Posts By: JC Strodula

Gas Savings Myths, Driving Tips that Don’t Really Conserve Gas

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In light of the recent rises in gas prices, it is important to remember that how you drive can affect your vehicle’s fuel mileage (MPG). However, you have to know the difference between a good driving tip and a bogus one in order to really slash your gas costs.

Unfortunately there is a lot of confusion about certain driving and vehicle issues. Let’s try to clear the air on a few driving myths.

Driving Myth #1:

1) Increase Tire Pressure. To get the most out of a full tank of gas, you should pump up those tires.

The Reality: Yes, it’s true that driving on under-inflated tires can cost you up to 3.75% in fuel economy. However, over-inflating tires can actually be dangerous. Tires that are overinflated have trouble getting a grip on the road, which can easily cause an accident.Have you ever seen a blow-out on the freeway. Drivers definitely don’t want that to happen.

California Gas Prices Are The Highest in US

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Gas prices in the state of California are the highest in the US. The average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gas in California is now $3.897, the highest in the entire US, according to AAA. California gas prices are now even higher than the 2 states that usually have the highest gas prices – Alaska and Hawaii.

In San Diego this weekend, gas prices ranged from $3.81 to $4.19 per gallon of regular gas, according to website GasBuddy.com. Gas Buddy listed San Francisco as the most expensive city for gas in the country at an average of $3.93 a gallon, followed by 15 other cities in California. In Los Angeles, it’s hard to find a station where the price of regular gas for less than $3.95 a gallon.

Gas prices are predicted to continue rising due to turmoil in Libya, among other factors. Nationwide, the average price of a gallon of unleaded gasoline is $3.509, according to a daily survey by AAA. Gas prices are $.76 higher than they were a year ago.

The AAA Fuel Gage Report is a public service of the United States of America’s largest motoring and leisure travel membership organization. The report is updated every day from several sources. There are up to 100,000 stations surveyed daily, and daily surveys from Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) with average national, state and local prices for gasoline, and diesel.

Gas Prices Reach Highest Levels Since 2008 Peak

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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:

Pay As You Drive Auto Insurance Gains Popularity

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Telematics usage based auto insurance, aka Pay-As-You-Drive auto insurance programs, are becoming very popular. Why? Because it saves drivers money! Pay-as-you-go insurance can provide drivers big discounts, up to 54% according to GMAC. Usage based insurance, also known as pay as you drive (or PAYD) is a type of automobile insurance whereby the costs of auto insurance are dependent upon type of vehicle used, and measures against a driver’s time, distance and place. Pay as you drive (PAYD) means that the insurance premium is calculated dynamically, typically according to the amount you drive.

What is Pay As You Drive Auto Insurance?

There are a few different types of coverage for usage based auto insurance:

1. Coverage is based on the odometer reading of the vehicle.
2. Coverage is based on the number of minutes the vehicle is being used as recorded by a vehicle-independent module transmitting data via cellphone or RF technology.
3. Coverage is based on other data collected from the vehicle, including speed and time-of-day information in addition to distance or time traveled.

Anaheim Schools Use GPS Tracking to Stop Truancy

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he Anaheim Union High School District is the first school district in California to test GPS tracking system technology as part of a six-week pilot program to reduce the amount of student truancy, according to school officials. Student GPS tracking system programs have been successful in cities such as San Antonio and Baltimore. Where the GPS technology has been implemented, average attendance among the chronically truant jumped from 77 percent up to 95 percent during the six-week program.

Students with a high level of unexcused absences will be assigned a GPS tracking device that they must carry on them at all times during school days. The GPS tracking system is small, about the size of a deck of cards. The GPS tracking devices will not be strapped to a student’s ankle, because according to experts, this can create a negative stigma. The GPS tracking program is all about teaching the student’s about responsibility, not punishment.

5 Ways Fleet Management Can Cut Fuel Costs

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In light of rising gas gas costs, it is important for fleet management to try and keep fuel costs as low as possible. Here are 5 ways fleet management can cut fuel costs:

1. It is important that truck drivers do not speed. It may seem like a good idea, after all you can reach your destination quicker. But overall speeding actually costs much more money, not to mention it is dangerous. Speeds over 60 mph drastically impact fuel efficiencies – cars traveling at 75 mph use 20% more fuel, while trucks traveling at 75 mph use 50% more fuel. They also emit 100% more carbon monoxide, 50% more hydrocarbons and 31% more nitrogen oxides. And don’t forget that a speeding ticket can increase your insurance costs.

2. Train your drivers to drive consistently and not be too aggressive. Jackrabbit starts save less than 3 minutes per hour of driving, but can result in 40% more fuel use. That’s not going to help your fuel savings or help your on time delivery.

FieldLogix Launches IFTA Plan to Make Fuel Tax Reporting Easy

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FieldLogix, an industry leading ‘Green” GPS fleet management system, announces the launch of an IFTA-only plan, designed to make IFTA fuel tax reporting simple and affordable. The FieldLogix IFTA fuel tax reporting plan makes calculating IFTA taxes a breeze because the FieldLogix GPS fleet tracking system automatically tracks everything your accountants will need to determine the amount of taxes your fleet owes in each state.

For fleet management, calculating IFTA taxes is a tedious but necessary part of the job. The good news is that with the FieldLogix IFTA-only plan, determining the mileage driven in each state and fuel expenses for each vehicle can be automatically uploaded into a fleet’s tax software. Therefore, the proper IFTA paperwork can quickly be produced.

GPS Tracking System Reduces Truancy, Improves Student Safety

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Schools across the country are using GPS tracking systems in different ways and for different reasons.

GPS Tracking System Used to Help Reduce Truancy, Improve Student Safety

School districts are turning to GPS tracking technology to reduce the amount of students that repeatedly don’t show up for school. In some school districts, the level of students not showing up or leaving early for school is out of control. To solve the problem, repeat truancy offenders are being asked to keep a hand-held GPS tracking system with them at all times. The GPS tracking system keeps tabs on the students’ wherabouts during school hours to make sure the student is attending classes regularly.

School Bus GPS Fleet Tracking System Keeps Students Warm, Dry and Safe

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Don’t like standing around waiting for the bus? Me either, especially when it’s freezing cold or raining outside. For some lucky students at Lehigh University, a new type of GPS fleet tracking system is being installed in the school’s fleet of school buses. The new GPS fleet tracking system will enable students to track where their bus is in real-time, so they can spend their time waiting indoors instead of outside at the bus stop. Better yet, the service is free for students!

New Garmin GPS App for Travelers Who Visit Places Off the Beaten Path

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Next time you plan to head out for a road trip, grab your Garmin GPS navigation system and check out Roadsideamerica.com. RoadsideAmerica (RA), the internet guide to offbeat tourist attractions, just launched a GPS System Routing/ Travel Guide called “Attractions and Oddities.” Roadside America is for tourists who like to find obscure spots off-the-beaten path. Right now the Travel Guide is only available for Garmin GPS devices, but it will also be available for Tom-Tom GPS systems in April 2011.

The Oddities GPS System Travel Guide from RA tracks locations, directions, hours and contact information for more than 5,000 offbeat attractions and locations. The travel guide also has thousands of photos. Users can select what type of attractions they want to see, such as nature or landmarks, and then explore places not found in the mainstream tourist maps.