March 2011

43 posts
Gas Prices Surge 33 Cents, Expected to Keep Increasing

Gas prices across the US have skyrocketed recently. A new survey of US fuel prices says the average price of regular gasoline in the United States has jumped 33 cents per gallon in the last two weeks, the second biggest price increase over a two-week span on record. Gas prices are expected to continue rising, according to the fuel price survey.

The latest Lundberg Survey, released Sunday March 6, 2011, found that gas prices have risen nearly 82 cents since September 2010. Today the average price of self-serve regular gasoline is $3.51; the average price for mid-grade is $3.64, and premium gas is at $3.75. Diesel fuel is up 29 cents, to $3.88 a gallon.

Read Article
Gas Prices Reach Highest Levels Since 2008 Peak

This week, oil prices hit a 2-year high at $103, reaching the highest level since September 2008. Gas prices have skyrocketed by an average of 35 cents per gallon since an uprising in Libya started a few weeks ago. A gallon of regular unleaded gained another 4.4 cents overnight to a new national average of $3.471 per gallon, according to auto club AAA, Wright Express and the Oil Price Information Service. Here in California, gas prices are well over the $3.75 mark.

Many experts predict the cost of fuel will continue to rise throughout the end of summer in 2011. The myriad reasons oil prices are trending up include:

Read Article
Auto Sales Rise 27% in February, Despite Record High Gas Prices

Auto sales in the US gained 27 percent in February, as consumers found it difficult to turn down some deep dealer discounts. GM (NYSE: GM) had the largest gains and sold more than 207,000 vehicles during February,  up 46 percent year-on-year. According to the industry tracking firm ‘Autodata,’ the sales rate for February was 13.4 […]

Read Article
Vehicle Telematics – Making the Car an iPhone on Wheels

Vehicle telematics is the combination of electronic technology and cars and trucks. The ultimate fantasy car in vehicle telematics would be similar to the Batmobile or Kitt from Night Rider. You can speak to these cars and they make driving easier, safer, and way more cool.

Constantly checking e-mail on BlackBerry devices is considered pretty standard by now, as many busy workers suffer from what’s known as “ringxiety,”­ but what if wireless technology could be integrated straight into your car? Cell phones and hands-off sets are becoming a big part of in-car electronics. With vehicle telematics, drivers will be able to seamlessly receive information and respond without taking their eyes off the road.

Vehicle telematics and other in-car electronic systems are about getting the best of both worlds — consumers are looking an easy way to integrate all their gadgets and businesses are willing to spend on advanced products for better efficiency, such as vehicle fleet tracking systems. Telematics today includes auto manufacturers with abundant service offerings and smartphones applications becoming a part of the vehicle’s interior — providing entertainment, navigation, traffic data and even social networking inside the vehicle. There is stiff competition between auto manufacturers, all trying to do outdo each other by designing the best in-vehicle telematics features.

Read Article
Vehicle Tracking System Cuts Fuel Costs by over $175K

The high cost of gas is expected to continue to have a major impact on business operating expenses in 2011. Truck fleets will be feeling the most pain at the pump, since the cost of a gallon of diesel is predicted to remain higher than unleaded gasoline. Higher fuel prices will have a domino effect on increasing prices for other oil-based products, such as replacement tires.

Fleet management is looking at technology, tires, vehicle maintenance, and downtime to find ways to cut costs. One of the best ways to cut fuel costs is with a GPS vehicle tracking and fleet management system.

In 2008, BLS Trucking installed a GPS vehicle tracking system in its fleet of approximately 200 diesel trucks. By eliminating unauthorized use and unnecessary idling time, BLS Trucking saved $188,539 in fuel consumption alone during the first year, amounting to more than $900 in savings per vehicle.

Read Article
ATA Supports FMCSA Ban on Truckers Using Cell Phones

At the end of 2010, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration proposed a new safety regulation that would specifically prohibit interstate commercial truck and bus drivers from using hand-held cell phones while operating a commercial motor vehicle. The DOT says fleet management and approximately 4 million commercial drivers would be affected by this proposal.

FMCSA research shows that using a hand-held cell phone while driving requires a commercial driver to take several risky steps. In particular, commercial drivers reaching for an object, such as a cell phone, while driving are three times more likely to be involved in a crash or other safety-critical event. Drivers dialing a hand-held cell phone while driving increase their risk by six times.

The American Trucking Associations (ATA) says it supports the proposed legislation, which would put an end to the use of handheld mobile phones by commercial truck drivers. According to the ATA website, ATA President and CEO Bill Graves said “Recognizing the risks of hand held mobile phone use, it simply makes sense to prohibit their use by all motorists to make the highways safer for everyone.”

Read Article
Two New Money Saving Technologies for Small Businesses

n light of today’s economy, most people are looking for ways to save money. People have become more conscientious and realize that saving a few extra dollars by changing their behavior can really pay off over time.

Upgrade the cell phone after two years? I doubt it. Exchange the flat-panel TV for an even thinner model? Maybe next year. Replace the pants with the hole? Maybe next month! People have cut back on eating out, shopping, traveling, you name it.

Recently, consumer spending has picked up, but for many Americans the recession has left something behind: a greater desire to make stuff last. Every dollar in a budget counts and must be stretched.

For a wide variety of goods — cars, phones, computers, even shampoo — the data shows a slowing of product life cycles and consumption. In many cases the difference is mere months, but economists and consumers say the approach just may continue due to the strong impression the downturn made on consumers. It’s similar to the Depression-era mentality when people stored canned goods and sewed clothes rather than replacing them for years.

In a recession, sometimes spending a bit on technology can actually end up saving your business money over the long term. Investments in Web conferencing, fleet management, and other technologies can pay off. There are countless ways technology can save organizations money. After all, technology is meant to be a tool and by definition is supposed to increase efficiency which always translates to saving money.

Read Article
1 2 3
achievement achievement achievement achievement achievement achievement achievement achievement
Take the tour now