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Fleet management systems have been around a while and have become so complex that it has evolved into Field Resource Management. This article explores 5 reasons why all fleets need at least a basic Field Resource Management system.
Recently Jet Blue and the Federal Government teamed up to launch a new “airspace highway” where flights are guided by a Global Positioning System. 35 Jet Blue airplanes on the airspace highway will now be guided by a GPS System, instead of using the traditional ground-based radar. Radar is an outdated technology that is less precise than GPS signals transmitted by satellites to ground stations.
According to the Washington Post, the federal government just forked over $4.2 million to install new GPS navigation systems on 35 JetBlue airplanes. The FAA is hoping their enhanced performance will entice the airline industry to invest up to $20 billion in the new GPS technology over the next decade. The FAA estimates the NextGen will reduce flight delays by 20 percent, save airlines millions in fuel costs and cut carbon dioxide emissions dramatically. If the investment in JetBlue proves all that, the FAA shouldn’t have a hard time convincing other airlines. Should be interesting to see what happens…
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.
The National Association of Fleet Management (NAFA) will be accepting nominations for the Sustainable Fleet 2011 Awards until February 28, 2011. The Sustainable Fleet Awards honor individuals and organizations that have implemented pioneering, innovative, and creative programs to help with their company’s overall sustainable initiative. Awards will be presented during the Association’s 2011 Institute April 9-12 in Charlotte, NC.
NAFA is the association for the diverse vehicle fleet management profession regardless of organizational type, geographic location, or fleet composition. According to NAFA, four awards will be presented. Two for a sedan/light truck fleet and two for a truck/equipment fleet. Entrants are grouped into two broad categories according to their fleet’s area of operation and whether or not those areas are considered mandated to improve their air quality.
More and more companies and cities across America are using a GPS tracking system to keep tabs on where employees are during work hours. Privacy experts say it is totally legal. Across the US, little black boxes are being tucked into vehicle dashboards. Why? Because installing a gps fleet tracking system into a fleet vehicle saves money, controls costs and keeps employees on the right track. It is not the kind of GPS system most people have in their car, but a black box that tracks where a car has been.
Managers really like the ability to monitor employees in real-time during work hours. There have been several instances where a GPS fleet tracking system has helped catch employees doing things they aren’t supposed to be doing. One fleet manager found an employee on the golf course when he was supposed to be working! Another employer caught an employee moving furniture with a company truck during business hours. One employee was busted after he put his moto-cross bike in his 18-wheeler big rig truck and went to the motorcycle racing track while on the job.
New documents published by WikiLeaks have revealed an ongoing, heated satellite battle between the US and China. The US has not been involved in a Star Wars type battle like this, that we know of at least, in over 23 years. According to the leaked documents, both the US and China shot down their own satellites using missiles in separate shows of strength.
The dispute started on January 11, 2007 when China shot down one of its own weather satellites. The strike, which resulted in thousands of pieces of debris orbiting the earth, raised fears that the Chinese had the power to cause chaos by destroying US military and civilian satellites. Ever since, the US and China have been involved in an ongoing dispute over the development of anti-satellite (ASAT) capabilities. The US has not taken part in an anti-satellite (ASAT) launch since 1985.
With FieldLogix, fleet management is no longer left in the dark wondering where their drivers are or what they are doing. A real-time fleet tracking system can empower you to better optimize, manage and capitalize from your fleet’s activities. Different fleets have different reasons for using FieldLogix: fuel costs are reduced, drivers are more safe and also held more accountable, improved customer service, lower maintenance costs, tax reporting needs, increased fleet productivity.
Tri-Valley University was recently shut down by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) due to alleged fraud by the University Founder, Susan Su. Tri-Valley University is being called a sham by federal prosecutors who say the university was a front to illegally provide immigration status to foreign nationals. Over 90% of Tri-Valley University students […]
Gas prices have steadily been rising since December. Gas prices are expected to keep rising due to two primary reasons:
1) The cost of oil is expected to increase due to political upheaval in the Middle East, particularly Egypt and Tunisia. Egypt is not a major oil-producing country, but about 2 million barrels of oil pass daily through the Suez Canal, which is controlled by Egypt. The outcome of the political turmoil in Egypt will certainly have an effect on gas prices. The situation may end quickly or the uprising may spread, no one knows at this point.
At Alvarado Hospital in San Diego, a new type of GPS technology is now being used by doctors to navigate in the operating room. The new procedure can help people with severe back problems walk again. It’s amazing to see how GPS system technology is being used to improve the back surgery process and the results.
During surgery, a computer-assisted GPS navigation system displays the position of the instruments inside the body onto a monitor, similar to the GPS system in your car. As the surgeon moves the instrument within the patient, a camera calculates its position and transfers that data to a computer in the operating room. Computer-assisted surgery provides visual confirmation and verification for the surgeon, and enables him or her to perform a more precise implantation.
