FieldLogix Blog

GPS Tracking System Busts 36,000 Taxi Drivers in Cab Scam

The investigation found that 35, 558 drivers – 75% of the city’s 47,000 licensed medallion cabbies – clipped at least one passenger. It seems scamming passengers is a part of the cabbie culture. No wonder the taxi drivers were fighting against the installation of the mandatory GPS tracking devices. One taxi driver was making $40,000 extra a year with this scam. Without the GPS tracking system, the scam would never have been uncovered.

Gas Prices Are Over $3 Gallon and On The Rise

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.

Garmin GPS System Navigation for Boating, Fishing and Flying

Garmin, the GPS system world leader, just released a very diverse group of GPS -based products at the 2011 CES Show in Las Vegas. Garmin has such a wide range of products, that they have a GPS system that works for just about anyone. If you enjoy sailing boating, fishing, flying and aviation related hobbies, here are a few Garmin GPS systems worth checking out:

Garmin just announced the release of the GHS 20 and GHS 20i full-function wireless remote handsets for Garmin’s VHF 200 and VHF 300 series radios, and the VHF 200i and VHF 300i international radios. With the GHS 20 or GHS 20i, your boat’s communication station doesn’t have to be stationary,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales. “The GHS 20/20i wireless handset is an invaluable accessory to mariners, as it gives them the freedom to move about the boat while always having full control of their VHF radio.”

4 Useful Things You May Not Know About Google Maps

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

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 GPS Navigation and Telematics Technology Exciting Part of CES 2011

CES is the world’s largest consumer electronics trade show held every year in Las Vegas in January. This year, recent advancements in vehicle, navigation and telematics technology made this area one of the most exciting parts of CES.

Here are highlights of the new technologies showcased at CES 2011:

Navigation
Garmin revealed a new version of its Nuvi navigation GPS system with an oversized screen, and TomTom displayed its Go 2505 GPS model with a new traffic service.

Boeing’s GPS Satellite Launch To Improve GPS System Accuracy

A Boeing Global Positioning System (GPS) IIF-1 satellite, built for the U.S. Air Force, is expected to be launched into orbit soon. Boeing is currently under Air Force contract to build 12 GPS IIF satellites. This will be the second satellite launched under the 12 GPS system satellite contract.

The GPS IIF satellites, with a design life of 12.7 years, will have improved anti-jam capability and substantially increased accuracy from earlier satellite versions. The GPS system signals are so accurate that time can be calculated to within a millionth of a second, velocity within a fraction of a mile per hour and location to within feet.

Garmin CEO Buys NYC Penthouse for $40 Million

Min Kao, the co-founder and CEO of Garmin, an industry leader in GPS system devices, just bought the 41st-floor condo at 15 Central Park West for $40 million from real estate developer William Lie Zeckendorf. The transaction is Manhattan’s second most expensive of the year, after the $44 million sale of the Duke Semans Mansion. The Journal reports that the final price actually comes out to $9,940 per square foot, not counting the enormous terrace.

Like many wealthy buyers, the CEO of corporate giant Garmin GPS purchased the apartment through a limited liability corporation, so until now his identity had not been disclosed. Mr. Kao was born and attended college in Taiwan. Over the past several years he has lived in the U.S. Forbes last year estimated his net worth at $1.6 billion, down from $4.7 billion in 2007, following a decline in Garmin stock.

New FMCSA Regulations Will Limit Driver Hours-of-Service

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.

Ski Resort GPS Tracking System Makes Snowboarding Safer and More Fun

GPS tracking systems are now being used by several ski and snowboard resorts worldwide for two primary reasons: more safety and more fun. Many families love going on ski/snowboard vacations together. But sending your young off children off to ski school by himself can be a bit disconcerting. What happens if your child gets lost or hurt on the mountain, how would you know? How would you be able to find him?

Well, don’t fret. The good news is that with a specialized GPS tracking system called Flaik, skiers and snowboarders can be located in real-time. If a skier needs to be located immediately, a resort employee can log into the system with an internet connected computer or phone. The web-based GPS tracking system can instantly display the child’s exact location.

Fleet GPS Tracking System Helps Cleaning Business Save Thousands

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.

Red Cross Uses Child Tracking Devices to Prevent Kidnappings

GPS tracking devices were handed out all weekend to elementary and middle school aged children by the Red Cross in Beijing. The GPS tracking phones look like a big wristwatch and were designed especially for children. The Red Cross is handing out 20,000 tracking devices this month and hopes to give out a total of 100,000 GPS tracking devices by the end of 2011. The GPS tracking system enables parents and guardians to know where their children are at all times.

The GPS tracking wristwatch phone can call up to four numbers and can receive calls from up to 20 different numbers. With the push of one button, children can instantly be connected talk to their parents. Children can also use the GPS tracking devices to set off an alarm by pressing an SOS button. The GPS tracking system is also able to notify parents when children who carry them are close to dangerous places, such as rivers, construction sites and highways.

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