Finance website, which outlines in detail what the allowance is for different PTO activity types. 

 

For Inter-jurisdictional Carriers

For inter-jurisdictional carriers, the refund is calculated based on the vehicle’s total distance travelled in Ontario during the claim period. The following example will help you better understand how the refund portion is calculated. 

An IFTA licensed carrier (carrier licensed under the International Fuel Tax Agreement) reports a total distance of 10,000 km in all jurisdictions, of which 2,000 km represents the distance travelled in Ontario. While in Ontario, the carrier uses fuel to operate PTO equipment. The tax rate on the fuel used is 14.3 cents per litre. Based on the ministry approved allowance, it was determined that PTO activity accounts for 1,000 litres of fuel. 

The carrier calculates the Ontario PTO tax refund as follows:

  • Calculate the percentage of Ontario travel out of the total travelled distance

2,000 km ÷ 10,000km = 20%

  • Use the PTO litres to multiply the proportion of distance travelled in Ontario 

1,000 litres x 20% = 200 litres

  • Then, multiply the result above by the tax rate to arrive at the refund portion

200 litres x $0.143 = $28.60

 

Question: How and where can I apply for the refund?

Answer:

  1. You need to download and complete the application form online, which can be found on the Ontario Ministry of Finance website
  2. Read the accompanying guides, which help you navigate through the application
  3. Mail the completed application and all supporting documents to the Ministry. Make sure to keep one copy for your records. You can find the mailing address on the Ontario Ministry of Finance website

 

Question: What kinds of supporting documents do I need to provide?

Answer: 

For Refunds Under $500

You do not need to send in supporting documents with your application if the total of all refunds for a calendar year does not exceed $500. However, you will still need to keep your records for seven years in case the Ministry audits you.

For Refunds Over $500

You need to submit accurate and verifiable records of your fuel purchases along with your application to support a PTO refund claim. The invoice must show the following information:

  • The name and address of the seller
  • The selling price per litre
  • The amount of tax charged
  • The quantity of product purchased
  • The date of the sale

You also need to submit copies of proof of payment such as the account statement and cancelled cheque along with the receipted invoice. 

 

For PTO Claims on or After July 1, 2017

For PTO claims on or after July 1, 2017, additional documents are required:

  • A monthly summary of all fuel issues covering the entire claim period
  • Entries broken down by each licensed vehicle included in the claim
  • Based on verifiable information that may include inventory reconciliation reports from bulk storage facilities, daily disbursement logs, receipts from retail fuel outlets and issue tickets from card lock systems

Similarly, you are responsible for keeping all the records for seven years after you apply. If the Ministry selects you for an audit, you are required to present all the relevant records. 

 

Question: How to claim the refund?

Answer:

The fastest way for you to receive your tax refund is by signing up for direct deposit. It’s an easy and secure way to receive refunds or rebate. You can fill out the direct deposit authorization form on the Ontario Ministry of Finance website and include it in the submission package. 

All the information presented here is for informational purposes. At this moment, GoFleet cannot advise you on finance-related questions nor responsible for any issue related to the topic. We encourage your business to consult with a professional financial consultant to determine eligibility for the PTO tax refunds and discuss in detail how to apply. For more information, we recommend visiting the Ontario Ministry of Finance website to discover the more information on this topic. To learn more about the IOX-AUX harness and supporting accessories connecting to the PTO system, contact us today as our industry-specific experts at GoFleet will be happy to discuss with you in further detail. 

gofleet, customer success, telematics, fleet

GoFleet’s Approach To Customer Success

Posted on | by Victoria Gole | Leave a Comment on GoFleet’s Approach To Customer Success

Over the last 10 years, our three offices in Canada, the United States and the United Arab Emirates have been dedicated to helping hundreds of customers and businesses worldwide to step up their games in the fleet management sector and transform their fleet into a productivity machine. Now it’s time to have you on board with us on this exciting journey and experience the GoFleet difference. 

 

Who Is GoFleet? 

We are in the business of connection and digitalization, offering fleets of any size a tailored solution that helps them grow and succeed, all powered by telematics. At GoFleet, our vision is to bring the most powerful hardware, simple but useful software, and exceptional services together to delight every customer. Collaborating with industry-leading partners and blending in our own unique solutions, advantages and expertise, we believe we can provide you with the right answer for any challenge and pain point you encounter. 

 

What Does GoFleet Do?

GoFleet provides pioneering end-to-end fleet management hardware and software solutions covering every link of fleet operation, from asset tracking, vehicle health monitoring, dispatching, routing to safety management, vehicle maintenance and data storage. Our wide range of products can address customer’s pain points and challenges in every single fleet management aspect, including fuel management, asset tracking, maintenance diagnostics, drivers’ behaviours monitoring and training, routing and dispatching, electronic logging devices and many more. All our products are built and designed upon the foundation of our commitment to improving your fleet management experience in five core objectives: productivity, safety, optimization, compliance and expandability. 

We have previously worked with countless customers from a diverse range of industries to show them how we keep our commitment and transform their workflows from the bottom up. Boston Pizza, one of Canada’s largest and leading casual dining chains, put our telematics tracker into real-world testing and installed it on every delivery vehicle. Since day one, the franchise owner immediately noticed an improvement in delivery efficiency and customer satisfaction across the board. Our tracking solution helps to streamline deliveries and significantly reduce wait times for both delivery drivers and customers. With access to delivery vehicle real-time locations and status, the kitchen chef can now make sure the order is prepared and fresh out of the oven right when the next delivery vehicle is back at the restaurant to pick it up. This ensures that food is not sitting around waiting to be picked up, and customers can receive the freshest and warmest food as fast as possible. 

Our partnership with CR&R Environmental Services further showcases our determination to help businesses in improving fleet safety performance. CR&R Environmental Services is an innovative waste and recycling collection company serving more than 3 million people in numerous countries. Prior to contacting us, CR&R Environmental Services experienced multiple instances where vehicle cameras were not recording or functioning. The camera is an essential piece of equipment used to record video footage of the operations, and an unreliable camera system is simply unacceptable. Loss of footages may put businesses in a disadvantageous position if liability disputes arise when one of the company’s vehicles gets involved in a collision or accident. CR&R Environmental Services reached out to us to see if we can offer an innovative safety solution to replace their current one. Our team worked hard and delivered on promises by leveraging telematics’ power and brought on a highly reliable and capable 360-degree camera system alongside an intuitive software platform. After the implementation, the CR&R Environmental Services noticed an increased level of visibility, reliability and productivity compared to their old system. They feel more confident in their ability to review driving footage in case of an accident and use these videos to train drivers and improve drivers’ skills. 

System integration and optimization are at the core of every product we create. Every piece of equipment, hardware and software we designed works seamlessly together. We deeply understand many customers are frustrated by the incompatibility between different systems and platforms, and it’s our job to bring them all together into one unified fleet management platform that enables you to do everything anywhere. All you have to do is focus on what matters and leave the rest of the hassles to us. 

 

Why Does GoFleet Care?

We take great pride in our products and in building relationships with our customers. We put people, product quality, innovation, environment, the end results, and your feedback at the forefront of everything we do at GoFleet. We deeply care about each of these aspects, and that’s why we adopt cutting-edge technologies to enrich each of them. 

 

People

Everyone’s safety is our top priority. We introduced a range of safety products all aimed at protecting your fleets drivers’ safety. From the driver distraction camera to the collision avoidance system, they are life-saving tools that can make a big difference at the most critical moment. They also give fleet managers and drivers extra peace of mind and an extra layer of protection during everyday operations. 

Our industry-leading customer service team is at your service no matter what problem you encounter in using our products. We provide easy and hassle-free device installation and training guidance so that you can implement our products across the entire fleet in just a matter of time. We offer remote diagnostics support to quickly assess and resolve your issues without the need for you to wait for a technician to come and help. The 24/7 support directly from product manufacturers is included with our ProPlus subscription, and if necessary, we will send in technicians to your sites to help you fix the issues and get your vehicle back on the road as fast as possible. 

 

Quality

We know that you have high expectations for product quality and want a product that works as promised and marketed. That’s why we conduct rigorous testing to ensure each one of the products we ship meets or exceeds our stringent quality standards. Additionally, we know that you want a device that doesn’t compromise and works in any weather conditions and environments. Most of the hardware products we sell are waterproof, shockproof and highly durable, giving you the freedom to use them in any environment. 

 

Innovation

Innovation is in our DNA. We strive to bring you the best and latest technology and incorporate them into our products. We want you to fully experience and utilize our products for a long-lasting period. That’s why we keep adding new features and fix any bugs by frequently pushing new software updates to your device and system. We are committed to bringing in the best available technology such as artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to make your products even smarter throughout time, so when you own our products, you not only gain the right tools to tackle any current challenges but also fully prepare yourselves for the future. 

 

Planet

We care about our environment deeply. The first step we are undertaking is helping businesses and fleets to convert their entire workflow to a paperless model. With all the fleet data stored over the cloud database, we can truly digitalize how information is being used, analyzed and shared within the corporation. We are also incorporating environmental metrics and benchmarks into our vehicle tracking dashboard to allow fleet managers and drivers to access the vehicle emissions and fuel economy information throughout their operation. 

Another initiative that we are taking to safeguard the quality of our living environment is providing the right tool to help businesses’ existing fleet transition into a fully electric vehicle fleet. Working directly with electric vehicle manufacturers, we have developed unique capabilities to access electric vehicles’ data and ensure your electric vehicle has strong data support. We are also working around the clock to expand our support to new models over time. We understand the migration to an electric vehicle fleet is not an easy task; it’s a process, and it takes time. But rest assured, when you are ready to make the move, we have already set the foundation and have the right tools ready for you. 

 

Feedback

The process is important, but for any business, we know that you also value the results. You want to see the improvement in numbers yourself. We have created a comprehensive fleet dashboard showcasing data on fleet performance and efficiency, allowing you to track improvement percentage and return on investment. Based on this data, you could gain a sense of how much improvement our products provide to your fleet operations.   

We are always happy to discuss and hear what you think about our products and services. Our customer support team makes follow-up calls and consultations after your purchase and implementation to ensure the solutions work well for you. And of course, if you encounter any issues with our products, our technical support team is always here to help. 

 

Where Is GoFleet Heading?

We pride ourselves on being an innovation-driven organization, and we will keep innovating to integrate the best and latest technologies to the existing systems and platforms. Utilizing the power of artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data analytics and 5G wireless communication technology, we can truly take the whole fleet management platform to new heights. 

We are also fully prepared for the massive transition from gasoline and diesel fleet models to the electric vehicle fleet model. All of our products have been optimized for either fleet structure, and we are working hard to add support for new electric vehicle models every month. But we want to look even further ahead into the future of commercial fleets. Many of the foundational works have already been undertaken to prepare for the development and transition to autonomous vehicles. We always want to stay ahead of the competition and have the products ready for you, so you can have unlimited choices of how you want to expand your fleet. 

At GoFleet, we keep adapting to constant changes. The pandemic has drastically changed the operational model of many businesses. We are here to make sure our products fit our customers’ changing needs and standards. There is a growing demand for remote fleet management, so we bring the best software to your mobile device, giving you easy access to all the fleet statuses and information on the go. There is a rising trend of high precision and specialized transportation activities, so we offer advanced temperature and humidity monitoring sensors to help your business conquer challenging tasks. As the world is becoming more connected and globalized, we also focus on providing more localized optimization for your fleet. This includes providing convenient software features such as the weigh station bypass service to help your fleet better navigate through your local community. During the current turbulent period, we recognized that we have an even greater responsibility to respond and cope with the unpredicted changes and market trends to create tailored products that meet your businesses’ core needs, but it also gives us valuable opportunities to show you what our products can do for your business.

At GoFleet, our approach of doing everything with passion and professionalism has driven us to success to date, and our commitment to our customers is what motivates us to reach new heights. 

Contact us today to speak with one of our many industry or solutions specialists to assist in nearly anything fleet related! 

Telematics Is The Key To Successfully Set Up For Home Deliveries

Posted on | by Anna | Leave a Comment on Telematics Is The Key To Successfully Set Up For Home Deliveries

Times are changing, and many businesses are learning that they have to adapt in order to stay profitable. With social distancing and business closure regulations relating to the COVID-19 pandemic beginning to lift slightly for some sectors, many business owners are finding that they need to remain creative to begin operations again. With the need to limit physical interaction still required, many businesses are turning to telematics to set up for home deliveries. 

 

Why The Spotlight Is On Home Deliveries 

 

As previously mentioned, many businesses are turning to incorporate home deliveries into their operations. This is largely due to the inability to operate as usual because the coronavirus pandemic has required the public to partake in social distancing to reduce the spread. As a result, businesses were provided two options. Either they could momentarily close their doors until the government feels as though it’s safe for them to operate as usual, or they could implement new home delivery and/or curbside pickup options to remain profitable. With the pandemic continuing, many are finding that keeping their doors shut is not an option so they must adjust their operations – specifically to offer home deliveries.

 

Below we discuss not only the tools that can allow businesses to succeed while implementing home deliveries, but the ways that businesses are getting creative with this. 

 

Home Deliveries – Who Can Do It? 

 

Home delivery services may seem daunting to those who are not used to offering it, but it should not be feared. Currently, there are numerous businesses who are embracing home deliveries and are finding new ways to cater to their customers who are choosing to stay home and keep outings limited.

 

Brick And Mortar Or Specialty Stores

 

Depending on how the business was run previous to COVID-19, many brick and mortar businesses may already offer some form of delivery. However, those who did not have this offering before are quickly learning that incorporating an inventory and e-commerce platform is essential to continuing operations when consumers are choosing to stay home or limit shopping outings. By remotely working with tech-businesses to adjust websites, product images and inventory, brick and mortar as well as specialty store owners are finding that home delivery is possible once they find a reliable way to transport products. 

 

Food And Beverage Businesses

 

As one may assume, the food and beverage industry has been struggling to find their way after restaurants and cafes were ordered to close. However, with applications like UberEats, many restaurant owners are still able to provide food and drinks (even alcoholic beverages) to the public! In fact, this need for delivery has even inspired restaurants that can’t afford the fees of food delivery apps to employ delivery personnel to deliver orders that are taken over the phone or online. 

 

Consignment Stores 

 

Consignment stores are also finding new ways to run their businesses during this time. Specifically, by creating websites and incorporating e-commerce platforms to allow for owners to upload images of consignment clothing to allow customers to not only purchase online, but have it delivered to their home without contact. This idea being similar to many big-name clothing stores who have offered online shopping and home delivery for years. 

 

How To Use Telematics To Set Up For Home Deliveries 

 

There are many good ideas listed above in how unique businesses are finding ways to cope with running a contactless business during the COVID-19 pandemic. But apart from implementing e-commerce platforms, how can delivery services be run and properly managed? The answer is this: telematics solutions. Below we discuss how business owners can successfully use telematics to set up for home deliveries.

 

Completing Deliveries With Dispatching Solutions 

 

When it comes to using telematics to set up for home deliveries, if businesses are unable to use a mailing service, they will need to dispatch drivers to make deliveries. In cases that require an overwhelming number of orders or orders that span across a large geographical area, it’s critical that businesses use a dispatching solution. Using a dispatching solution can help business owners better manage their team in terms of who is completing which deliveries and what their routes will be so operations are optimized. 

 

Dispatching solutions like ZenduWork are great for businesses who are required to have more than one driver delivering orders as it organizes exactly where the driver is going, where they are in real-time, as well as order updates. Meaning, you’ll always know how your deliveries are going so you can even notify your customers about their order. 

 

Mapping Tools And GPS Tracking Solutions For Deliveries 

 

Another solution that is useful when businesses are using telematics to set up for home deliveries, is the use of mapping tools, specifically gps tracking. These types of solutions allow for business owners to stay up to date with what stage a delivery is at, allowing for up to date information about expected arrival times to be relayed to customers – boosting customer satisfaction. For businesses who offer same day delivery or focus on immediate delivery, this is critical as you are able to share this information with customers.

NEW Tracking GIF

 

Live Map Views For Customers 

 

Another solution that is extremely useful, especially for businesses who offer immediate delivery, is the use of mapping solutions like Public Map Share. This solution focuses on providing customers with the option to view in real-time where their order is. This is possible by using GPS tracking assets on vehicles conducting the delivery and relaying that information visually on a map that is updated every few seconds. Showing the delivery moving along its route. In turn, the customer can be provided with their own link for this map so they can view in real-time where their delivery is and whether it’s time to retrieve it from their doorstep. 

 

As business owners can see, implementing delivery offerings into operations may not be as daunting as it once seemed. For many, it just took a little creative thinking in addition to the right telematics solutions to properly and accurately conduct the deliveries. If your business is looking to improve their delivery offerings, or would like to better understand how using telematics to set up for home deliveries can help you begin delivery services, contact GoFleet today. We’re confident that we have a solution that can fit your unique needs during this uncertain time.

Working With The Right Solutions Provider Can Make All The Difference: CR&R Environmental Services 

Posted on | by Anna | Leave a Comment on Working With The Right Solutions Provider Can Make All The Difference: CR&R Environmental Services 

Deploying the right camera solutions can make all the difference and CR&R Environmental Services saw exactly that! 

 

While attending Connect 2020 in San Diego, Asad Khan, Success Manager at GoFleet was able to catch up with Raul Duran to learn about how their fleet was doing after the implementation of an advanced 360 camera system.

 

Interested to learn what questions we asked Raul about the implementation of ZenduCAM cameras and the Trax platform throughout their fleet? Check out the video below: 

What Pain Points Did CR&R Experience Before Engaging GoFleet? 

 

Prior to working with GoFleet, CR&R reported to have driver, safety and training issues. While looking for a new camera solution, their goal was to implement a device that focused on improving all of these pain points. Choosing a reliable solution that allowed for in-cab, rear and front views, CR&R believed that it would help not only the safety and well-being of drivers, but the reporting and dispatching tasks related to their operations.

 

What Was The Impact That CR&R Noticed? 

 

CR&R noticed that there was an overall improvement across their fleet. Not only were drivers completing routes faster by reducing their times, but the solution was noted to help train drivers on how to drive more efficiently. Additionally, the exact location of vehicles was able to be known at all times as the ZenduCAM system allows for better GPS tracking capabilities in addition to both live video and cloud video surveillance. 

 

How Did You Introduce The Camera Solution To Drivers? 

 

While introducing the new camera solutions to drivers, CR&R remained transparent about the devices. Not only did they state the benefits for reporting, tracking and logistics purposes, but they highlighted how the solution can also protect drivers in regards to false claims. Shifting the initial driver concern of the cameras acting as ‘big brother’ tracking them to a critical protection tool. 

 

Their Experience Working With ZenduIT & GoFleet

 

During their time working with GoFleet while using ZenduIT applications, CR&R noted that the service provided was great! The 360 solution that was promised has since met all of their unique needs and has been recognized as being a key factor in making operations smoother and more advanced. With great results, they remain optimistic about continuing to work with GoFleet and ZenduIT in the future as their organization and needs grow. 

 

“GoFleet has been great, they’ve delivered on all promises so far!” – Raul Dran, CR&R Environmental Services 

 

Interested in learning more about CR&R’s success with GoFleet? Check out their success story here: https://www.gofleet.com/crr-success-story

New Partnership: Working With Samsara To Better Help Fleets

Posted on | by Anna | Leave a Comment on New Partnership: Working With Samsara To Better Help Fleets

As the needs of businesses are continually evolving, it’s critical for organizations to stay on top of industry trends. This is amplified with it comes to the IoT and telematics sector as new tools and solutions are always transforming. With this in mind, GoFleet is excited to partner with Samsara! This partnership allows us to expand our solutions offerings to better help businesses stay efficient, safe and sustainable.

 

Partnership With Samsara

 

With Samsara’s help, we will now offer additional fleet management, asset tracking, camera and safety solutions. The core of these Samara offerings will provide businesses with end-to-end and cost-effective solutions that are billed monthly. In the past, Samsara has been highlighted to help those within various industries such as transportation and logistics, food and beverage, as well as state and local government. 

 

Fleet Management Solution 

 

Samsara offers end-to-end fleet management solutions that many businesses may find of interest as they offer a modern platform with real-time visibility in addition to AI-powered analytics. As the deadline for drivers is looming closer (or has already passed) for fleets to adopt innovative tools such as electronic logging devices, it’s critical for managers to find the right device for their needs as soon as possible. It’s important to note that Samsara’s fleet management solutions are able to connect to third party systems to improve real-time data and visibility efforts.

Learn more here: https://www.gofleet.com/product/samsara-gateway-gps-system/

 

Camera And Safety Solution

 

Samsara has numerous camera and safety solutions that fleets can take advantage of. Among the basic features of being able to collect video footage, Samsara dashcams and sensors can leverage computer vision. This allows it to automatically identify unsafe driving behaviour, offer in-cab voice coaching and conduct automatic upload. All of the features truly pushing businesses forward to a safer future. 

Learn more here: https://www.gofleet.com/product/samsara-ai-dash-cams-for-fleets/

 

Asset Tracking 

 

Lastly, Samsara offers various tracking options for fleets. Apart from offering basic trailer tracking to increase GPS visibility of your team, Samsara also offers wireless reefer and asset tracking products. So whether you’re looking to stay compliant to critical temperature monitoring regulations or monitoring where costly equipment is throughout the day, it can be done. 

Learn more here: https://www.gofleet.com/product/samsara-ag24-trailer-tracker/ 

 

If you’re interested to learn more about our partnership with Samsara, and how it may benefit your new fleet management needs, contact us today!

Taking Your Fleet Telematics to the Next Level

Posted on | by Anna | Leave a Comment on Taking Your Fleet Telematics to the Next Level

With basic telematics implemented into your fleet, you are now able to track the location, movement and speed of all of your vehicles, which helps your organization increase efficiencies, and effectively, reduce wasted time and improve costs.

So, what comes next?

Advanced Fleet Tracking
Once you have the basics in place, you can start to dive deeper into telematics technology in order to really fine tune and optimize your fleet operation.

Check out these major benefits your company can gain by implementing advanced fleet telematics solutions.

Increased Safety
By monitoring driver behaviour – things such as how fast your driver is driving and how aggressive their driving may be – you can use technology that allows you to talk to the driver and coach them through safer driving practices, thereby increasing safety for them and for your vehicle.

It has been shown that drivers who are aware that their driving habits are being monitored, are more apt to perform safer behaviour which not only increases their safety, but also reduces accidents and damage to vehicles and freight.

Increased Efficiencies
By using real time communication as an add-on to your basic telematics, and adding in some routing apps, you can manage driver routes more efficiently – if there is an accident, you would be able to re-route the driver and eliminate wasted time having them stuck in traffic with high priority loads on the vehicle.

By using some of these type of add-ons to your basic telematics, adding a few minutes more to your driver’s HOS (Hours of Service) can really increase your fleet efficiency and delivery rate.

Reduce Operating Costs
In being able to track even the smallest things, such as idling time and minimizing it, a fleet can increase savings by reducing fuel costs. Other things that can be looked at are tracking at a more granular level, such as live movements on a map, maps routing, stopping vehicles, accidents and who’s responsible, which allows for increased productivity thereby reducing costs.

Optimize Vehicle Performance
With advanced telematics, sensors can send out alerts about engine issues and other diagnostic problems. Further to that, the data can be used in a predictive manner to determine when service should happen on a vehicle and allow for advanced planning in order to ensure as much uptime for the fleet as possible and manage the expenses related to repairs.

Reduce your Carbon Footprint
It’s a hot topic these days more and more companies realize that not only is this good for business, it’s good for the planet as well. By reducing your fleet’s idling time and decreasing speeding (thereby reducing the amount of exhaust and CO2), not only are you increasing the safety of your fleet and drivers, increasing your efficiencies and reducing your costs, you are also helping to do your part in reducing emissions in the air for our future generation.

Streamline Compliance
With the Canadian ELD mandated for June 21st, 2020, it is imperative that fleets ensure they are compliant and implementing advanced telematics not only ensures this but provides many other benefits previously mentioned. In addition to the benefits, the cost of not being compliant is expensive and can be avoided with the correct telematics solutions in place.

Do you need to upgrade your telematics plan for advanced fleet tracking?
Some features are already built into your tracking device that collects the data and some solutions require you to step up to the next level of offered services and products.

In order to get the most out of your fleet telematics so that you can save your company time, money and increase efficiencies and safety, give GoFleet a call. We are here to help create a customized and fully integrated telematics solution that is specific to your needs and lets you get the most value for your money.

Advanced fleet tracking is much more than GPS services and with the telematics of the future, there are and will be so much more you can do in order to continually create the best fleet management company you can envision.

GoFleet – Connected Technology. Smarter Solutions.
Discover more about GoFleet and its Telematics Services

Waste Management Industry Clean Up With GPS Technology

Posted on | by Devin Johnson

GPS Technology and the Waste Management Industry

The importance of the waste management industry cannot be understated. That trash piled up in your lunch room or office space has to go somewhere, and we are certainly glad to see it leave when the familiar sound of a trash truck rumbles down the street. Getting rid of annoying daily trash, however, isn’t the only service this industry provides. Waste management companies provide environmental services that eliminate hazardous materials that come in the form of liquid and solid wastes. They collect these wastes from businesses and residential locations so that our environment can remain safe. With this kind of burden on the shoulders of businesses in this industry, it’s important to be assured that trash trucks are completing their routes on time, and correctly cleaning up the neighborhoods. It is also important to make sure that drivers are safely executing their work, and hitting every stop on their route.

New Ways to Clean

GPS tracking technology has infiltrated this industry in a grand way, letting companies manage risk, maintain efficiency, and even lower spending. With the installation of a simple device, the waste management industry has found a brand new way to clean up the earth. With GoFleet’s Geotab GO GPS tracking device, GoFleet is helping these companies implement cost-savings, safer drivers, and more efficient measures to assist in their daily routines. With the ability to track fleet vehicle locations, GoFleet is able to provide our waste management clients with significant amounts of useful data. Companies can utilize this service to ensure efficient routes are being taken. This not only saves time and billable hours by identifying more efficient routes, but also saves on fuel costs. With the reporting features of the latest GPS tracking devices, vehicle maintenance needs can be identified ahead of time, instead of costly towing services being called once the vehicle breaks down.

The Benefits Just Keep on Coming…

Saving money is a great motivator, but reducing liability combined with the ability to track and train drivers is better! GoFleet’s GPS vehicle tracking devices show theft protection measures, as well as protection measures that include accident re-creation. These lead to lowered insurance costs for your company, but with an added benefit of reducing your liability. Fleet Managers are consistently searching for ways to keep their drivers safe, as well as ways to make sure their drivers are keeping other drivers safe. Our Driver Coaching GPS Trackers offer just one of the ways to help this issue. By providing an accelerometer built into the system, the tracker can provide feedback on how drivers are taking care of their vehicles. Hard braking and harsh acceleration are two of the types of information this feature tracks. By observing these types of behaviours, waste management companies can ensure their drivers are completing their work in an appropriate manner, keeping them, the vehicle, and the surrounding public safe. In addition, compliance issues can be significantly reduced with the utilization of this technology. Hours of Service, as well as Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports are easily created and maintained, never leaving the paperwork to collect uncompleted on a desk.

With so many unique features and benefits available with GPS technology at GoFleet, why wait to try it out? Check out a demo and try the program free for 30 days!