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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.
Gas prices topped $3 earlier this month, and they haven’t fallen since. While the prices are hard on the average consumer, it’s especially hard on those in the (trucking) tractor-trailer industry, considering most big rigs get about 7 miles to the gallon (MPG). A truck driver can use over 140 gallons of diesel fuel each day he runs his route. Big rigs carry about 250-300 gallons of diesel at a cost of about $3.33 a gallon – or about $1,000 for a fill-up that will take a truck 1,500 miles. Fleet management costs can up add quickly.
his week, the San Diego Airport announced they have added a new green fleet of parking shuttles powered by compressed natural gas (CNG). The addition of eco-friendly parking shuttle buses is only the latest step in San Diego’s evolving commitment to cleaner renewable fuels. Including this new fleet, San Diego has a total fleet of 24 CNG powered vehicles. The all-new “green” Airport Shuttle Fleet transports passengers between the terminals and the airport’s nearby SAN Park parking lots. The airport also has other alternative fuel vehicles in its fleet, including those powered by electricity and bio-fuel, according to Airport officials.
Federal Motor Carrier Administration’s CSA 2010 Safety Program Officially Launched – Motor Carrier Data Goes Public. Federal Motor Carrier Administration’s CSA 2010 safety program rolled out this past weekend, after a federal appeals court denied a suit by several groups of small trucking companies to prevent release of CSA safety data. Shortly after the court […]
3 Easy Ways Fleets Can Reduce Vehicle Emissions and Cut Fuel Costs:
The upfront costs to invest in a fleet of hybrid vehicles is quite expensive. But there are other great ways to create a green fleet and save money.
1. Driver Efficiency Initiatives:
Train and educate your drivers. Your drivers can control fuel consumption each time they fire up their engines. Proper training can improve fuel efficiency, fuel economy and reduce vehicle emissions. There is a quick ROI on driver training because fuel consumption can immediately be reduce by at least a few percent.
Hard acceleration, speeding and idling are the biggest causes of wasted fuel. Use data gathered from a fleet tracking system to monitor and improve driver behavior. Develop a driver training course for drivers and reward participation.
FieldLogix is a green GPS fleet management solution designed to reduce fleet fuel consumption and improve productivity. FieldLogix has ranked among the 100 Fastest Growing Companies in San Diego for the past two years.“Wireless fleet management systems can put a spotlight on a driver’s habits that consume excessive fuel and emit unnecessary pollution. The most frequent of these activities include excessive speeding, idling and sudden acceleration and stops. Tracking these types of activities is essential to achieving a fuel-efficient green fleet,” said Yukon Palmer, CEO of FieldLogix. “We have dozens of case studies showing that with the right tools and strategy, you can reduce the average fleet vehicle’s operating costs by over $8,064 and reduce 2 metric tons of carbon dioxide pollution per vehicle annually with modern telematics technology and proper driver education.”
Thanks to telematics technology, U.S. farmers now have the option to collect and manage information from their field equipment. Modern telematics-based management systems can record data from farm equipment operating in a field, and then transfers the data to the Internet in real-time. Users can access the real-time tracking data from anywhere on the internet – from an office computer, cell phone, or a laptop. Today, most agricultural equipment companies like John Deere are in the process of developing telematics systems.
GPS tracking is being used by more and more businesses as a way to manage mobile workers and mobile assets, according to a recent Fox News Report. “More and more companies are paying for GPS tracking service to monitor where their fleet vehicles are at every moment of the day in real-time.” A fleet tracking system usually is hardwired into the vehicle underneath the dash. It provides detailed information on every place the vehicle went, how long it was there, what route it took to get there.
Fleet management can take the data gathered from the fleet tracking system and use it to improve fleet operations, especially improving driver behavior which is a big factor in cutting costs. A well managed fleet monitors driver efficiency because good drivers don’t waste money on gas, and are able to make more deliveries per day resulting in better customer service. If workers know that they are being watched, they won’t be able to get away with taking long lunch breaks or leaving work early.
Garmin GPS Device Golf Approach G5The Garmin GPS Approach G5 is an excellent handheld GPS device for someone who wants to improve their golf game. The Garmin GPS system does basically everything but hit the ball. Don’t just take my word for it, the Garmin Approach G5 has excellent reviews on Amazon.com (94 reviews with a 4 star average). The best GPS unit comes with a very valuable 10,000-plus course database. It also includes lifetime free online course additions and updates. There’s no subscription or setup fees, and Approach is compliant with USGA rules.
GPS Tracking and Privacy Rights
Do you think employers should have the right to track worker whereabouts with a GPS tracking device without their knowledge? What if the employer suspects the employee is falsifying time-sheets? What if the employer is the State of New York and is being funded by tax dollars? These are some of the issues at the core of a new lawsuit brought forth by the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) on behalf of a former Department of Labor (DOL) , Michael Cunningham.
Mr. Cunningham was fired in August of 2010 from his $115,000 per year DOL Supervisor job based on information gained from a GPS tracking system that had been placed on his BMW. The GPS tracking device was placed on his vehicle because his managers suspected that he was falsifying his time-sheets – trying to get paid for hours he didn’t actually work. Based on the GPS tracking system data, the NY Labor Dept. fired Mr. Cunningham.
