Over the last decade, our ability to use GPS technology to manage fleet operations and improve business effectiveness has gotten better with each year. GPS fleet tracking systems have been proven to reduce costs, increase accountability, and improve the bottom line. And improving operational excellence is only the beginning.
Are you using the tools provided to you to stand out from your competition? To understand your customers’ needs and exceed their expectations? Or are you feeling disconnected from not just your fleet, but your customers as well? In any and every business, there is an unrelenting drive for quality and customer service.
For more than a decade, FleetBoss GPS has blazed the trail in GPS technology and applications to help its clients improve every aspect of their fleet management approach. And with our industry-leading web-based software, you can make your GPS system into a valuable customer service tool, increasing capacity for service stops, intelligent routing to optimize service scheduling, confirmation and verification of services, and improving response times with “who is closest” dispatch capability.
Are you ready to take your customer service to the next level? Call FleetBoss GPS today to learn more: (877) 265-9559.
Times are tough. Money is tight and competition is fierce. There is no more time to waste nor opportunities to lose. If your company growth isn’t reflecting the amount of effort you’ve put in and you are searching for the ultimate business solution to help you manage your fleet effectively, then it may be time to step up your game. It’s at times like these where just getting by is not acceptable; you made it through one of the worse recessions in history, and now it’s time for you to exceed standards and set yourself apart.
The answer lies in developing a high performance business, establishing foundations of growth, and maximizing efficiency. But how do you get there?
GPS fleet management systems are a progressive solution for your long and short-term goals, leading the way towards operational excellence. It makes use of the best technology to bring you quantifiable results: reduced fuel and operation costs, improved productivity and safety, increased dispatch efficiency, better risk management, and optimized vehicle usage.
For more than a decade, FleetBoss GPS has been at the forefront of fleet management, providing businesses with truly innovative solutions that use the perfect combination of technologies and that make all the difference.
Call FleetBoss GPS today and drive your business in the right direction (877) 265-9559.
You may have noticed that the price of gasoline has been creeping back up again. John Hofmeister, former President of Shell Oil, thinks that you’d better start planning for even higher prices at the pump. “The politically driven choices that are being made, which are non-choices, essentially frittering at the edges of renewable energy, stifling production in hydrocarbon energy,” says Hofmeister. “That’s a sure path for not enough energy for American consumers.” He fears that the political indecision could lead to record prices at the pumps by 2012. How high? Hofmeister sees a strong potential for $5.00 per gallon by the end of 2012.
So how likely is this scenario? Although the increase in gas prices slowed in 2010, other experts predict that there will be an increase in gas prices this year, and in some states even up to $4.00 per gallon.
Despite the higher gas prices, consumers have not reduced their driving. According to estimates from BENTEK Energy Services, LLC, domestic consumption in the first week of January, increased by 7.5% over the previous week and there was an increase in residential and commercial consumption of 20.7%.
What can you do to prepare your business for the inevitable rising costs of fuel? FleetBoss GPS provides the systems, tools and resources you need to manage your business more effectively. Vehicle tracking systems can help reduce your operating costs by monitoring speeding and idle time, reducing unauthorized vehicle usage, and optimizing your routes so that you can prevent unnecessary stops. FleetBoss GPS customers report savings and improvements within the first 30 days based on improved productivity and reduced fuel usage. The sooner you take action, the sooner you can begin saving money and increasing your return on investment. Call FleetBoss GPS today to learn more: (877) 265-9559.
We know that business owners and fleet managers can use a break on their fleet management and operation costs, and this development in the insurance industry is part of a trend that we’ve seen over the last year: when you have a GPS fleet management system, the data and information not only helps you run your business more efficiently, it can also reduce your risk profile and save you money on insurance.
Travelers Insurance recently announced that companies with GPS fleet management systems installed “in a sufficient number of their fleet vehicles” may be eligible to receive discounts on their insurance. In a recent press release, the insurance carrier outlined ways that its customers could receive discounts up to 15 percent off their premiums if they are using a GPS (telematics) system that keeps track of vehicle and driver activity and performance. Additionally, the company using the system must also use the system information to shape their safety policies and to provide feedback to drivers on a quarterly basis.
“The use of vehicle telematics is the next step in improving the safe operation of commercial fleets, transforming drivers with less oversight to those whose performance can be observed, coached and managed,” said Chris Hayes, Director of Transportation Services, Travelers Risk Control. “By using this technology and the wealth of information it can provide, fleet and risk managers can have data that will aid in developing specific training programs that positively modify driving behavior.”
Learn more about the Travelers discount program and how this could positively impact your fleet by reading the Fleet Owner article. And give FleetBoss GPS a call today to find out how you can start saving money with a GPS fleet management system! (877) 265-9559.
Welcome to the completely redesigned FleetBoss GPS website! As part of the new site, we have added some items and moved a couple of things. For example, the LOG IN drop down menu that used to be on the left side of the home page is now a button in the upper right corner labeled MANAGE MY FLEET.
With this new log-in interface we will be able to share information and bulletins here, so please bookmark this Log In (Manage My Fleet) page for the future.
FleetBoss is now on a number of the social media/Web 2.0 sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, and you will be able to directly link to these sites from the FleetBoss site as well.
We’ve introduced the “FleetBoss Rx” blog to share news, reports and updates that are relevant to the industry, and this blog is directly linked to the fleetboss.com website as well. You may also notice that we’ve updated the FleetBoss GPS logo. It’s a “refreshed” look for FleetBoss, a company with over twelve years leading the way in what is still a relatively new industry.
Thanks for visiting the new FleetBoss GPS website, and let us know what you would like to see – content, best practices, ideas, articles … let us know!
In the “Bright Ideas” issue of Security Sales and Integration magazine, published in August 2010, Bobit Business Media released the results of a recent study on business strategies. Entitled “Operations and Opportunities Report,” this study focuses on ways to increase profitability and reduce costs in the security industry. Most of the concepts and issues covered in the study are equally relevant for any technical services business, and the ideas for improvement are also applicable.
As U.S. companies continue to struggle through the current recession, managing cost continues to be a top priority even as some companies are seeing signs of growth. When asked for the primary way to reduce business costs, the overwhelming top answer was:
“Increase productivity and efficiency of technicians.”
Running on Fumes? Get More Mileage with FleetBoss GPS
One of the quickest ways to add to your bottom line with GPS fleet management is by reducing your fleet fuel use and costs.
The overall trend for fuel costs is up, up, up and that means higher costs every time one of your vehicles heads to the pump. In a recent FleetBoss GPS/LinkedIn survey, more than 36 percent of business managers identified the high cost of fuel as their number one challenge when it comes to managing a business fleet in the current economy.
With enhanced reporting capabilities and increased visibility of how your business fleet is being operated, it is possible to cut the fuel bill by between 10 percent and up to 50 percent in the first few weeks. How is that possible?
How FleetBoss GPS Can Help You Reduce Fuel Costs:
• Reduce unauthorized vehicle usage by verifying start and stop locations
• Monitor Speeding – lowering speed to 65 mph is proven to save 10% in fuel costs
• Reduce idle time by 30-50% by educating drivers on the costs associated
• Monitor and compare miles per gallon (MPG) and idle time for all vehicles in order to identify outliers
Tap the Brakes on Vehicle Speeding – One of the fastest ways to waste fuel is speeding, not to mention the risks of driving over the speed limit. FleetBoss GPS reports show which vehicles are speeding, where it happened and who was driving. Automatic alerts can be sent to the driver.
Curb Idling – Idling is an unnecessary waste of fuel and by reducing the number of minutes drivers idle, you will usually save more than the cost of GPS Insight. GPS Insight uniquely provides the ability to send drivers instant alerts telling them to shut down their vehicles if they idle for too long. Some customers save 5 or more times the amount the system by utilizing this capability.
Stop Unauthorized Usage – You will be able to determine when vehicles are used for non-company-related business, and check for compliance with company policy using off-hours/weekend reports and alerts.
Optimize routes – FleetBoss GPS gives you the tools you need to review and revise dispatching and improve the efficiency of your vehicles through routing. This can also identify and prevent out of the way stops that have nothing to do with your business.
Top Three Issues:
1. High Cost of Fuel
2. Liability and Risk
3. Accountability
On July 9, 2010 FleetBoss GPS launched a survey via LinkedIn to identify the top challenges that businesses are facing when it comes to managing their vehicle fleets.
Based on LinkedIn targeting, the survey was sent to managers in executive management, operations, administration, human resources, legal and business development.
The targeted industries included Facilities Services; Government Administration; Logistics and Supply Chain; Package/Freight Delivery; and Utilities.
Based on a total of 340 responses, here are the top issues and trends identified in the survey.
The overall number one issue, with 36% of the responses, continues to be the high cost of fuel. Number two, with 23% of the responses, is the issue of liability and risk. And number three, with 17% of the responses, is accountability.
Following is an executive summary of the results of a recent “Fleet Management Trends and Technology” survey conducted by T21 Solutions on behalf of FleetBoss Global Positioning Solutions. This survey was conducted during the month of April, and concluded on April 30, 2010.
The survey was sent out to more than 4000 fleet managers nationwide to gauge their impressions on issues and trends affecting fleet management, as well as predictions for the outlook of technology related to fleet operations. The top six industries represented in the survey include manufacturing, utilities, transportation and warehousing, wholesale trade, retail trade and construction.
Economic Recovery
The first area of discussion was economic recovery. Nearly 60% anticipate a moderate recovery over the next 12 months, indicating that things are starting to turn around slowly. Slightly more than 30% predicted a weak recovery saying that things look pretty much the same as they have over the last two years.
More than half of those who participated in the survey indicated that their companies were actively reducing costs in response to the economic downturn. Nearly 40% indicated that they are adding new customers, and about 30% are investing in new technology. A fifth of the participating businesses are in expansion mode, and a fifth are in the process of reducing their workforce.
Biggest Challenges
The biggest challenge that fleet managers are facing right now is vehicle maintenance (22%), followed closely by the rising cost of fuel (20%). Additional key challenges include the cost to purchase vehicles (16%), risk management and liability (13%), and asset accountability (10%).
Top Trends
When asked about the top three trends that they are seeing the impact fleet management and business operations, survey participants reported fuel prices going back up (62%); the need to extend the life of company vehicles (42%); and a continued emphasis on “green” fleet strategies (40%). Additional trends that scored high in the survey included mandated fleet compliance issues, concerns about distracted driver risk and liability, investment in hybrid or flex fuel vehicles, smart routing and dispatching systems, and a pending shortage of qualified technicians and drivers.
Only 41% of the participating companies indicated that they are currently using a GPS-based system to track and manage their fleet operations. Of the remaining 59%, nearly half have no plans on investing in a fleet management system. About 10% are currently evaluating or planning to purchase a system within the next six months, another 4% within the next year and 30% are yet undecided.
When asked about the top three considerations for choosing a technology provider for fleet management, an overwhelming 68% indicated that best service was the most important characteristic. A close second, 55% indicated a preference for the company with the best product. One quarter of the respondents put an emphasis on lowest price for equipment and monitoring, and best training also scored a quarter of the vote.
Wish List
The top three items on fleet managers’ wish lists for fleet vehicle technology included real-time location of vehicles (45%), simplified data and reporting (43%), and automation of reports (39%). Honorable mention goes to onboard GPS mapping (36%), hands-free driver communication systems (35%), vehicle diagnostic reporting and “black box” incident recording, (both with 31%) and smart routing systems (29%).
We know that FleetBoss clients are focused on productive and safe fleet vehicle operations. Today’s technology makes many things possible, but it also creates new challenges that require us to reevaluate how we can get the most out of the new capabilities without jeopardizing employee safety or creating new risks and liabilities for our businesses. Mobile devices are helpful for staying in touch, but used at the wrong time they can be a major distraction. FleetBoss is making an effort to strike the right balance between best uses of technology and best practices in safe fleet operations.
To that end, FleetBoss has joined with Oprah and the US Department of Transportation to promote the “No Phone Zone” initiative and the national campaign against distracted driving. The statistics related to distracted driving are startling, and the first step in addressing these risks is awareness.
FleetBoss is offering its clients a “Safe Driver Kit” that includes a brochure outlining the risks, a sticker for the vehicle dashboard or window reminding drivers not to text and drive, and links to additional resources that help companies to address this issue.
FleetBoss is offering this Safe Driver Kit as a public service, and to help you talk to your employees and make certain that they are aware of the risks involved. We are also including a pledge to certify their commitment to stay focused on the road and the job at hand. No text message is worth losing control of a vehicle, causing a crash or worse. Together, we can make a difference and put the brakes on the national trend of distracted driving!
To get your Safe Driver Kits, visit the FleetBoss Facebook fan page, click on the “Like” button, and post a note letting us know how many kits you would like for your business. Here is the shortcut to the FleetBoss Facebook page: http://su.pr/AO6Mx7
