Only a couple of months ago, a California federal jury handed out a $55 million verdict against Walmart (NYSE: WMT). Failing to pay 850 of its truck drivers compensation they were entitled to. The jury found that Walmart owed the drivers back pay for performing pre-trip and post-trip inspections, mandatory rest breaks and layovers between […]
With the holiday season kicking off, it’s nearing the most dangerous time of the year for drivers on the road. As more travelers are on the road visiting family and the road condition worsens from winter weather, drivers’ patience slowly withers away. This increases the risks of company drivers safely completing their deliveries on the […]
The average fleet driver drives 20,000 to 25,000 miles on the road annually. That’s up to 10,000 to 15,000 miles more than the average driver in the United States. As a result, the likelihood of accidents are higher, which puts your drivers at risk. With lives at stake, and possible lawsuits, safety should be the […]
Embezzlement can be a federal crime. Toys”R” Us logistics director Daniel Chon was arrested in his home on March 22 for allegedly stealing almost $2 million from Toys”R”Us. Authorities claim Chon was receiving the funds using a scheme that allowed him to use the companies fleet cards with eCash and then withdraw the funds from […]
The latest addition to AT&T’s green fleet is a one of a kind fleet vehicle. The custom fleet vehicle is a Ford F-450 truck that has been converted to compressed natural gas (CNG) and contains a hybrid electric system for power. The AT&T corporate fleet is made up of more than 75,900 vehicles.
The all-new vehicle fleet is part of AT&T’s nearly 1,600 alternative fuel vehicle fleet in California. This “green” fleet is expected to reduce over 3,500 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year and reduce annual consumption of regular gasoline by over one million gallons. AT&T utilizes approximately 2,700 hybrid and CNG fleet vehicles nationwide with roughly 60% in California. Development of this all new fleet vehicle is one of myriad ways the company is committed to reducing its carbon footprint.
A report was given to Congress last week stating that Congress should provide tax credits and renewable energy bonds to replace the 16 million fleet cars and trucks in the U.S. with electric vehicles and develop the infrastructure required to power them. An organization called Electrification Coalition (EC) announced the conclusions of their report at a news conference last week.
EC said that wants to see electric fleet vehicles utilized on a huge scale. In their report, EC makes the case that identifying and solving issues arising from modernizing fleets with electric vehicles will have spillover effects for the rest of the American population.
The University of San Diego (UCSD) Fleet Services ranked 22nd in the Seventh Annual Government Green Fleet Awards, a competition of environmentally friendly vehicle-fleet operations that is open to all federal, state and local governments in North America. According to Rex Graham of UCSD, UCSD takes great pride in its green fleet, and looks forward to further reducing its fleet emissions and overall carbon footprint. UC San Diego’s Fleet Services ranked 22nd UC Davis’ vehicle fleet ranked fourth. The two UC campuses were the only college campuses ranked. The city of San Diego’s vehicle fleet ranked 19th.
A panel of judges based the ranking on performance in seven categories:
* The degree to which fleets are made up of hybrid, electric, and alternative-fuel vehicles.
* Use of renewable fuels.
* Planning that includes budgeting for future additions of green technologies.
* Use of vehicles that are appropriately sized for the required tasks.
* A high degree of utilization of all vehicles in the fleet.
* Executive and employee involvement in implementation of improved green technologies.
* Support programs such as recycling, applying for grants and maintenance-facility improvements.
Ever wondered if a GPS fleet management system would save you money? Well now you can easily find out for free and with no obligation. FieldLogix was designed to help you identify where and how you can make fleets operations leaner and greener. FieldLogix offers a free 30 day demo of its fleet tracking system.
The free demo helps fleet managers to see potential cost savings based on actual fleet tracking data. The Trends Feature helps fleet managers to visualize their fleets idle, speeding, and mileage trends, and assists them to make actionable business decisions.
It allows users to drill down and views historical trending graphs of three key metrics.
1.) Idle Time – The total amount of idling hours for the asset, group, or all, during the specified time range.
2.) Speeding Occurrences – The total number of times the asset, group, or all, traveled in excessive of 65MPH during the specified time range.
3.) Total Mileage – The total miles traveled for the asset, group, or all, during the specified time period.
This week GE announced plans to purchase 25,000 electric cars by 2015. This the largest purchase in the history of electric vehicles. The purchases will be for its own fleet and for its Capital Fleet Services business, where customers can lease electric cars through GE. GE plans to convert over 50 percent of its massive global fleet (over 10,000 fleet vehicles) and purchase 12,000 electric cars from GM.
GM does big business in fleet sales. Fleet sales look like they’re going to be a key part of electric vehicle adoption. Corporate fleets make a lot of sense because of their sheer volume. Plus GE fleet sales are quite profitable. One of the most popular green fleet vehicles is the GE Volt, an electric vehicle that shifts to gas power after going 25 to 50 miles on its battery, so drivers aren’t entirely dependent on the battery.
According to BusinessWeek, gigantic orders like this could do a lot to push electric vehicle prices down and speed up adoption. “By electrifying our own fleet, we will accelerate the adoption curve, drive scale, and move electric vehicles from anticipation to action,” CEO Jeffrey Immelt said in a company statement.
At the Green Fleet Conference 2010 in San Diego last month, David Meisel, Transportation Services Director for PG&E, gave an excellent presentation on Introducing Alternate Fuel Vehicles Into Your Fleet. PG & E is the largest fleet operating in California and one of the largest fleets in the U.S.
Meisel said, “Pacific Gas and Electric Company believes in environmental leadership from an energy, supply chain and green fleet perspective. Greening the fleet makes good business sense – from both an environmental and economic standpoint. Without question, we have a unified front in terms of our commitment to environmental leadership and greening our fleet. Our chairman is actively engaged on issues associated with climate change and we’re supportive of GHG legislation both on the national and international fronts. We’ve also supported California’s Low-Carbon Fuel Standard and state policies that address climate change, petroleum reduction, and emissions reductions.”
When it comes to choosing the right green fleet mix – one size does not fit all. Different fleets require different solutions. Developing a green supply chain program with an embedded green fleet strategy is challenging but “worth it” because of the cost savings and environmental benefits.
If your company has more than two vehicles, you have a fleet. As with all components of a business, fleets need managing. Fleet management ensures that overall transportation costs are kept to a minimum. Fleet management is a challenging job and is much more than just knowing where drivers and vehicles are or occasionally checking the oil levels in the fleet vans. With the assistance of modern technology such as GPS devices and vehicle tracking systems, a fleet manager’s job can be much easier.
One of the most fundamental components in fleet management is vehicle tracking. Modern technology in the form of GPS tracking devices has made tracking and diagnostics much more efficient and easier, leading to far more efficient fleet management overall. GPS vehicle tracking systems allow a fleet manager to know exactly where every vehicle in the fleet is at any given time and gives them the opportunity to plan the most efficient routes and reduce waiting time for customers.
An important part of fleet management is duty of care. Fleet management should provide clear policies and guidance for employees who drive on company business. Vehicle tracking systems incorporate software that can build up a profile of a driver’s habits, enabling fleet managers to monitor behavior on the road so you can see exactly how safely company vehicles are being driven.
Green Fleet Conference 2010 in San Diego, CA was a huge success — with record breaking attendance! The conference sessions were standing room only, the exhibit hall was buzzing with energy. Green Fleet Conference attendees really enjoyed taking out the alternative fuel vehicles for a spin at The Ride & Drive event. If you missed this year, I highly recommend you attend Green Fleet Conference 2011 next year.
Mayor Jerry Sanders showed his support of environmental sustainability by delivering opening remarks before the Environmental Leadership Awards and 100 Best Green Fleet Awards Ceremony.
In today’s tough economy, many small businesses are trying to survive the recession and are not too keen on spending their cash. So the question arises of the ROI of GPS Fleet Tracking. Is investing in a Fleet Tracking System with GPS worth it?
The purpose of a fleet tracking system is to increase productivity and cut costs. Because most of the cost-savings results of implementing a fleet tracking system are immediate and long-lasting – it ends up costing a lot less than you may think. With a GPS enabled fleet tracking system, you can see exactly what is happening when your trucks leave your sight. It’s like being a fly on the wall. For example, you can see exactly how much fuel is being wasted from unnecessary idle time.
Fleet Management Training 2011The biggest Work Truck Show in the U.S. is going to be at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis March 8-10, 2011. Work Truck Show 2011 will take place in conjunction with the 47th Annual National Truck Equipment Association Conference. Additionally the Green Truck Summit and other fleet management educational seminars will begin March 7, 2011. There will be several fleet management training sessions, including the following:
1) Fleet Management Symposium:
Designed for all fleet management professionals regardless of industry, this Symposium focuses on best practices and strategies that dramatically impact your fleet and shop financial, operational and productivity performances. Whether you operate a fleet of 10 or 10,000 units, this day-and-a-half intensive program will help you to reduce costs, increase efficiency and make your job easier to do.
Here is a list of the best ways fleet managers can cut vehicle fuel costs.
mmediately Reduce Fleet Management Costs with the best GPS Fleet Management System
Modern fleet management tools and technology are changing the way fleet managers look at vehicle fuel consumption. Economic conditions, legal regulations, reduced margins and heavy competition have created a high level of urgency for all fleets to consume fuel in the most effective way possible. Regardless of size, every fleet must pay for fuel, and every penny counts.
All fleet owners and fleet managers seek cost-effective ways to optimize fleet fuel consumption. GPS fleet tracking technology can be one of the most cost effective means to optimize fuel consumption. You can immediately reduce fuel consumption by up to 20% by investing in and utilizing a fleet management system. The best fleet tracking systems, such as FieldLogix, can IMMEDIATELY REDUCE fleet operating costs and provide a positive return on investment (ROI) in less than 6 months.
The best GPS vehicle tracking systems are all user-friendly. Users with limited computer skills can easily learn how to master the systems and produce results quickly. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all GPS tracking solution. Depending on your situation, there are a number of things you should look for.
1) If you are going to be tracking a person or a small piece of property, ensure that you look for a small, inconspicuous, easy-to-install tracker.
2) For tracking a personal vehicle, you will want something that will track your vehicle both indoors and outdoors, and one that will run on the car’s battery so you don’t have to worry about replacing a dead battery.
3) If you are concerned with tracking a fleet of vehicles, you will need a tracker that will allow you to customize settings for different vehicles, that provides you with convenient text message and email alerts. Trackers like the FieldLogix GPS Fleet Management boast each of these features plus provides in-depth performance metrics, identifies problems such as excessive speeding and idling, inaccurate time-sheets, unauthorized vehicle stops and personal vehicle use. Fleet GPS tracking systems should always be integrated with Garmin navigation and Google Maps.
Real-time GPS vehicle tracking is becoming increasingly popular, especially in the business world. Smart business managers with employees and assets on the go use a GPS fleet vehicle tracking system to help reduce fuel usage, trim other operating costs, improve fleet productivity and maximize customer service. Whether you manage a fleet of one or hundred, managing vehicles and increasing operating efficiency while improving customer satisfaction can be easy if you have the right tools.
