Fleet Management News

FieldLogix is a top news source for fleet management news. We are constantly evaluating the market for top fleet management trends and report our findings to you. We are the go-to source for many fleet managers and analysts that cover the fleet management industry. Our extensive knowledge of the market ensures that we are capable of supplying fleet management news that is credible, timely, and informative.

Gas Prices Surge as Oil Tops $100 Barrel

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Record High Gas Prices February 2011

Over the past week, the cost to fill up your gas tank has sky-rocketed. Gas prices increased 17 cents a gallon last week, which is a huge increase. Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst at the Oil Price Information Service, said gas prices’ 6-cent jump reported Friday was the largest one-day increase since at least 2008. The national average price for a gallon of regular gas rose, for the 4th day in a row, to 4.6 cents to $3.33 on Friday, according to AAA. That brings the national average to the highest level since October 2008.

Turmoil in the Middle East is largely contributing to the rapidly increasing gas prices. Oil prices shot as high as $103 a barrel on Thursday as chaos in Libya disrupted crude supplies from the OPEC nation, and traders worried instability could spread to other oil-rich countries in the Middle East. The spike in oil last week could translate to an increase in gas prices of 37 cents per gallon in the coming weeks, according Moody’s Analytics economist, Chris Lafakis. He estimates that for every $1 increase in the price of oil, retail gas prices typically rise 2.5 cents a gallon. “This will definitely be the most expensive February gas prices ever,” he said, adding that gas prices are typically lower during the winter months. Many analysts are predicting drivers will see $4-a-gallon gas by summer.

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.

Top 3 Fleet Management Safety Driving Tips

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According to driving safety experts, the average vehicle crash costs an employer more than $16,000. When the incident involves an employee injury, that figure spikes to $74,000, then up to $500,000 if there is a fatality. However, most auto accidents are preventable. Here are some easy to implement driving tips that all fleet management can use.

1. Fleet management communication with drivers and training. A good safety driving initiative requires the involvement of owners and top managers as well as drivers and other employees. Driver safety training and communication should be provided on an ongoing basis. Even experienced drivers benefit from repeated training and reminders. A driver reward and incentive program can help make safe driving part of your business culture. Employees should understand that safe driving behaviors affect the bottom line.

Best iPhone Apps for Green Fleet Fuel Management

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Looking for easy ways to turn your ordinary fleet into a green fleet? Or simple ways to save money on gas? Check out the following iPhone apps. They can help fleet management save time, money and reduce your fleet’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Gas Cubby helps drivers track vehicle gas mileage and maintenance. Drivers can track vehicle MPG, gas prices, driving expenses and can provide customizable service reminders. The app stores all the important vehicle data and can support a fleet of many vehicles. Gas Cubby costs $6.99.

Trip Cubby is from the same developer of Gas Cubby, but designed for drivers who need to track mileage for tax deduction or reimbursement purposes. The app allows you to log expenses for multiple vehicles and drivers. If a user gets a phone call while in the middle of entering in data, don’t worry. The data will be stored and retrieved the next time the app is launched. TripCubby costs $6.99.

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.

Food, Gas and Transportation Costs Rising, Inflation on the Horizon

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Fuel prices across the country are already well over $3/gallon. Many experts are predicting significant increases in the price of gas and food this year, plus other daily necessities (commodities) and consumer goods. Why? Because as the cost of fuel goes up, the cost of transporting and delivering these goods is going up. Profit margins in the transportation and trucking industry are already very thin, so companies are going to be forced to pass these costs onto the consumer.

According to the New York Times, prices for commodities such as corn, sugar, wheat, beef, pork and coffee are soaring.
The price of cotton is at its highest level in over 10 years; leather and polyester are increasing as well. The price of copper has shot through the roof and reached its highest level inover 40 years. Iron ore, which is used to produce steel, is also commanding very high prices.

Rising Diesel Prices Could Hit $4 by May – How Truckers Can Survive

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Diesel prices have gone up for 11 straight weeks for a cumulative 37.2 cent gain, a 70-cent increase from last year. Current diesel prices have already risen 2.1 cents this week to $3.534 per gallon, according to the Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA). This week’s price is the 20th consecutive week prices have been at $3 per gallon or more. Current diesel prices are at their highest level since peaking at $3.659 during the week of October 13, 2008.

Even though oil prices have decreased slightly in recent weeks, some experts are saying that the price per gallon of diesel and regular gasoline could approach the $4 per gallon level, due to higher global demand for oil and the coldest winter in recorded history in many parts of the United States and Europe.

Fuel typically makes up about one-third of trucking companies’ budgets, said Kristen Monaco, an economics professor who specializes in trucking at California State University, Long Beach. However, when diesel prices get this high, the cost of fuel is the number one expense for trucking companies.

Rental Car Fleets Fining Drivers with GPS Tracking System

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vehicle rental company in Australia has made a controversial decision to install a GPS vehicle tracking system in roughly 30% of the vehicles in its car rental fleet. Using the GPS vehicle tracking system signal, the car rental company will be able to know in real time the exact location of the vehicle. Plus they can be notified by text message if the car rental customer has breached any of the terms of their rental agreement, such as driving the rented car down a dirt road. Renters can be fined for their driving behavior, if it is a breach of the car rental contract.

Ambulances Still Not Equipped with Navigation Systems

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Next time you or someone you love is about to be transported in an ambulance to the closest hospital, you might want to hop in the back of the vehicle and give the driver directions using your cel phone GPS navigation system. Why? Because many ambulances are not equipped with a GPS navigation system that gives drivers directions. Instead many ambulances are equipped with a GPS tracking system that is only used to keep track of the vehicle’s location, but this type of global positioning system (GPS) is not able to give driving directions.
It is important to recognize the differences in the capabilities of these two types of GPS tracking systems. What this means is that ambulance drivers are still forced to rely on paper maps to get to and from emergency destinations in a hurry. In emergency situations, every minute counts. This isn’t exactly confidence-inspiring and seems a bit archaic.

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.