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EPA information on Idling

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Below is information on Idling from the EPA website:

Idling

 

Photo of a truck

 

 

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SmartWay Transport

 

The SmartWay Transport Partnership is a voluntary collaboration between EPA and the freight industry to conserve fuel, reduce emissions, and improve transportation supply chain efficiency. SmartWay “makes the business case” for how companies shipping products, and the carriers that move those products, can improve their environmental profile while saving money and time.

 

Companies join the SmartWay Transport Partnership for a 3 year period, and begin by analyzing the efficiency of their operations using SmartWay software. EPA helps partners set individualized goals and select the right strategies to achieve them. Fleets choose from a wide variety of strategies to minimize idle time, reduce rolling resistance, improve aerodynamics, refine logistics and train drivers. Shippers participate by increasing the proportion of their product carried by the most efficient SmartWay carrier partners, choosing the most efficient modes, and improving freight logistics. Partners benchmark their operations, track their savings, and report yearly to EPA. Partners’ SmartWay scores can qualify them to use the logo and receive other forms of recognition, including awards.

 

SmartWay partners now number close to 3000, including most of the biggest trucking companies and most visible shippers.  But SmartWay is not only for huge companies—many smaller carriers and regionally-known shippers participate.  SmartWay fact sheets and case studies showcase successful fuel-saving strategies.  EPA is working with other countries to develop compatible freight efficiency programs that will enable international shippers to streamline their entire supply chain.  SmartWay also specs fuel-efficient truck and trailer models, verifies fuel-saving technology, and sets up financing programs.

 

EPA New England is active in SmartWay, supporting existing partners, signing on new partners, and promoting efficient freight technologies, strategies and infrastructure.  Four NE-based SmartWay partners have received regional Environmental Merit Awards.  For more information, see the SmartWay website or contact Abby Swaine (swaine.abby@epa.gov or 617-918-1841) at EPA New England.

 

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Idling Enforcement

 

All six New England states have anti-idling regulations. The Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island regulations are part of state implementation plans. State regulations that are part of state implementation plans are federally enforceable. This means that EPA, as well as the State, has the authority to enforce these laws. EPA has taken enforcement action against fleets in Connecticut, Massachusetts and RI for alleged violations of the anti-idling regulations in those states. The press page of this site contains specific information about these actions.

 

For additional information go to the EPA website:

http://www.epa.gov/region1/eco/diesel/idling.html#idling

Robert Drucker, owner of Boston Global Tracking, writes and shares information of interest to fleet owners.  Contact Robert at 508 341 5115 or robert@BostonGlobalTracking.com

 

Overcoming Resistance to New Policies and Technology.

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Anytime managers or owners implement new policies there is bound to be resistance from some employees.  This is no more evident when a company implements GPS tracking and telematics to their fleet.  Learning how to implement vehicle monitoring systems in a positive way can help managers avoid pushback from drivers.

Known Benefits of Telematics Push Fleet Managers to Implement Systems

It’s the benefits of telematics and GPS technology that often pushes fleet managers to add systems in spite of resistance. Outside of the obvious benefit of GPS technology, one of the most important benefits is monitoring driver behavior. Not only does this improve fuel efficiency, but it also provides proof against false claims made against drivers involved in crashes.

Strategies to Reduce Resistance

Fleet managers are quick to see the benefits of telematics, but drivers don’t always respond positively to these systems. In one study published  , nearly 43 percent of fleet managers surveyed stated they had a “significant amount” of resistance when implementing telematics systems into their fleets, with another 35.7 percent reporting at least a “little” resistance. In other words, the majority of fleets surveyed had resistance of some sort.

So what can a fleet manager do to implement this valuable system without this resistance? While avoiding all resistance may not be possible, it can be limited with the right approach when implementing telematics, electronic tracking technology, or other vehicle monitoring systems.

Having a policy that clearly states the purpose and use of the system or technology as well as driver responsibility can help communicate the company’s expectations better. The company/agency should have each potential driver acknowledge that they have no expectation of privacy regarding the information gathered through the use of this technology.  The City of Napa circulates a policy to all their potential drivers to inform them of the purpose and use of the technology. The policy also addresses tampering with the hardware.

Using the system as a positive as well as a negative can also help. Using the system to reward drivers who had the least number of offenses, and posting the weekly driver report in a common area, helps create a positive peer pressure about driver safety and fuel efficiency. This created changes without much intervention from management.

Today’s drivers have a lot to keep track of, and any tool that helps them do so more safely is welcome once it is understood.  Once drivers realize that the systems are going to improve overall safety, while also potentially earning them rewards for positive behaviors, they are often more willing to embrace telematics.

In the end, the approach needs to be one of coaching, not reprimanding. While there is often some driver turnover when implementing a system, the end result, which is more efficient and attentive drivers, creates a positive environment for all members of the fleet.

 

Robert Drucker, Owner of Boston Global Tracking, often writes about issues facing owners and managers with fleets of vehicles.  His expertise is highly regarded in the industry and provides his insight and knowledge to help business owners better manage their fleet.

 

MECA 2012 Tradeshow and Annual Meeting

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Please join Boston Global Tracking at the MECA 2012 Tradeshow and Annual Meeting.

Location:    Lombardo’s
6 Billings Street
Randolph
Date:    Thursday, November 15, 2012
Time:    Tradeshow – 2:00-7:00 PM
Annual Meeting & Dinner – 7:00 PM

If you are one of over 34,000 licensed electricians in Massachusetts, come join us for our Trade Show!

  • Free Informative Seminars
  • The latest products in the electrical industry
  • Meet with some of the largest manufacturers and distributors in the country
  • Raffle and Door Prizes all day
  • Free Popcorn and Hot Dogs
  • Food
  • So much more . . .

New Study Verifies Value of GPS Fleet Tracking

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Research Verifies GPS Fleet Tracking Services Value

The Aberdeen Group, one of America’s most trusted names in business intelligence, has been researching the mobile service business market as to what are the external market conditions that are driving organizations with mobile workforces to adopt GPS Fleet Tracking technology as a means to increase profitability.

The information compiled here provides a synopsis of four recent Aberdeen Group studies. These findings present a compelling argument for the value of real-time, GPS fleet tracking in terms of being able to reduce key operating costs, improve on vehicle and operator performance and increase customer satisfaction.

Key facts from the Aberdeen Group studies:

A majority of leading service companies are using fleet management solutions to realize benefits such as a 12.2% increase in service profitability, 14.8% reduction in average travel time per job, 9.9% decrease in overtime pay and 27.9% increase in operator compliance.

• Firms have reduced overall operating expenses an average of $1,100 per vehicle per year.
• Since leveraging location intelligence, firms have seen a 13.2% reduction in fuel costs and a 13.4% reduction in overtime costs, on average.
• Customer demand for faster service call resolution along with increasing service-related costs are the leading factors driving field service
firms to implement GPS fleet tracking services.
• Firms using GPS fleet tracking services are outperforming their peers by 43% in terms of current workforce utilization.
• Firms using GPS fleet tracking services are two times as successful as all others in meeting service response windows.

Savings from reduction in operating costs alone justify ROI

57% of best-in-class companies reduced their operating costs per vehicle by an average of 10.4%. The survey revealed that the average operating costs per mile was 33 cents and the average miles driven per year were 33,243. Based on this information, the annual savings from reduction in operating costs alone can amount to $1,100 per vehicle.

The bottom line

Investing in GPS tracking is no longer a matter of “if ” for businesses with mobile workforces, but “when.” Aberdeen Group’s research confirms that in the face of economic and market-driven pressures to cut costs, service organizations are increasingly turning to GPS fleet tracking technologies to improve their vehicle tracking, routing, and  maintenance management. These firms are recognizing the potential of these services not only to cut costs, but also to increase vehicle utilization rates, service delivery performance and customer satisfaction.

Boston Global Tracking is the premier GPS tracking provider in Eastern Massachusetts with over 15 years of GPS tracking experience. Our mission is to provide the best service with the best most accurate tracking system on the market today.  Take advantage of the 2 week  free trial offer to see for yourself what GPS fleet tracking can do for your business.

4 Ways to Create a More Efficient Fleet

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Are you looking to run a more efficient fleet and reduce operating costs?  Who wouldn’t.  We all try and save money by doing all sorts of things to help reduce costs at home as well as our business.  Here are some pointers on how to run a more efficient fleet.

Create a Baseline

Before you can start to reduce fleet costs you need to determine what your baseline is. A baseline is where all comparisons are made.  How much are you spending on gas each day across all vehicles? How much are you spending on maintenance monthly? Some fleet managers keep detailed records, some just guess or don’t care. You can’t start improving until you start measuring. If you have a GPS tracking system, this kind of data is probably readily available, you just need to start using it.

Communication

Once you have your numbers, make sure every driver in your fleet knows what their numbers are. Make sure they know what’s being spent on fuel, maintenance, insurance, etc. Give them their numbers and work with them to identify areas to start reducing costs. Ask if they idle frequently and if they know how much fuel it wastes. Ask if they realize the impact of hard breaking, rapid acceleration, hard cornering, etc. on their vehicle’s maintenance. Are they reporting issues to your fleet mechanic or just living with them?  Create a safe driver program or rewards for keeping up with maintenance.

Personal Use

Your  drivers spend a lot of time in their vehicles. Over time they may begin to feel as if the vehicle is theirs. This can sometimes lead to misuse as employees begin using their vehicles inappropriately on weekends or after hours. Do you let these incidents go or do you restrict this kind of use? You may find that eliminating personal use not only reduces fuel use and wear and tear, but it also may save your reputation. A van with your name on it parked after hours at an inappropriate location could be damaging your reputation and losing you business.

Initiate Fuel Usage Policies – Introduce a Fuel Card and Usage Policy

Fleet fuel cards can provide discounts and rewards, reduce paperwork, save you from fraudulent spending, provide purchase controls, improve driver security and much more. If you’re already using fuel cards, make sure you’re getting the most out of them. That starts with developing and communicating a usage policy including:

  • Acceptable card uses
    Fuel
    Washer fluid
    Motor oil
    Wiper blades
    Towing
    Etc.
  • Unacceptable card use
    Food
    Car washes
    Bulk fuel
    Non-company vehicles
    etc.
  • Consequences for improper use
  • Card spending limits
  • Retention of receipts

It is important to have this communication between  drivers and owners/management to make sure everyone understands the rules and the consequences of not adhering to these rules.  Policies in place can also help to reduce insurance costs as well.  Many carriers have programs that can help you with the implementation of a safe driver program.

Robert Drucker is owner of Boston Global Tracking, providing GPS tracking solutions for fleets of all sizes.  He helps business owners keep track of what they value most.

Distracted Driving, Liability and What You Can Do About it.

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Distracted driving has become one of the biggest issues in terms of liability for any business with a fleet on the road.  Businesses with 1 driver to thousands all need to understand the potential liabilities that distracted driving can  have on their business.

As evidence from a recent lawsuit against Coca Cola, even having a policy in place may not protect you. There is no magic wand that can prevent drivers from being distracted but there are many things you can do to protect yourself.

  1. Have a safe driving policy in effect which clearly states what distracted driving is and what is not allowed.
  2. Review this policy with all employees on a monthly basis.  Many insurance companies can assist you with material or help in setting this up.  In order to protect yourself you must show consistent updates and contacts with all employees: meetings, flyers, emails etc…
  3. Pay for hands free Bluetooth devices for all employees, if cell use is allowed.
  4. There are also devices that can block cell use while driving, but these can be expensive and may not work with personal phones.
  5. Keep contact with drivers to a minimum  by using a GPS tracking system.  This type of system can also identify speeding drivers as well as keeping office to driver contact to a minimum.
  6. Review phone records to see which drivers may be excessively texting or speaking on the phone.  Many cell carriers can provide this information if requested.

The benefits of all of this is employee protection, cost reduction, and liability insulation, all leading to reduced costs. We must all remember that Return on Investment is really the objective for any business, and our perspective demands that an effective distracted driving solution yields 500% or better ROI in the most conservative of scenarios.

Fleet Solutions Magazine. has  a great article on this subject.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/NAFS0512/index.php?startid=20&goback=.gde_2542318_member_163229932

GPS Fleet Tracking Helps the Worker.

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One of the most common terms when it comes to GPS Tracking is “driver behavior modification.” It sounds like something out of college textbook…no wonder employees are often against the boss wiring a device into their vehicle.

Put simply though, “driver behavior modification,” just means changing a behavior.  Changing  behavior can be beneficial to the employee, not just the boss. Think about it.  Tracking can get you to the job sooner, more jobs in the day and in less time, helping the you to be more productive and getting  more jobs done in a day and in less time, you get home quicker to your family or your plans for the evening. What’s not to like about that?

Or how about proving you did the job you said you did. With fleet tracking technology, it doesn’t have to be a “he said/she said” scenario. Your boss has the info at his finger tips and you are in the clear. Or maybe you show up for the job and no one is there, tracking can show you may be at the wrong building or door.

How about this, you are in an accident and the driver accuses you of speeding, checking the GPS tracking can determine the truth.  Saving you a lot of time off the job to defend yourself.  What about being falsely accused of hit and run?  GPS Tracking can verify the exact location at the time of the accusation.

So let’s get rid of all the excuses for not using GPS fleet tracking.

GPS fleet tracking technology is a tool to help everyone do their job better.

GPS Tracking Benefits for Fleet Owners

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GPS Tracking is no longer for the big guys.  Today GPS tracking can benefit any business, even if there are only 1 or 2 vehicles on the road.

Tracking offers a host of benefits for companies that deploy vehicles on a day to day basis.  It allows these companies to streamline their operations in the most effective and efficient manner. The cost of this equipment is reasonable and the return on investment is significant.

GPS Tracking helps companies of all sizes to constantly track and monitor vehicles on road.  Without the need to invest in expensive equipment or hire additional employees, GPS fleet tracking is a very attractive option particularly for smaller companies that might not typically have the resources to roll out this type of effective technology.

Fleet tracking offers a variety of benefits for fleet owners.  It can keep a constant tab on the vehicles, regardless of whether they’re on the move or stationary. They can monitor the time taken for vehicles to reach their destination and identify any time wasted. They can also identify and optimize inefficient routing, enhancing fuel efficiency.

One of the greatest advantages to fleet owners is the tremendous potential for labor savings.  Being fully aware of an employee’s day to day operations keeps them alert and ensures they deliver maximum productivity.  GPS fleet management systems help fleet owners track their vehicles to see if they are on the move or stationary at a location. They can also monitor the duration for which the vehicle is on the road. This helps them monitor if fleet drivers are working efficiently. In the long run, this provides them with immense savings on labor costs as well other significant benefits.

Many companies have been able to cut down on their fuel costs through fleet GPS tracking. Without tracking, it is virtually impossible to accurately track fuel costs and the result is the company absorbs unnecessary expense.  Enhanced routing, reduced idling, and eliminating unauthorized use of vehicles will dramatically reduce fuel costs.

Tracking systems make it possible to know when the vehicles and crew arrive at and leave the job site. These systems also make it easier for the payroll department to accurately match up hours worked with the time sheets.

 

5 more items to consider when choosing a GPS tracking system.

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Continuing from the last weeks blog here are 5 more items to consider when choosing a GPS tracking system.   Once you have decided what you need the next step is to look at the quality of the hardware and pricing.  All quality systems will have a monthly fee.  In order to receive live updates, information must be moved from the GPS device to the server.  To do this all devices have sim cards, just like your cell phone.  This enables the information to be transmitted to the server via cell phone technology.  This is why you have a monthly fee.  Without this service it is impossible to have live updates.

  1. Quality Components.  All GPS tracking devices look the same from the outside, what counts is the quality of the components inside.  Cheaper devices will use old versions of chips which are not very accurate.  Cheaper chips can show locations that could be actually 1 mile away. SiRFstarIII and the MTK all in one are the latest most accurate chips, just below military grade.
  2. Warranty.  Is the Warranty for 1 year, maybe 2?  If the device is hardwired who will remove the old and install the new device if it needs to be replaced?  Will there be a charge for this?  The best companies should offer a lifetime warranty as long as you are a customer.  It only makes sense that the company stands behind the product.
  3. Training.  Is there a charge for Training?  Will the company come to you and train you and your staff?  Are you just getting a manual and a thank you, or is the company always going to be there to train new staff?
  4. Length of Contract.  Many companies require long term contracts which are almost impossible to break.  What happens if you decide or need to reduce your fleet?   Are you stuck with a monthly payment?  Deals with contracts may seem a great value but in the long run are they really a value?   Beware of free hardware and no cost installation.  Nothing is ever free and more than likely your monthly fees (and hidden fees) will cost you more in the long run.
  5. Hidden Fees.  Activation fees, internet usage fees, special software fees are all extra fees that can make a great deal not so great.  Always question any of these extra fees.  A good quality system should never have any extra fees.

The 5 Most Important Things to Consider When Choosing a Vehicle Tracking System

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While the technology behind all GPS vehicle tracking systems is to gather location-based data is the same, it’s how the tracking data is transmitted, what data is transmitted and how all that data is presented to the user that differentiates quality GPS vehicle tracking from inferior products. Here are the five most important things to consider when choosing a vehicle tracking system:

1. Passive Tracking vs. Live Tracking

For passive tracking, all the GPS tracking data is stored in the receiver and must be downloaded once all the vehicles return for the day.  Avoid systems that give the appearance of 1 or 2 min updates but only move the data every 15 or 30.    What you want is active GPS tracking.  Active tracking means that the data from the GPS receiver is transmitted to a remote user at regular intervals. The best systems transmit data every 2 minutes. This gives you real-time location information.

2. Software

Many vehicle tracking systems utilize proprietary software that requires installation on your computer. These solutions also need frequent manual upgrades and downloads. Another drawback to proprietary software is that the GPS solution can only be used on computers with the proper installation. You want to look for a GPS tracking system that provides the information securely over the Internet. The flexibility and 24/7 accessibility of an Internet-based solution makes is the way to go when deciding on a specific vehicle tracking system.  Freedom to view data from any internet connected device; desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone is ideal.

3. Quality Reporting

A GPS tracking solution should provide you with the data and reporting capabilities necessary to make informed business decisions. One key to reporting is flexibility. If a vehicle tracking system doesn’t allow you to automate reports on a weekly or monthly basis while also giving you the ability to generate reports instantly, cross that one off your list. The reports should be concise and easy to understand.  Reports should be available in your choice of formats:  download to spreadsheet, email or online. Important reports should include vehicle starts and stops, excessive idling times, speed violations and much more.  Information should be archived for at least 1 year and customizable by time and date.

4. Alerting Feature

The GPS tracking solution you choose should include alerting features to notify you of unwanted behavior. Alerts should be flagged in relevant reports and you should also have the ability to be notified of any alerts as soon as a violation occurs via email or mobile device. Alerts can be triggered for excessive speeding  and when a vehicle enters or exits specific geographic areas. The vehicle tracking system should also provide alerts to notify you when vehicles are due for scheduled maintenance. These alerts can be scheduled based on miles driven or engine-on time. If the GPS tracking system you are looking at does not include alerting features, forget about it.

5. Quality Mapping

If the GPS tracking provider isn’t partnered with a well-known mapping provider – like Bing mapping – to provide you with the most accurate and up-to-date mapping available, chances are it’d be a big mistake to invest in it. A vehicle tracking system’s mapping features should allow you to zoom all the way down to street level and provide, street map, satellite and birds eye views.

Next Week: 5 more important things to consider when choosing a vehicle tracking system.