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.

Sacramento Saves $60,000/month in Fuel with GPS Fleet Tracking

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The City of Sacramento recently spent over $100,000 on a GPS fleet management system. Many tax payers questioned if the new fleet tracking system was a luxury or a necessity? Turns out, that within the first month of using the fleet management system, the City identified ways to cut fuel costs by over $60,000 in just one month.

According to Keith Leech, City of Sacramento Fleet Management, “The analysis identified savings in excess of $60,000 a month in fuel costs alone, quite an impressive figure considering the cost to equip those 184 vehicles was just over $110,000. Simply stated, the system paid for itself in just two short months making it an excellent investment for the City and a real money saver for the tax payers.”

A real-time GPS Fleet Tracking System can help to Cut Fuel Costs and other Fleet Management Costs. It can also help to:

* Save time and reduce paperwork
* Quickly identify wasteful activities
* Accurately track and measure operating efficiencies

EPA, DOT & CARB to Create New Vehicle Emissions Standards

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The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Transportation (DOT) announced they are coordinating with the California Air Resources Board to set fuel economy and greenhouse gas standards for model year 2017-2025 cars and light-duty trucks. All three agencies will simultaneously release the proposed rules for vehicle fuel economy and carbon emissions on Sept. 1, 2011.

Keep Your Family Safe with OnStar Aftermarket Rear-View Mirror

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ven if you don’t drive a GM vehicle, many people have seen the commercials for the OnStar telematics system. The ones where the family vehicle crashes crashes and the OnStar telematics system automatically alerts emergency services. OnStar launched an aftermarket rear-view mirror equipped with its OnStar telematics based communication system this year (2011) at CES. Even if you don’t drive a GM, now any vehicle can use the OnStar system and service.

OnStar services are currently installed in over 6 million vehicles. The OnStar mirror will retail for $299 at Best Buy. The device will hit the shelves this Spring. The monthly fee for the service will be $18.95.

OnStar and other telematics companies are exploring different ways to bring the Internet experience into the automobile. OnStar Telematics, a division of General Motors, currently offers drivers a variety of connected services, including turn-by-turn GPS system navigation, automatic crash response, stolen vehicle location, and much more.

Google Maps Adds Fuel Cost Calculator to Driving Directions in Europe

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Google Maps (GOOG) just launched a Fuel Cost Calculator to driving directions for Google Maps in Europe. Google’s new Fuel Cost Calculator can be used to estimate the average fuel cost for your journey. When a user asks for driving direction between two locations on the map, it shows an estimate of how much cash your have to spend in order to procure fuel for the journey. The estimated fuel cost appears at the bottom of the list of driving directions.

This new tool can be very helpful for many reasons. With rising gas costs on the horizon (Oil is expected to top $100 a barrel this year.) it would be nice to be able to plan your trips taking gas costs into consideration. If utilized properly, this new tool can help you to become aware of your carbon footprint, and gives you the opportunity to really cut your gas costs, which is a great incentive to take the time to plan your trips more efficiently.

Apps That Prevent Texting While Driving

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We all know that texting and driving is very dangerous. Drivers should always stay focused on the road ahead of them. A very famous and successful plastic surgeon drove off a cliff in Malibu last year (2010) because he was texting while driving. The accident demonstrates the very real danger of texting while driving, an activity that has reportedly spiked in recent years.

“I hear, almost daily, accounts of people who are injured while texting,” said Dr. Angela Gardner, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians. Gardner said “It has stopped being an oddity when we hear that someone was texting and has a wreck. Now it’s more of a fairly common occurrence…While sending out a status update during a leisurely drive may seem innocuous, it only takes a moment for distracted drivers to become vulnerable.”

Gas Prices Are Over $3 Gallon and On The Rise

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Loofleet tracking system cuts fuel costsks like next time you go to the gas pump, you may find yourself paying more than you are used to paying. The national average for an unleaded gallon of gas is currently $3.05, the highest level since fall 2008, according to Bankrate.com. Gas prices are expected to continue rising throughout 2011.

OPEC just announced that “demand for its oil in 2011 will be stronger than it previously forecast owing to the recovery in the global economy”. OPEC’s stronger oil-demand forecasts may increase pressure on the group to formally raise its production ceiling. Oil prices are high – close to $100/ barrel. OPEC raised its expected 2011 demand for the group’s crude oil by 200,000 barrels a day to 29.4 million barrels a day. The group also raised its forecast for growth in global oil demand this year by 50,000 barrels a day.

Here are some driving tips to save money on gas, brought to you by FieldLogix GPS Fleet Management System. FieldLogix is a green GPS fleet management solution designed to reduce fleet vehicle fuel consumption and improve productivity. By making small changes in your driving habits, you can reduce your fuel costs and your “carbon footprint” as well.

4 Useful Things You May Not Know About Google Maps

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1. See a “You Are Here” Location on a Map From Your Phone – Even Without GPS System

Have you ever noticed the dot between the four-point navigation tool and the zoom slider? t’s easy to miss! If you click that button while using Firefox or Google Chrome and, through the magic of the geolocation process, Google Maps for Mobile can tell you roughly where you are from your phone, even if you don’t have GPS tracking system. Google put together a video that explains how this works. It’s convenient when you’re in an unfamiliar place and don’t have the best sense of direction.

2. Find Places Near Any Point on a Map

If you’re searching for a certain place—a street name, a business, or other landmark—you can click on a marker and hit the “Search nearby” link to find coffee, gas, banks, or whatever else you need. What if you don’t have a place to pin down, but want to generally browse an area? Right click anywhere on a Google map, click “What’s Nearby?” in the box that pops up, and Google will create a pin based on a rough street address estimate, or with precise GPS tracking location coordinates. From there, you can click on “Search Nearby” in the box that appears in the left-hand pane, and search around without worrying about specifics.

Military Fleet Management Faces Tough, Unique Challenges

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Fleet management is tough for anyone – but could you imagine operating a fleet of 300,000 trucks? The Army and Marine Corps have an inventory of over 300,000 trucks. Military vehicle fleet management is an incredibly tough challenge. They are trying to decide which fleet vehicles to keep, and how they will go about fixing or replacing damaged and outdated fleet vehicles.

Over the past several years the military has done a decent job of forecasting the quantities and types of fleet vehicles they will need. But fleet management forecasts with this size and type of fleet is never going to be perfect. Forecasts of future buys have been difficult due to internal disagreements over how to modernize the fleet of more than 150,000 Army and 25,000 Marine Corps Humvees. Because of their sheer numbers and the potential costs of acquiring new vehicles to replace old ones, Humvees are creating a challenging fix-or-buy-new dilemma for decision makers.

New FMCSA Regulations Will Limit Driver Hours-of-Service

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Fleet management take heed. Several trucking industry regulations have recently been proposed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The proposed truck driver hours-of-service and speed limit regulations will have a huge impact on the trucking and transportation industry. The proposed rules are stirring up quite a heated controversy.

On Dec. 23, 2010 the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued a regulatory proposal that would revise hours-of-service (HOS) requirements for commercial fleet truck drivers—requirements that have gone through multiple iterations and sparked numerous legal challenges since 2004. The rules are expected to be finalized by July 26, 2011.

Fleet GPS Tracking System Helps Cleaning Business Save Thousands

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Fleet GPS tracking systems are being used more and more by local San Diego businesses, especially service-based businesses with unsupervised mobile employees on the road. A vehicle GPS tracking system can not only improve worker efficiency but a GPS tracking system can also help to cut fuel costs and improve customer service.

“Within 90 days we were able to increase profits by over 10%. Wireless fleet management systems can put a spotlight on a worker’s habits that waste time and consume excessive fuel. Even the best employees aren’t always working as productively as they could be,” said John Barr, President of San Diego Windows and Decks Cleaning Services.