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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.
A GPS tracking system was used to recover a bag stuffed full of stolen hundred dollar bills from a recent bank robbery (Bank of America) in Buffalo, NY. The bag full of money was hidden inside a garbage can, but thanks to the GPS tracking system, police were able to quickly recover the money. The police will not disclose how the GPS tracking system got inside the bag full of money, but they did confirm that the GPS tracking system was placed inside the bag of money during the robbery by someone at the bank. Buffalo City Officials said that the GPS tracking device is so small or so well concealed that a robber might need to go through each bill or stack of bills to find it. How cool is that?
Oil prices are expected to continue to rise in 2011 – beyond $100 a barrel. That could push gasoline prices to over $4 a gallon by summer in some parts of the country, according to industry experts. Not only will drivers feel the pain at the pump, but the cost of other goods and services will also rise. Whenever gas prices rise, the cost of doing business goes up. Many businesses whose margins are already razor thin are forced to pass the increased costs to the consumer. Things like food, travel, and retail goods become more expensive.
Gasoline price expert Fred Rozell predicted that 15 states, including Alaska, Hawaii, Connecticut and Rhode Island, will see gasoline prices top $4 a gallon by Memorial Day. “A dollar more per gallon …will cost about $750 more per year for each motorist, and there’s a psychological aspect to gas prices,” he said. “People are going to be up in arms about this.”
Real-time GPS tracking systems are being installed in Nativity scene Baby Jesus statues across the US to protect them from being stolen. In the past, dozens of churches across the US have reported vandalism and theft of items in their holiday displays, but this year people are fighting back. This winter people are using GPS tracking to recover the stolen Bay Jesus dolls and bring the perpetrators to justice. I’m not sure what kind of a person goes around stealing items from Nativity scenes, such as Baby Jesus dolls, but unfortunately it happens.
Drivers across the US are cringing as they pull up to the gas pump. Drivers in many states are already paying at least $3 a gallon for regular and most analysts don’t predict any relief soon. That’s because crude oil has hovered between $83 and $89 a barrel since Thanksgiving, and the global demand for oil remains strong due to rapid growth in China and India.
Tom Kloza, publisher and chief oil analyst at OPIS, expects prices to fall during the winter and then begin to climb again. He has forecast prices between $3.25 and $3.75 a gallon from March to May, unless there is an unforeseen global economic issue. Pump prices could rise above $4 a gallon again in some states for the peak driving season, if oil prices continue to climb.
GPS tracking technology lets officers monitor convicts without actually keeping them incarcerated. Providing housing, security, food, health care, plus administrative costs etc. to prisoners is an expensive financial burden for most states in the US. Due to the high costs, some states are using a GPS system to track nonviolent prisoners as an alternative to keeping them locked up.
This type of GPS tracking allows authorities to monitor the criminals at all times without the responsibility of keeping them incarcerated. While the GPS tracking system make it easier for states to track offenders, the use of such systems does have its downsides.
New Leaf Biofuel is a San Diego based biodiesel company focused on transforming the way companies fuel their vehicle fleets. New Leaf BioFuel collects used cooking oil from roughly 1,000 local restaurants and converts it to biodiesel fuel. It sells the biodiesel to distributors who sell the fuel to customers running green fleets of diesel trucks.
Vehicles run cleaner and quieter on biodiesel and the fleet emissions are much better. Biodiesel is an alternative renewable fuel made from plant and animal oils that is used in diesel engines. It has been shown to reduce vehicle emissions by 75% on average compared to petroleum diesel.
There has been record snow fall in many parts of the US this winter. Right now in California, there is record rainfall which means accidents, landslides, flooding, etc. Driving in winter can be quite a challenge. Harsh winter driving conditions are especially challenging for those responsible for keeping the roads clear and safe. Municipalities and snow removal companies are working long and hard to clear away the water, ice and white blankets of snow that inevitably slow down drivers during the busy holiday season.
The equipment and vehicles used to remove snow are now equipped with GPS fleet tracking devices. With the help of the fleet tracking system, the roads can be cleared much quicker. The GPS tracking can show the exact location of the road cleaning equipment in real-time. The system can monitor the position of the equipment from anywhere with an internet connection, allowing managers to visually dispatch their fleet without having to be on site.
Google Maps has just released two great new features for the Android – GPS System 3D interaction, offline reliability.
Offline Reliability
Mobile Internet connections are never 100% reliable but this is a huge step toward greater offline reliability. These new updates provide a solution to one of the biggest limitations with a mobile GPS system – being able to access and use your navigation GPS system while you are offline, so you can find your way even if you lose your connection. Most GPS system users have all had those frustrating moments when you get stranded without a map – like when you’re driving in the mountains and the cel coverage is limited or anywhere else with an unreliable Internet connection.
According to Google’s blog post, “dynamically drawing maps requires 100 times less data to get maps across all zoom levels, so now we’re able to proactively cache (or store) large areas on your device based on where you use Maps the most. This way, you can rely on having fast, robust maps available to you where you’re most likely to need them.”
Fleet Fuel Management and Green Fleet iPhone Apps
iGasUp ($2.99) displays the 10 closest fuel stations are and where the lowest fuel prices (gas or diesel) are, from you current location. If you plan to fill up later, you can enter your destination’s ZIP code and the app will provide the 10 cheapest fueling options in that area. The app also provides gasoline brands, directions and the distance to each station using Google Maps. Oil prices are provided by Oil Price Information Service, which also provides price data for AAA and Garmin GPS.
greenMeter ($5.99) can measure and analyze your vehicle’s engine power, fuel economy, and your driving to increase efficiency, fuel consumption, reduce fuel costs and lower your environmental impact. Results are displayed in real-time. GreenMeter is an energy management and tracking system designed to provide measurement and analysis to create efficiency.
