November 2010

157 posts
Federal Tax Credits Helps Fleets Go Electric

A report was given to Congress last week stating that Congress should provide tax credits and renewable energy bonds to replace the 16 million fleet cars and trucks in the U.S. with electric vehicles and develop the infrastructure required to power them. An organization called Electrification Coalition (EC) announced the conclusions of their report at a news conference last week.
EC said that wants to see electric fleet vehicles utilized on a huge scale. In their report, EC makes the case that identifying and solving issues arising from modernizing fleets with electric vehicles will have spillover effects for the rest of the American population.

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UCSD’s Green Fleet One of the Greenest Government Vehicle Fleets in US

The University of San Diego (UCSD) Fleet Services ranked 22nd in the Seventh Annual Government Green Fleet Awards, a competition of environmentally friendly vehicle-fleet operations that is open to all federal, state and local governments in North America. According to Rex Graham of UCSD, UCSD takes great pride in its green fleet, and looks forward to further reducing its fleet emissions and overall carbon footprint. UC San Diego’s Fleet Services ranked 22nd UC Davis’ vehicle fleet ranked fourth. The two UC campuses were the only college campuses ranked. The city of San Diego’s vehicle fleet ranked 19th.

A panel of judges based the ranking on performance in seven categories:

* The degree to which fleets are made up of hybrid, electric, and alternative-fuel vehicles.
* Use of renewable fuels.
* Planning that includes budgeting for future additions of green technologies.
* Use of vehicles that are appropriately sized for the required tasks.
* A high degree of utilization of all vehicles in the fleet.
* Executive and employee involvement in implementation of improved green technologies.
* Support programs such as recycling, applying for grants and maintenance-facility improvements.

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Golf GPS System Reviews 2010 – Garmin, SkyCaddie and Golf Buddy

Handheld Golf GPS System Reviews 2010

Garmin Approach G3 Golf GPS

The Approach G3 is a more affordable version of the Garmin GPS for Golf G5.

* Detailed golf course maps give precise distance information about fairways, hazards and greens from any point on the golf course
* The GPS device will continuously update your position and show you the distance to each target
* The Approach G3 steps away from our traditional recreational product line to bring something brand new to the golf market at lower price point

G3 has a smaller screen than the G5 (2.6 inches diagonally, vs. the G5’s 3 inches and has about an inch less in height and width. However, it still has many of the great G5 features, including:

* Free pre-loaded golf course maps in the U.S. and Canada plus free updates.
* Touchscreen operation and touch-targeting.
* Waterproof.
* Hole preview.
* Digital scorecard (but no stats pack).
* High-sensitivity receiver.

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Golf GPS System Reviews 2010 – Garmin, Callaway and OnPar

Golf GPS System Reviews 2010

Garmin Approach G5 golf GPS

* Rugged, waterproof golf GPS unit with 3-inch sunlight-readable touchscreen display
* U.S. golf course maps preloaded, including fairways, hazards, and greens
* No annual fee; new maps available for download from Garmin.com
* Measure shot distance with highly sensitive readings to eliminate guesswork from your game
* Digital scorecard for up to 4 players; save and review scores on your computer at home

The G5’s features have easy-to-follow menus on the touchscreen. The best part is Garmin preloads a database of 14,000+ courses for free, and adds courses and updates for free via its website. The database is fairly extensive and should have most of your local courses. A nice feature is that it can show distances to and from anywhere on the course just by touching and dragging. Touch your target for a distance, or touch and move the flag for precision distance. The G5 also has a good score-keeping utility.

The Garmin GPS Approach G5 for golf retails for $399-440 but I found it for sale online for $300 at Amazon.com.

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Make Fleet Management Projections with Free 30 Day Trial

Ever wondered if a GPS fleet management system would save you money? Well now you can easily find out for free and with no obligation. FieldLogix was designed to help you identify where and how you can make fleets operations leaner and greener. FieldLogix offers a free 30 day demo of its fleet tracking system.

The free demo helps fleet managers to see potential cost savings based on actual fleet tracking data. The Trends Feature helps fleet managers to visualize their fleets idle, speeding, and mileage trends, and assists them to make actionable business decisions.

It allows users to drill down and views historical trending graphs of three key metrics.

1.) Idle Time – The total amount of idling hours for the asset, group, or all, during the specified time range.

2.) Speeding Occurrences – The total number of times the asset, group, or all, traveled in excessive of 65MPH during the specified time range.

3.) Total Mileage – The total miles traveled for the asset, group, or all, during the specified time period.

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Green Fleet Vehicle Market Boosted by GE EV Purchase

This week GE announced plans to purchase 25,000 electric cars by 2015. This the largest purchase in the history of electric vehicles. The purchases will be for its own fleet and for its Capital Fleet Services business, where customers can lease electric cars through GE. GE plans to convert over 50 percent of its massive global fleet (over 10,000 fleet vehicles) and purchase 12,000 electric cars from GM.

GM does big business in fleet sales. Fleet sales look like they’re going to be a key part of electric vehicle adoption. Corporate fleets make a lot of sense because of their sheer volume. Plus GE fleet sales are quite profitable. One of the most popular green fleet vehicles is the GE Volt, an electric vehicle that shifts to gas power after going 25 to 50 miles on its battery, so drivers aren’t entirely dependent on the battery.

According to BusinessWeek, gigantic orders like this could do a lot to push electric vehicle prices down and speed up adoption. “By electrifying our own fleet, we will accelerate the adoption curve, drive scale, and move electric vehicles from anticipation to action,” CEO Jeffrey Immelt said in a company statement.

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Stop GPS Data Recorded in Photos From Revealing Where You Live

Did you know that GPS location data can be recorded when someone takes a picture of you?

According to the New York Times, when Adam Savage, host of the popular science program “MythBusters,” posted a picture on Twitter of his car parked in front of his house, he let his fans know much more than that he drove a Toyota Land Cruiser. Embedded in the image was a geotag, a bit of GPS data providing the longitude and latitude of where the photo was taken. Hence, he revealed exactly where he lived. And since the accompanying text was “Now it’s off to work,” potential thieves knew he would not be at home.

Geotagging is when a device such as an iPhone, Android smartphone or digital camera stores your location or geographical information, such as your GPS coordinates, within a photo or movie file (such as .jpg or .mov files). According to Wikipedia, a geotagged photograph is a photograph which is associated with a geographical location by geotagging. Geotags are useful in helping people find a wide variety of location-specific information. For example, one can find images taken near a given location by entering latitude and longitude coordinates into a suitable image search engine.

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Garmin GPS Systems – The Woman Behind Australian Karen’s Voice

Karen Jacobsen’s voice is instantly recognizable to millions of people worldwide. But she isn’t a famous singer – not yet at least. Jacobsen is the woman behind the soothing voice that gives you directions when you are driving and using your vehicle GPS system. To millions of drivers and GPS users worldwide, she is known as “Australian Karen.” Garmin GPS manufacturer chose Jacobsen over a decade ago because of her calming Australian accent, which now guides people all over the globe.

While she has anonymously been speaking to people for years through global positioning systems, she now hopes to put a face to her famous voice. Jacobsen is now hoping to leverage her soothing familiar voice into a successful music career.

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Microsoft T-Drive Uses GPS Tracking Data to Reduce Cab Drive Times

No one knows how to get around a city faster than a cab driver, which is why Microsoft gathered GPS tracking data from 33,000 taxi cab drivers in Beijing for several months. Microsoft engineers sifted through three months of GPS vehicle tracking data transmitted from the GPS devices. They wanted to identify shortcuts cab drivers were using to avoid traffic signals, congested intersections and other slow-downs.

T-Drive, complete with the capability to find real solutions to real street traffic situations. The software can determine what is the best route for a Beijing cab driver at any given time based on the accumulated Beijing cab drivers’’ knowledge of congested areas and shortcuts. According to Microsoft, “on average, the cabbies’ routes shave off 16 percent of a trip, saving 5 minutes for every 30 minutes of driving.”

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Develop a Green Fleet Sustainability Program with Alt Fuel Vehicles

At the Green Fleet Conference 2010 in San Diego last month, David Meisel, Transportation Services Director for PG&E, gave an excellent presentation on Introducing Alternate Fuel Vehicles Into Your Fleet. PG & E is the largest fleet operating in California and one of the largest fleets in the U.S.

Meisel said, “Pacific Gas and Electric Company believes in environmental leadership from an energy, supply chain and green fleet perspective. Greening the fleet makes good business sense – from both an environmental and economic standpoint. Without question, we have a unified front in terms of our commitment to environmental leadership and greening our fleet. Our chairman is actively engaged on issues associated with climate change and we’re supportive of GHG legislation both on the national and international fronts. We’ve also supported California’s Low-Carbon Fuel Standard and state policies that address climate change, petroleum reduction, and emissions reductions.”

When it comes to choosing the right green fleet mix – one size does not fit all. Different fleets require different solutions. Developing a green supply chain program with an embedded green fleet strategy is challenging but “worth it” because of the cost savings and environmental benefits.

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Reduce Transportation Costs and Go Green with a Fleet Tracking System

Want to save money and go green? Does your company have mobile workers or mobile assets – like a construction company, furniture company, HVAC / building services company? Then here is a great way your company can go green and cut costs at the same time. A GPS fleet management systems can be a powerful tool used to drive down costs and take control of your mobile resources.

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Can FBI Track Vehicles with GPS Without a Warrant

In some cases, if someone is caught doing something illegal, and 1) the GPS tracking system information was used to convict him or her and 2) the GPS tracking system was placed by law enforcement without a warrant, convictions are not possible or overturned. But in other cases, courts have upheld the use of evidence obtained by placing a GPS device on a suspect’s car without a warrant.

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Delivery Truck Drivers in Demand – Make up to $25 Hour Driving a Truck

fedex truckDelivery Driver Job Description and Resources for Truck Drivers

As the economy improves, more and more truck drivers will be needed as companies produce and sell more goods. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics over half a million new delivery driver jobs will be created over the next few years.

Do you like being out and about on the road? Are you a good driver? If so, then the life of a delivery driver may be the perfect life for you.

Delivery Driver Job Overview

  • Make up to $25/hour
  • Some drivers may be required to have a special license
  • Work hours can be 8-5 M- F or may also be nights and weekends

Delivery Job Requirements

Most places hiring delivery drivers require a high school diploma or GED, a valid driver’s license and a good driving record. However, if you’d like to drive heavy trucks or tractor trailers, you’ll need your CDL (commercial driver’s license) and will need to attend special classes.

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Environmentally Conscious Driving Improves Sustainability

Environmentally conscious driving can be a cost-effective way for drivers to cut down on fuel costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions without paying a premium for eco-friendly vehicles, says Business Driver Magazine. By making small changes in your driving habits, you can help to reduce these numbers and save money at the same time. By driving smarter, you can reduce your fuel costs and your “carbon footprint” as well.

Here are some smart, smooth safe driving techniques from FieldLogix Green GPS Fleet Management System that will reduce fuel costs by around 7 – 20%, depending on how you use the system and the size of your fleet.

When most people think about being a green driver, they think about driving a hybrid, which is a great way to drive green. Hybrids cut fuel costs and produce less greenhouse gas emissions. But what if you can’t afford a new hybrid? Or what if you already have one and are looking for more ways to reduce your carbon footprint?

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Fleet GPS Vehicle Tracking Systems – How to Choose the Best One

fleet gps dispatcherChoosing a GPS vehicle tracking system can be challenging. There are dozens of products on the market with a very broad range of features. This article will help you determine which features your business really needs. It will also tell you what you should look for when researching options of a fleet GPS system.

Vehicle tracking is one of the fastest growing markets for GPS technology. Companies of all sizes are taking advantage of modern GPS devices. If you have more than one company vehicle, you have a fleet – and GPS fleet tracking saves businesses money!

The ability to track vehicles at all times can significantly reduce your business operating costs. To ensure your company is operating at maximum efficiency, necessary costs such as fuel and employee overtime can be closely monitored and verified by a GPS fleet management system. For example, excessive vehicle idling not only uses excess fuel, but it also causes unnecessary vehicle wear and tear, and produces harmful greenhouse gas emissions. By effectively utilizing the data and reports produced by a real-time vehicle fleet tracking system, fuel costs can be drastically reduced by over 20 percent.

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GPS Data Reveals Users Search Most For McDonald’s, Starbucks, Walmart

GPS location based mobile phone search tracking data was recently used to reveal the most searched brand names in the U.S. This type of data gives insight into what drivers are searching for when they’re on a mobile phone or mobile device. Most Searched Restaurant McDonald’s Most Searched Retailer Walmart Most Searched Coffee Starbucks Most […]

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GPS Vehicle Tracking Huge Component of Fleet Management

gpe vehicle tracking system for fleet managersIf your company has more than two vehicles, you have a fleet. As with all components of a business, fleets need managing. Fleet management ensures that overall transportation costs are kept to a minimum. Fleet management is a challenging job and is much more than just knowing where drivers and vehicles are or occasionally checking the oil levels in the fleet vans. With the assistance of modern technology such as GPS devices and vehicle tracking systems, a fleet manager’s job can be much easier.

One of the most fundamental components in fleet management is vehicle tracking. Modern technology in the form of GPS tracking devices has made tracking and diagnostics much more efficient and easier, leading to far more efficient fleet management overall. GPS vehicle tracking systems allow a fleet manager to know exactly where every vehicle in the fleet is at any given time and gives them the opportunity to plan the most efficient routes and reduce waiting time for customers.

An important part of fleet management is duty of care. Fleet management should provide clear policies and guidance for employees who drive on company business. Vehicle tracking systems incorporate software that can build up a profile of a driver’s habits, enabling fleet managers to monitor behavior on the road so you can see exactly how safely company vehicles are being driven.

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Green Fleet 2010 Conference A Success – Presentations Now Online

san diego mayor jerry sandersGreen Fleet Conference 2010 in San Diego, CA was a huge success — with record breaking attendance! The conference sessions were standing room only, the exhibit hall was buzzing with energy. Green Fleet Conference attendees really enjoyed taking out the alternative fuel vehicles for a spin at The Ride & Drive event. If you missed this year, I highly recommend you attend Green Fleet Conference 2011 next year.

Mayor Jerry Sanders showed his support of environmental sustainability by delivering opening remarks before the Environmental Leadership Awards and 100 Best Green Fleet Awards Ceremony.

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