Category: Fleet Management News

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Track Bus, Train and Ship Locations with new GPS System

Ever been stuck waiting for a bus, train or ferry and wondered, “Where the heck is my ride? Well, thanks to modern GPS technology, this issue may become a thing of the past. New GPS tracking systems are being installed across the country so people can monitor the whereabouts of their public transportation in real-time.

This type of tracking system is especially helpful to people when the weather conditions are severe. No one likes standing in the rain, snow or extreme heat waiting for a ride. Now when a bus or train is late, you can take shelter from the heat or cold because you will know exactly when your ride will be arriving.

In Michigan, people on-the-go who use a smart phone or another hand-held device that can access the Internet will be able to track the location of their city bus fleet in real-time using GPS tracking technology. Passengers will be able to tell when the bus will get to their stop.

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US Gas Prices Drop Below $4 a Gallon in 49 States

Gas prices fell last week as consumer confidence reached a 30-year low, pushing oil prices down. On Monday, at the end of trading on the NYMEX, crude oil settled at $87.88 per barrel, up $2.50.

While crude oil prices have exhibited dramatic shifts in momentum in recent trading, gasoline prices have continued to steadily decline. The current national retail average price for a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline is $3.59. Today’s average price is seven cents cheaper than one week ago and eight cents cheaper than one month ago, but remains 83 cents higher than one year ago according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report.

After rising for 25 of 31 days in July, the national average price at the pump has fallen for 14 of 15 days to begin August. As of today, Hawaii ($4.11) is the only state that remains above the $4 per gallon threshold.

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FieldLogix Helps Dunphy’s ExtermaPest Cut Fuel Bill by $700/Mo

Dunphy’s ExtermaPest Cuts Gas Costs by $700 a Month For a 10 Vehicle Fleet With FieldLogix Fleet Tracking System

With today’s high fuel costs and a sluggish economy, companies are seeking ways to reduce their operating costs. One way to reduce costs dramatically is through the use of a GPS fleet tracking system.

Ron Dunphy, president of Dunphy’s Extermapest in Palm Springs, California has seen a significant reduction in fuel costs since implementing FieldLogix.

Dunphy said, “Before implementing FieldLogix last year, when gas prices were much lower, I was spending $3,400 a month on fuel for my 10 vehicles. After installing FieldLogix on my vehicles, I now spend $2,700 per month on fuel, even with higher gas prices!”

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Gas and Oil Prices Plunge After US Credit Downgrade

On Friday of last week, Standard & Poor lowered its rating for U.S. debt one notch from AAA to AA+. Following the downgrade, oil fell to the lowest price in more than eight months as investors fled commodities for assets such as Treasury bills and gold after the downgrade. Poor economic news flooded the market and pushed oil prices below $90 a barrel, despite government agreements to raise the nation’s debt ceiling.

Oil prices had the largest weekly loss since May 6, when the death of Osama bin Laden was announced. Crude oil prices were down more than $3 per barrel Monday afternoon. Further declines in oil and gad prices are anticipated.

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GM Launches New Vehicle Tracking System to Monitor Teens While Driving

General Motors is testing a new tracking system in the US. The tracking system can be used to locate a stolen vehicle, and it can also keep track of family members behind the wheel.

The vehicle tracking system is called Family Link. For parents of inexperienced teen drivers, using Family Link can help to give parents peace of mind because they will be able to monitor their child’s location and know they are safe. The service enables users to log onto a website at any time of the day to find their vehicle’s location.

The Family Link tracking system can send text or email alerts set for specific times. OnStar is planning to expand this to include alerts when a driver arrives at a destination, if a predetermined speed limit is broken or when a navigation boundary is crossed.

In order to use the system you must have a vehicle equipped with On-Star and subscribe to the On-Star service. Even if you don’t drive a GM, any vehicle can use the OnStar system and service by purchasing an aftermarket rear-view mirror equipped with the OnStar telematics-based communication system.

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Gas Prices Expected to Drop 35 Cents in Upcoming Months

The stock market plummeted last week as uncertainty and fear about the economy in the US and Europe spread like wildfire. Another recession, investors feared, could be right around the corner.

Yes, the stock market plunge was disconcerting and downright scary, but there is some good news. Many analysts are expecting gas prices to drop over the next few months. That’s because the same fears that forced a sell-off on Wall Street also brought down the price of oil.

Gas prices usually fall in late summer as families take fewer road trips. But the recent drop in oil should reduce gas prices even further. Experts are predicting the national average of $3.70 per gallon could fall as much as 35 cents per gallon over the next month. US drivers consume about 378 million gallons of gas every day, so a 35-cent-per-gallon fall would reduce daily total US gas spending by about $132.3 million.

“They’ll see a penny or two drop per day next week,” said Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst at GasBuddy.com, a consumer Web site that tracks retail gasoline prices around the country. DeHaan said the decline will likely start at stations along highways and other busy areas. Those stations need to replenish their storage tanks every day or so, and they’ll get the cheaper gasoline faster than others.

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Gas Prices Expected to Drop up to 35 Cents As Oil Hits Six-Month Low

Oil prices dropped to a six-month low Thursday as investors and energy traders grew more concerned that the U.S. economy will enter another recession and that Europe’s debt problems are not closed to being solved.

As oil prices were dropping, the stock market plummeted. Major stock indexes fell more than 4 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost over 500 points. It was the worst day for the Dow since October 22, 2008.

The decline in oil should bring some needed relief to drivers. U.S. gas prices currently remain near three-year highs at a national average of $3.703 per gallon. But gas prcies are expected to drop in the near future.

According to Fred Rozell, retail pricing director at Oil Price Information Service, the recent slide in oil could push gasoline 20 to 35 cents per gallon lower over the next month. “This market is moving up and down, but you could see some sizable declines at the pump if this holds,” Rozell said.

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Gas Prices Remain Steady as Oil Prices Drop Below $93

Gas Prices Remain Steady as Oil Prices Drop Below $93 Due to Concerns About the Economy

After news was released of an eleventh hour agreement in Washington to raise the debt ceiling, the markets reacted positively in very early Monday morning trading – for a very brief period. The positivity was fleeting. By late Monday morning, the ending of the debt debacle had no more positive impact on the markets. The stock market reversed and has been declining for the last several days.

The way the markets have traded since the announcement of the debt deal suggest strongly to me that the majority of the selling last week was more to do with the faltering global economy rather than uncertainty over the US politicians doing a deal. There is speculation that the US may still lost its AAA credit rating, and that Europe may be on the brink of a financial meltdown.

Besides the debt problems both here and in Europe, there is also evidence that the US economy is not rebounding as many hoped it would be. Investors are also concerned that consumer spending is down and there is weak demand for oil and gas.

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Fleet Tracking System Features to Consider, Part One

Fleet Tracking System Features – Part One

If your business requires vehicles and mobile employees, and you are interested in finding ways to increase your company’s productivity and profitability, then you should consider investing in a GPS Fleet Tracking System.

A Fleet Tracking System can provide your company with numerous benefits at an affordable price. A fleet tracking system can help the average fleet reduce fuel costs by up to 20%. Most customers typically see a positive ROI in less than 6 months.

There are several factors to consider when researching and selecting the right Fleet Tracking System. Here are some of the fleet tracking features you should be considering in your purchase decision.

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Survey Finds GPS Tracking Lowers Vehicle Operating Costs

A new vehicle tracking survey was released last month in the UK. Results of the study showed that businesses using fleet GPS tracking systems are saving money in several ways. The vehicle tracking survey showed that businesses can achieve measurable benefits in terms of fleet performance, service and legislative compliance.

The vehicle tracking study was conducted by CTrack. The company surveyed over 250 fleet decision makers in the UK. The survey was developed to provide insight into the uptake of vehicle tracking amongst UK-based businesses, how the technology is being used, what benefits are being achieved and what barriers are preventing more companies adopting a vehicle tracking solution. When asked about the primary purpose for vehicle tracking more than a third of the respondents using the technology stated productivity was the main reason, whilst cost reduction, asset management and customer service made up almost half of the answers.

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GPS Tracking System Busts County Employees at Golf Course

Earlier this year in Muskegon Cunty, Michigan, rumors were spreading that city employees were not working when and where they said they were. A county judge, John Ruck, became suspect after hearing rumors that a handful of city employees were misusing city vehicles and decided to take action.

He rallied enough support and money from the county and the state to purchase several vehicle tracking systems. Ruck then ordered someone to install the tracking systems inconspicuously in the trunk of several county owned fleet vehicles. The GPS tracking systems started gathering information in June.

Court administrators reviewed the vehicle tracking system data for several weeks looking for discrepancies. According to Ruck the process was simple – look at the employee’s time card and where the car they checked out was located.

Then lo and behold, the GPS tracking system data revealed that three county workers were not working while on the clock. One spent several hours at a golf course, another at the gym. Both resigned when confronted about the abuse. A third employee, whose error was not as egregious, is going to be disciplined.

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US Debt Concerns Puts Pressure on Oil and Gas Prices

US debt concerns are fueling rising gas prices. Now speculation that fuel prices could go much higher if the government cannot come to an agreement about raising the debt ceiling.

Currently gas prices are averaging $3.70 a gallon in the US. Oil prices fell below $97 per barrel as US leaders failed to agree to lift the government debt limit just hours from a deadline, leaving investors to consider worst case scenarios if a default occurs. By the early afternoon on Friday, crude oil rose 4 cents and closed at $97.44 on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

According to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report: Default or a downgrade of the U.S. credit rating would have far-reaching consequences for the U.S. economy. These consequences would likely affect crude oil prices with pressure in two opposing directions. A weakening U.S. economy likely means a weaker U.S. dollar. As discussed, when the dollar weakens, crude oil prices are expected to see upward pressure as the product becomes relatively cheaper.

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Gas Prices Up 15 Cents in Last 30 Days

Currently a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline is averaging $3.70, up one cent from last week and up 15 cents in the last 30 days, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report. Diesel gas prices are currently averaging $3.89 per gallon, up one cent in the past week and up 6 cents in the past month.

This was the third consecutive week crude oil prices were under the increasing influence of worldwide debt concerns. Crude has traded near USD 97 for the last few days as investors wait for an outcome of the debt limit talks. Most analysts said that US debt default is still very unlikely but if it happened would devastate the economy.

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Habitat for Humanity Selects FieldLogix to Improve Customer Service

Habitat for Humanity Selects FieldLogix Fleet GPS to Improve Customer Service and Reduce Fuel Usage

Habitat for Humanity Charlotte announced last month that it has installed FieldLogix Fleet GPS Tracking Systems in its entire fleet of vehicles. Since deploying a fleet GPS tracking system, Habitat for Humanity has reported an improvement in customer response times, the amount of job orders completed, and reduced fuel consumption.

Improved Customer Service

Now Habitat for Humanity dispatchers can keep a close eye on the exact location of every vehicle in its fleet in real-time. According to Habitat For Humanity manager, Jon Huffman, “We can make last minutes changes with just a few clicks. If drivers are running late, we can call ahead of time to let someone know. FieldLogix gives dispatchers the ability to assign jobs in a way that maximizes productivity and service, since vehicle stops are constantly being added or changed throughout the day.”

Reduced Fuel Consumption

Jon Huffman also added, “We have experienced significant savings in fuel expenses since installing FieldLogix. We are quite pleased with that. The initial improvements have been so good that we haven’t had time to see everything else the system can do for us!”

Eco-Friendly Driving

Huffman further stated, “FieldLogix is a Green company with an eco-friendly product. It was important for us to choose a company with same core values as Habitat for Humanity.”

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US Drivers Waste $155 Billion Dollars A Year Idling in Traffic

When a vehicle is left idling, it can consume one gallon of gas each hour. “Traffic congestion costs the U.S. economy upwards of $155 billion dollars annually,” said Kleiner Perkins partner Michael Linse in a statement. “Last year alone, U.S. drivers wasted 3.9 billion gallons of fuel sitting idle in traffic, and the U.S. is a small part of a much larger and growing global traffic problem.”

No one likes wasting time and money sitting in traffic. Sometimes it is unavoidable, but sometimes it isn’t. With today’s high cost of fuel and the growing awareness of our need to protect our planet, the amount of idling vehicles must be reduced. Drivers can and should be doing something.

A GPS navigation system with real-time traffic updates such as FieldLogix can absolutely help to reduce the time and money drivers waste sitting in traffic. Reducing idling time by only 15 minutes a day can reduce fuel use by over $84 per year. If you reduce idling time by 60 minutes a day, it would result in a fuel savings of 90 gallons at a cost of over $339 per year.

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US Debt Dafult Could Cause $5 A Gallon Gas Prices

Gas prices could climb to more than $5 per gallon this year if Washington can’t reach an agreement by August 2. Yesterday oil prices increased to nearly $100 per barrel as legislators battled over an agreement on the U.S. debt limit and the American dollar weakened over uncertainty about the economy.

While congressional leaders bickered over spending and raising the borrowing limit ahead of an Aug. 2 deadline, the dollar fell sharply against the euro and other currencies on Tuesday. That tends to raise the price of oil, since crude is priced in dollars and a weaker dollar makes oil more of a bargain for traders using other currencies.

“A U.S. government default that causes institutional investors to dump U.S. government bonds, triggering a plunge in the dollar, pushing up oil’s price,” according to the International Business Times. The report said the bickering could push oil prices higher, which would eventually show up at the pump and trickle to other parts of the economy.

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Gas Prices Up 11 Cents in Past Month

Currently the average for a gallon of regular unleaded gas is $3.69, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report. Today’s price is up 11 cents from one month ago, and up 96 cents from one year ago. Gas prices typically rise in the summer as demand for gas increases because more drivers are on the road.

Historically prices are highest in July and August because Americans drive the most during these two months, according to the Federal Highway Administration. Additionally prices also rise in the spring and summer as refiners switch to more expensive summer blends of gasoline. Federal and local laws require different additives in summer to preserve air quality, but more expensive additives tend to drive up the price.

There are several other factors that could push gas prices even higher. If the U.S. defaults on its debt, it would send shockwaves through oil markets that could push fuel prices even higher, analysts said Monday.

Many are also hoping that the hurricane season is mild this year, as a big storm could decrease the output by refineries. This would absolutely increase prices.

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Gas Prices Rise for Third Straight Week

Temperatures aren’t the only that’s been heating up across America this weekend. AA is reporting that gas prices have risen for the 3rd straight week. The national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline was slightly more than $3.70 on July 22, an increase of 8.58 cents in the past two weeks, according to the Lundberg Survey released this weekend.

A year ago, the price per gallon was $2.73, about 96.72 cents less than the current price. The average price for a gallon of gas in the United States rose for the first time since early May following an increase in the price of crude oil, according to the latest Lundberg survey, which includes data from over 2,500 gas stations across the continental US.

Prices in Tucson, Arizona were the lowest in the nation at $3.28 a gallon. Chicago drivers are currently paying the highest gas prices at $4.07 per gallon.

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