Read from our blogs
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.
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.
Fleet GPS tracking technology can be one of the most cost effective means to manage fuel consumption. A GPS fleet management system can help the average fleet reduce fuel costs by up to 20%.
FieldLogix fleet GPS can put a spotlight on a driver’s habits that consume excessive fuel and emit unnecessary pollution.
According to Jonathan Haar of 4 Seasons Landscape Services, “I am so pleased with FieldLogix. It is an awesome product with an excellent installation process and incredible service…. We initially focused on drivers’ habits such as speed and idle time that have a huge impact on fuel usage. However, we were also able to use FieldLogix to improve routing. By making more efficient use of our vehicles, we lowered the average number of miles driven per vehicle, further reducing our fuel expenses.”
Garmin GPS technology is constantly evolving and always getting better. This week Garmin announced they are offering Star Wars options to some of their GPS systems. This is an awesome option for Star Wars fans!
Now instead of that Australian woman’s voice, Garmin GPS users can select Sith Lord, Darth Vader or Yoda to be their navigator. Parts of the “Star Wars” score are thrown in, as well as TIE fighter and lightsaber sound effects. Some features will also include Obi-Wan Kenobi. How cool is that!
This announcement by Garmin is of key interest to us here at FieldLogix because this week in San Diego, Comic Con is in town. Comic Con is the world’s largest comic book and popular arts convention. Hundreds of thousands of people attend, as it is the largest convention held in San Diego.
Gas Prices Up 5 Cents in Last 30 Days, Good and Bad News for California Gas Prices
Gas prices are currently on a slightly upward trend. The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas is currently $3.68, up 5 cents since 30 days ago, and 3 cents since one week ago, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report. The reasons gas is slowly creeping back up after a two-month decline include: the faltering Greek economy, a weaker US dollar, unrest in Libya, increasing demand for gas and limited production from refineries.
Gas prices in California have remained unusually low, when compared to other states in the US. Typically California has the highest gas prices in the continental US, but several other states currently have higher prices such as Connecticut, Washington, New York and Washington D.C. The average price in California is $3.782 today, a 2 cent increase since last week.
For Californians there is good and bad news, gas still costs 14.4 cents less than it did a month ago, according to AAA’s Daily Fuel Gauge Report. However, it’s still 67.3 cents more expensive than it was a year ago.
The current national retail average price for a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline is $3.67. Today’s average price is 4 cents more than the price one week ago, and two cents more than one month ago. Currently three states have an average retail price for regular unleaded of more than $4 per gallon – Hawaii, Alaska and Connecticut.
Oil reversed direction for the fourth straight trading day on Tuesday and climbed about 2 percent, as traders faced uncertainty about the direction of the economy and a weaker dollar.
Crude oil is used to produce gasoline and other fuels, and it’s also a major investment commodity. Prices can swing with the collective mood on Wall Street. Recently benchmark oil has fluctuated between $95 and $99 a barrel as investors gauge how Europe deals with Greece’s debt crisis and the debate goes on in Washington over spending and the U.S. debt ceiling.
An all-new fleet tracking and fleet management system was launched last week in Australia by GPS giant TomTom (AMSTERDAM: TOM2.AS). Fleet managers in Australia can now improve the efficiency of their on-the-road operations with easy to use fleet tracking products and web tools that benefit management, dispatchers and their mobile workforce.
Fleet management systems have been proven to help businesses optimize their fleet’s performance. In fact, most managers see a huge difference in cost savings within days of purchasing a new GPS fleet tracking system.
A fleet tracking system helps businesses with a commercial fleet better manage some of today’s most pressing challenges including driver safety, fuel efficiency and compliance. TomTom’s WorkSmart fleet tracking solutions include professional navigation, traffic avoidance, vehicle tracking, job dispatch, time management, environmental responsibility and management reporting.
Gas prices have continued to rise during the month of July. This week, a gallon of regular unleaded is averaging $3.67 per gallon, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report. This price is 4 cents higher than one week ago, one cent higher than a month ago, and 95 cents higher than one year ago. One week ago, gas was averaging $3.63 a gallon.
Gas prices have been rising across the entire US, according to AAA. In Florida the average price of $3.66 per gallon is a 6 cent increase from last week. Gas prices in Rhode Island are on the rise, up seven cents from last week, averaging $3.82 per gallon. Massachusetts gas prices are up for the second consecutive week. Regular gas jumped a nickel in the past week to an average of $3.71 per gallon.
This weekend a GPS IIF-2 satellite was launched into orbit via a Delta IV Medium 4, 2 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket placed the navigation satellite into the Global Positioning System constellation for the Air Force. The powerful Delta 4 booster blasted away from Cape Canaveral’s Complex 37 at 2:41 a.m. EDT (0641 GMT) for a middle-of-the-night ascent precisely timed to deliver a critical replacement satellite directly into the GPS constellation.
Today’s GPS fleet is comprised of 31 satellites. “GPS is a global utility providing highly accurate position, navigation and timing services at no cost to billions of people,” said Jon Goodney, the GPS 2F deputy program director at Boeing. “Originally developed for military use, it’s since been adopted as the foundation of modern communications. GPS saves lives and enhances quality of living. And adding this GPS 2F-2 ensures the constellation will remain robust.”
Continuing a prolific partnership that has benefited billions of users around the world, this weekend the Delta rocket family successfully launched its 50th satellite for the Global Positioning System. It was the type of rocket flight that could appear routine. But replenishing the navigation network is vital to the military forces, civilian consumers and the blossoming commercial marketplace that have come to depend on GPS every day.
New York City will be adding 70 electric vehicles to its police vehicle fleet as a part of an initiative to make the city more green. The city already has 360 electric vehicles currently being used by police. NYC has also launched new efforts to inform the public about the benefits of electric vehicles. The new vehicles include 50 Chevrolet Volts, ten Ford Transit Connect electric cargo vans, and ten electric Navistar E-Star utility trucks.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that the city’s new batch of electric vehicles includes 50 new “extended range” hybrid Chevrolet Volts, 10 fully electric Ford Transit Connect cargo vans, and 10 new fully electric Navi-star “E-star” utility trucks.
