Click to zoom

Obviously, employers want to take whatever measures are necessary to limit their liability in these cases, and one area that can help greatly is by effectively managing speeding.

Managing speeding saves money – and lives

Fleet managers face the challenge of proactively managing their drivers without being like ‘helicopter parents’, monitoring their every move while hanging around them like a shadow that won’t go away.

At the same time you can’t afford to not manage driving. With speeding accounting for over a third of all traffic accidents and corporate manslaughter laws becoming stricter, employers need to protect themselves, while keeping both their drivers and the public at large safe.

A 2005 study of all work-related injuries also showed that over a fifth of all deaths were caused by traffic accidents, and at an average of $21,000 for each vehicle-related work injury each accident can represent a huge financial cost to employers.

Reducing the incidence of speeding amongst your drivers also has some immediate benefits in the form of fuel savings or reduced insurance premiums. For example, every 5mph over 65mph will reduce fuel economy by 7%. With fuel being one of the largest operating expenses faced by fleets this can significantly impact on profit margins.

Fleets with a safe driving record are often eligible for discounts on insurance premiums of around 15%, another reason to manage speeding amongst your drivers.

The right tools to manage speeding

To help you do your job you need to have the right tools. For fleet managers that means using GPS tracking to monitor your team. GPS fleet tracking involves both GPS hardware units attached to company vehicles linked with fleet tracking software, such as Telogis Fleet.

Telogis Fleet gives managers an online dashboard that can be securely accessed from anywhere to monitor the entire fleet in real-time. It works in conjunction with Telogis Mobile, software that runs on the driver’s GPS device, or PND.

A GPS fleet tracking system provides a complete management tool to not only minimize speeding but provide appropriate oversight and efficient methods of reducing incidences of speeding.

How does it work to manage speeding?

The first step in managing speeding is to talk with your drivers. Let them know what your company guidelines are, and measures you are taking to monitor and manage speeding amongst drivers.

With GPS fleet tracking installed, active monitoring of driving can commence. It’s made up of a couple of different elements.

For drivers, Telogis Mobile will warn them when they exceed the speed limit in a given area. This is particularly helpful in locations where speed limits can change frequently and drivers find themselves in a new speed zone with a different limit. So, simply by raising awareness, drivers can be encouraged to slow down when appropriate.

For managers, Telogis Fleet records and reports any speeding incidents, which can be printed as a report or instantly sent to their manager for attention. Depending on the severity and frequency of these incidents you can decide what measures should be taken, such as driver coaching or BTW training.

Telogis Fleet also allows you to customize how the GPS device will monitor speeding. You can choose to report any speeding, or only speeding is over a certain threshold and/or for a sustained period of time. This way you can control how closely you monitor speeding events.

Doing what you can to manage speeding

Regardless of the measures you take, there will always be some drivers who insist that speeding is a necessity and will try to justify their actions. But as an employer you can’t afford to be apathetic about it.

If you don’t actively manage speeding, you are likely paying a lot more in fuel, maintenance, insurance and worker costs than you should be, not to mention exposing your fleet to the risk of being found guilty of corporate manslaughter.

By implementing a GPS fleet tracking system to monitor and manage speeding, you are fulfilling your responsibilities as an employer, while showing tangible evidence that you have done all you can to create and promote a safe driving environment.

For fleet managers, the risk a company is exposed to is far greater than staff who may be limited to working within an office. The chance of an employee being involved, or causing, an accident is much higher when a significant amount of their time is spent on the road.

What if a driver kills someone? Does your company share some of the blame? And how can GPS tracking help to minimize the risk?

Death – Could your company be guilty of manslaughter?

When an accident results in a death it becomes a lot more serious and the ramifications for your company and the driver are a lot more far-reaching. It is a well-known principle of law that an employer is responsible for the conduct of a worker in their charge, and any damage caused. If you’re explaining this to someone else you can sound like you know what you’re talking about by using the Latin phrase, respondeat superior, which describes this concept.

Even in cases where the driver is actually an independent contractor, it can sometimes be argued that you are partly liable.

In the U.K. legislation around corporate manslaughter is now in place, which recognizes that companies are required to demonstrate a duty of care not just to their employees but also the public. This means if a company failed to train and manage its drivers, and actively encourage safe driving practices it could be held liable by the courts for any deaths that result from employee driving.

Statistics show that almost a third of worker fatalities were caused by traffic accidents. And for every serious accident that results in a fatality there are hundreds of minor accidents that have the potential to land a company in hot water, with insurance claims, damage payouts and the emotional stress and trauma for all involved.

So ignoring the problem of dangerous employee driving is no longer an option for companies today.

The best way to lower your accident rate

With fleet drivers covering a huge number of miles every year, it’s almost inevitable that, in a large fleet, there will be accidents. How can you make sure you keep your company accident rate to an absolute minimum?

To promote safer driving there are a lot of measures, as an employer, you can take. From installing hands-free mobile phone kits to running mandatory BTW training courses, you can do a lot to keep your drivers safe and out of harms way.

But since speeding is reported to be responsible for over a third of all accidents in the U.S. we want to focus on how you can actively manage and minimize any speeding amongst your drivers.

In our next post, we’ll explain how you can use GPS fleet tracking to control excessive speeding, thus reducing your exposure to fatal accidents and demonstrating evidence that as an employer you are taking all measures to keep your drivers and the public safe. To make sure you don’t miss it, subscribe to our blog feed!

In what is seen as somewhat of an inevitable move towards more sustainable business practices, the EPA and the Obama administration are pushing for more reporting by businesses on their environmental impact.

Recently the EPA handed down a ruling that requested suppliers in the U.S. to report their GHG emissions. For some American fleets this will prove to be a major headache, for others, like those using Telogis Fleet management software, it won’t be a problem.

Why is the government making the change?

Long term it appears the change is to have a clearer picture of where GHG emissions are coming from in an effort to minimize, or eliminate completely, those sources. The first step obviously involves reporting the current state of emissions so an effective action plan can be put in place.

There are other reasons why the government is pushing for this extra level of detail from businesses and that has to do with its own environmental targets.

President Obama has confirmed a sustainability program to reduce the government’s own carbon footprint including the following targets:

• 30% reduction in vehicle fleet petroleum use by 2020;
• 26% improvement in water efficiency by 2020;
• 50% recycling and waste diversion by 2015;
• 95% of all applicable contracts will meet sustainability requirements

What will this mean for businesses?

As if it’s not enough that businesses who work with government agencies will be required to file the extra paperwork, there are rumors the reporting will become more a requirement than a request, and that the government will favor those businesses with lower GHG emissions.

As time goes by we can expect greater accountability on anything related to the environmental impact of doing business. Government departments are under pressure from environmental agencies to control and limit GHG emissions, and that has a ripple effect for other American fleets, especially those the government does business with.

Requiring, or strongly encouraging, businesses to report their GHG emissions is the first step to a wider movement in both understanding and controlling emissions. So it makes sense for businesses to start thinking, not just about collecting this information, but also thinking about ways they can reduce or minimize their carbon footprint.

If you’re a fleet do yourself a favor

Fleet managers who use Telogis can rest easy knowing their fleet management software already takes care of this, so it’s one less thing they need to worry about. How does it work?

GHG reporting

Telogis Fleet provides a lot of different ways to view and report on fleet activity. Report on a range of GHG metrics, such as engine on time, miles driven, idling time, speeding or after-hours use. Reports can even be scheduled and emailed directly to your team, allowing your business to monitor your fleet’s environmental initiatives over time.

If reports aren’t your thing, there’s also a dashboard that can give you a one-screen overview of your entire fleet including color-coded alerts that draw your attention to exceptions (such as excessive idling).

Now that you have reports on the number of miles your fleet is traveling as well as idle time, you’re in a much better position to report on your fleet’s GHG emissions. For an example of converting your miles to carbon output, try the Telogis calculator to check your CO2 output.

GHG reduction

Now that you have detailed and accurate information on your GHG emissions, you can start to take some positive action to reduce it. Some areas that other Telogis Fleet users have significantly improved their environmental impact are:

• Improve response times
• Eliminate after-hours use
• Cut idling by more than 25%
• Ensure emissions compliance
• Reduce out-of-route miles by 30%
• Monitor and improve driver behavior
• Reduce speeding for better fuel economy
• Maintain vehicles to extend asset longevity

Hopefully you can see that going green and meeting any compliance requirements made by the authorities is not as difficult as first imagined. Why not find out more about turning your fleet green today?

But let’s take a moment to step into the world of a pest control business and go behind the scenes. What’s involved for a pest control business, from the moment you contact them to tell them you’re being overrun by termites or tarantulas, to the actual arrival of a technician, ready to fight those nasty bugs?

A lot of fleet companies are recognizing the advantage of using GPS tracking to run their business and pest control firms are no different. GPS fleet tracking gives them several distinct advantages to better handle jobs, whether they’re regular appointments or ad hoc emergencies like the one we mentioned above. It means the customer service team can take your job request, find the closest capable technician and dispatch them immediately – resulting in efficiency gains for the pest control business and a faster service for you, which is perfect when the bugs are advancing!

Let’s look at a real-world example of how GPS tracking is being used by pest control firms. Established over 50 years ago, JP McHale Pest Management is a Westchester pest control company that serves the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut areas.

They have a lot of technicians and inspectors that go to a lot of our customers homes each and every day. For them, having a GPS system is essential to making sure all their workers get to where they need to be, more easily and more efficiently.

Here is how GPS improves their business:

• Improved customer service – By implementing GPS, they know exactly what time they will arrive at a customer’s house and the route they will take. Once they type in the route, they will know exactly what time they can service the clients. This information helps them to schedule the right amount of appointments each day. They can also give our clients a more specific time frame so they know when they are going to service them. Their technicians will services clients in the same areas to be more time efficient. They can do this because, after all the addresses have been added to the GPS system, the GPS will tell them what route will be the most effective to cover the most properties in the least amount of time.
• Better prepared for every job – Using satellite imagery, they can see exactly the size and shape of the customer’s property. This helps them prepare well, knowing how much of the products they will need to bring to the appointment. The geography shows them exactly what they are dealing with, whether it’s woods, lakes, meadows or some other kind of topography. By seeing the size and shape of the terrain they can predict exactly how long the appointment will take to cover as well.
• Less downtime - If one of their trucks breaks down or has a problem, they know exactly where they are. They can come to their aid immediately.
  JP McHale Pest Management have found using GPS fleet tracking to be a great return on investment, and intend to keep using it for many years to come.

If you’re a pest control business, maybe it’s time you looked into GPS fleet tracking can help you fight your own pests – pests like rising fuel prices, technician overtime and maintenance costs. In fact, you can even work out how much you could potentially save by using this handy ROI calculator.

With fleet management software and GPS tracking taking care of your mobile workers, you can focus on helping your customers stay ‘bug-free’!

Are these claims simply scare-mongering by truck drivers? Are the state trucking regulations forgetting commonsense and putting environmentalists ahead of people’s lives?

Before we discuss the reasons for truckers getting angry about these so-called ‘asinine’ trucking regulations, let’s look at why states in increasing numbers are banning excessive truck idling.

Why regulate against idling?

As global warming and climate change become hot (no pun intended) topics in political circles and there is growing pressure from the public, legislators are constantly looking for ways to reign in the huge amounts of carbon we pump into the atmosphere every year.

This is reflected in emissions trading schemes, carbon trading and the Kyoto Protocol, all of which are aimed at forcing businesses to be accountable for the amount of carbon they were releasing into the atmosphere. Over 75% of this is attributable to the burning of fossil fuels, such as diesel. This has made fleets, particularly trucking fleets, an easy target for governments wanting to be seen to be doing the right thing.

In addition to environmental reasons, some fleet owners are also recognizing the cost-savings of monitoring and managing fuel usage more closely. As fuel prices continue to rise, and oil reserves are being depleted, smart fleet owners have seen the writing on the wall and are doing what they can to reduce their dependency on the stuff they call ‘black gold’.

How can fleet managers manage idling?

Like speeding tickets, violating anti-idling laws can be costly for a fleet, or driver, if the agreement is drivers pay their own fines.

Fleet managers can use fleet management software to monitor vehicles that are idled excessively. For example, Telogis® Fleet™ can be setup to record any incidences of vehicles idled for an excessive period of time and managers can be alerted, so it can be managed proactively.

The idling alerts (similar to speeding alerts) can be customized by fleet managers to only record and report under certain conditions, which filters the real-time reports to only show events that need a manager’s attention. This is particularly useful when managing large fleets, covering thousands of vehicles or trucks.

Adopting a proactive approach to the problem is a much better option than waiting for a run-in with the authorities or hefty fines (or even imprisonment in some states).

Is it really that bad?

Are the anti-idling laws really that bad? On the surface they may seem unfeeling to the truckers who spend a lot of time in the cab, but when you actually look at the rules around how these regulations are enforced you start to see there are a lot of exemptions. You can read up about the specific laws and exemptions for each state, but essentially it allows for things such as adverse weather, traffic conditions, rest stops or running auxiliary equipment to exempt truckers from the anti-idling regulations.

It appears the main issue revolves around not being able to maintain the cab at a comfortable temperature, and that’s a fair enough complaint when you spend as many hours as drivers do inside one. But idling a truck’s main engine is not the only way to heat or cool the cab. Several companies supply and install air conditioning or heating units that run on batteries or a pony motor to save fuel, reduce noise and stay compliant with anti-idling laws.

Of course, there may be issues with who is going to pay for the truck to be upgraded and for lone contractors it could be an expense they are desperately trying to avoid. Unfortunately the cost of compliance is simply the cost of doing business in our modern, perhaps over-regulated, society. And it beats having to pay a $25,000 fine if you caught doing it in Virginia!

From June 1, 2012, any fleet that fails a DOT audit will be required to install an EOBR (Electronic On Board Recorder).

The FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) announced the new ruling on April 5, 2010 and the change will impact over 5,500 trucking companies around the U.S.

The rule states that fleets breach HOS (Hours of Service) rules 10% of the time or more, based on a single DOT audit, must use an EOBR to monitor driver hours.

Carriers that refuse to install an EOBR will not be allowed to work interstate and may even have their operating authority revoked.

An EOBR is a GPS device electronically connected to the truck’s engine to make sure driving information is recorded accurately and securely. A wireless GPS device, synchronized with the vehicle’s engine will be set to securely record driving hours and distance to improve regulation of safe driving practices.

Why the change?

Compliance is often seen as an irritation, an unwanted expense and a time-consuming hassle by many business owners. Some see it as an attempt by government agencies to micro-manage and over-regulate their industry while not providing any significant benefit for the business.

But this time, it appears there are very important reasons for its introduction. It’s being introduced to improve safety for other road users and reign in HOS violators.

Disturbing crash statistics show fleets that breach the 10% threshold for HOS have a crash rate 40% higher than normal. Fleets that breach the threshold repeatedly have a 90% higher crash rate.

How does this benefit fleets?

The change may mean an initial up-front expense for fleets that are required to install GPS tracking devices but they may be pleasantly surprised to find that what was first believed to be an expense turns into an investment. In fact, many firms who are already using Telogis® GPS location technology get a positive return on investment within 120 days.

If you want to calculate the potential return on investment for your fleet, and how much you could save, use the GPS ROI calculator.

Aside from being a legal requirement for some, GPS fleet tracking is benefiting hundreds of fleets right now.

• Improved asset utilization – Some fleets have realized that their fleet is not being used economically, or workloads are not balanced evenly. In a few cases, vehicles that are not used at all were realized, and thus contributing to major savings for the business.
• Better preventative maintenance – With more accurate vehicle diagnostics being fed automatically into fleet management software, fleet managers are finding it easier to keep on top of preventative maintenance, taking better care of fleet vehicles, reducing the incidence of expensive repairs and lowering the overall total cost of ownership (TCO).
• Smarter route optimization – Fleet managers can use route optimization software to enhance built-in GPS vehicle devices to minimize wasted fuel and driving miles. Route optimization software is designed to make sure the closest capable driver is sent to a job, which simplifies the job of managing multiple vehicles with different attributes and servicing varying customer needs.
• Effective driver management tools – Having reliable, impartial information on driver patterns, habits and routes taken, managers using GPS tracking are able to start offering drivers incentives to improve overall driver performance, which leads to better fuel economy, safer driving and more responsive customer service.

With the recent change announced, fleets with GPS devices linked to engine diagnostics will enjoy the additional benefit of a more lenient and relaxed DOT review for using this type of compliance.

This means the onerous task of collecting supporting documents such as toll receipts will also no longer be needed.

The FMCSA hopes these benefits will encourage fleets to comply voluntarily before the mandate is enforced in 2012.

Is this the start of stricter driver policing?

When issuing the new ruling, the FMCSA hinted at future requirements to monitor fleet drivers with even stricter measures, and not just those fleets that fail a DOT audit.

Truck makers and other vehicle manufacturers who install GPS devices as OEM will need to make sure they comply with the FMCSA standards from April 2012 onwards.

Whatever changes happen in the future, many fleets are seeing the benefits of switching to GPS fleet management software right now.

How secure is your online software?

With the popularity of online software growing there is a concern that it is not as secure or reliable as desktop-based applications. GPS fleet tracking software is generally run online so it’s of particular interest to fleet managers to know that the infrastructure used by providers is both robust and secure.

But before you make the switch to online software, it’s important to check a few things about the provider to make sure they are taking the best care of your data and you can enjoy a reliable software service, something that is vitally important when you’re looking at running mission-critical applications.

Here are five things you should check with your online software provider before you buy.

1. Do they have a Plan B? – You might not be familiar with failover systems but all you really need to know about it is that it means in the event of a problem with the computer that runs the online software you are using, another, identical, computer is setup to automatically take over. For you as a user you most likely won’t notice anything has happened – you will carry on using the application without interruption and without the loss of any data. Essentially it provides a seamless safety net should anything happen to the computer that is hosting your software.
2. Have they been independently reviewed? – Similar to the ISO 9001 standards that businesses will often strive to achieve, online software providers also have certifications that they can meet. In the service industry (online software is generally viewed as SaaS, or software as a service), organizations can choose to undergo a SAS 70 audit. Being successfully audited means an organization can be trusted to have effective controls over its operations and that the business is operating effectively. If you are considering different online software providers, asking if they are SAS 70 certified can provide you with reassurance that your data is in safe hands.
3. Do they use top-of-the-line hardware? – Unless your software provider has the size, scale and financial resources of Google, they will generally work with a data center to handle the physical storage of both their application and related data. The hardware used by most professional data centers is far beyond what your average IT department could afford or manage. Data centers not only invest in high quality web servers that are both fast and powerful but also focus on making sure both the data and the hardware is secure. Measures such as 24-hour video surveillance, fire-suppression systems and UPS (uninterruptible power supplies) ensure that problems are minimized or avoided entirely.
4. Do they have an effective backup system? – With traditional desktop applications, the responsibility to backup is on the user. While this may not seem like a problem, the reality is that most users don’t take the time to backup regularly until it’s too late. A major loss of data is sometimes the only situation that reminds a user of the importance of having an effective backup system, and has them ruing the lack of one. With online software, all of this is taken care of by the SaaS provider. And because they take care of everyone’s data they make it their business to do it right.
5. Do they have a robust link to the network? – Like any network, online software depends on a continuous connection between the end-user and the application. Fortunately, the networks that online software applications run on utilizes high-end cabling and network connections, and not the ‘less-than-reliable’ Ethernet cabling your 18-year-old cousin may have installed in your local office network. These networks are built to provide the most secure and reliable connection between the application and your office, wherever that might be. One example of this is the multiple NIC cards that provide an instant backup in case one entry point to the network fails. Data centers are usually built in a way and in a location that minimizes the possibility of being affected by any connection problems, from both natural and man-made hazards.

Online software is a partnership

When you partner with a quality online software provider you don’t have to worry that you’ll be left out in the cold, stressing about how to make sure your data is secure and your software running reliably. Online software is not ‘sell and forget’. Your online software provider should work with you every step of the way to improve the service they can offer, utilizing the latest technology and hardware advancements to make sure your application performs, even under the toughest conditions.

This alleviates a lot of the anxiety normally associated with looking after business-critical applications, and can improve your company’s bottom line by reducing your IT spend.

So if you’ve been holding back on switching to online software for your business because of security concerns, then now is a great time to talk to providers about a solution that will help your business perform more efficiently, profitably and securely. Use this checklist to make sure they are a professional provider that can give offer you the peace of mind you need when running important business software applications.

Telogis® solutions should be of particular interest to any business that manages vehicle fleets, since its range of fleet management tools are delivered as online software. Telogis have built a robust infrastructure that enjoys the high level of reliability and security discussed in this article.

In our last post we looked at four ways that GPS jammers attempt to tamper with a GPS unit to prevent it from working correctly, and transmitting accurate data back to the user. If you are worried about your GPS hardware being tampered with, here are 5 ways you can counter these attempts to disrupt GPS tracking.

It is also worth mentioning that it is only a small number who will attempt to tamper with a GPS device. Not only it is becoming increasingly difficult and illegal, most recognize the legitimate use of GPS tracking. For example, fleet managers may use GPS fleet tracking to measure overall fleet and driver performance to make a fleet more profitable (and thus improve job security) and ensure all drivers are fairly following company policy.

5 tips on beating GPS jammers

To improve peace of mind you may like to consider 5 ways you can counter any attempts to interfere with GPS tracking devices that are being used legitimately.

1. Education – The first step is to be as upfront and honest as possible with the person being tracked so they know exactly why they (or the vehicle) is being tracked. While they may still feel there is an element of ‘big brother’ at least they may be able to appreciate your reasons for doing it. This may also be an opportunity to outline expected behavior on the job or use of company assets, and that GPS tracking is used simply to ensure compliance with company policy. In some cases it may be necessary to mention that tampering or interfering with the device, using any of the methods mentioned in our last post, is actually illegal and punishable under FCC law.
2. Protect the device – By making the physical device as inaccessible and inconvenient to reach as possible it reduces the temptation for tampering. A product such as Torque Seal can also be used to fix a device in place so that it will be evident if someone has tried to access the device.
3. Train the tracker – Artificial intelligence is still no match for the real thing. When staff who are responsible for monitoring tracked people or assets are adequately trained to identify possible incidents of tampering or activity that is inconsistent they are more likely to be able to correct any interference before it becomes a problem.
4. Offer incentives – Support GPS tracking by offering incentives for the behavior you are trying to encourage. For example, if you are tracking fleet drivers for speeding, offer monthly incentives for those drivers who achieve a certain level of compliance. It can even become a competition between teams to see who can achieve the best performance.
5. Upgrade your hardware – Talk to your GPS hardware supplier about any advancements in GPS tracking units that make them more tamper-proof. GPS devices are far more sophisticated now than earlier models that were easier to disable.

There may always be a small percentage who will continue to circumvent the system and it may be an ongoing issue for some employers, such as those who use GPS fleet tracking, to overcome the few who feel threatened by their employer knowing their activities.

By educating yourself on how GPS tracking works and following these five tips on overcoming GPS jammers, you can make sure that GPS fleet management is a valid tool for improving the profitability of your fleet and encouraging best practice by your employees.

Have you ever had staff try to tamper with GPS tracking used legitimately? What did they try and how did you deal with it?

Instantly knowing which vehicle is closest can save lives

The many uses of GPS technology continues to grow as great minds apply the technology in different ways. Using GPS systems to locate the nearest point of interest is growing in popularity not just from consumers seeking business but businesses broadcasting to consumers who happen to be in the vicinity.

For example, Foursquare has become very popular as a way for businesses to offer discounts to shoppers who visit their store, or ‘check-in’, using the GPS feature on their phone.

Other social media tools, including Google Buzz, Gowalla, Loopt and Twitter, are adding features related to pinpointing a user’s location (geotagging) for people who want to let their friends know where they are. But there’s more to the ‘near me’ technology that just finding your nearest coffee shop or getting reviews on a restaurant you’re standing outside of; it can actually be used to save lives.

Telogis Fleet, for example, has a useful ‘find nearest vehicles’ option that allows fleet managers or dispatch workers to quickly locate the nearest vehicle to a given address. For example, a utility company may get an urgent call from a resident advising of a power cut and what sounded like an explosion in the transformer outside. What’s making this situation even more critical is that there is someone who has a condition that requires a continuous supply of electricity and their UPS will only last so long. Which vehicle do you send to fix the problem?

Without GPS tracking you would have no idea what trucks, if any, were in the area but with Telogis Fleet you can filter your vehicle list based on those that have the necessary skills and equipment then use the ‘find nearest vehicle’ to locate the closest capable driver. Right away you have details of how far away (both in miles and minutes) the vehicle is, which means you can not only get the problem fixed sooner but you can advise affected customers with an expected time of arrival.

The reason GPS fleet tracking and location-based technology is so popular is that it is so vital for fleets to be responsive and nimble, particularly for emergency call-outs when there’s no time to waste. When it comes to storm or disaster relief, a fast response is even more critical and can be the difference between life and death. A GPS fleet management system combines the power of a vehicle and driver database with GPS technology to help you coordinate resources relevant to the customer, and all in real-time.

Telogis GPS fleet tracking is more than just a ‘near me’ service. It is a complete fleet management tool that uses GPS tracking to monitor and measure fleet activity, keep customers informed, give drivers turn by turn navigation and optimize routes.

Junk It, a Canadian-based business, is using GPS technology in another way that connects customers to their nearest bin or dumpster. This helps them, not only which trucks are available, but also how quickly they can arrive. The press release mentioned that their GPS-enhanced trucks mean that staff, at any point in the day, “know exactly where all of their junk removal trucks and garbage bins are. This gives them greater control over their inventory and allows them to serve customers better.”

‘Near me’ services will continue to grow in popularity, driven by user’s need for relevancy in anything from business reviews to nearby points of interest. Relevancy is what makes sense of the glut of information around us and GPS location technology is, in many ways, the key to making the information we get relevant. And the more relevant the information, the more useful it becomes.

So what’s wrong with going green?

Nothing. As long as it really is beneficial to the planet and not just using the green ‘halo effect’ to disguise a more commercially-driven agenda. As with so many things that start out with good intentions, the green movement has been tarnished by businesses eager to cash in on the public’s love of all things eco-friendly, but in reality have no real concern for the damage done.

A classic example of this is the growing trend towards solar power. Businesses were quick to draw up plans for massive solar power farms in the deserts of California. On the surface it sounds like a great use of otherwise unused land and a boost for renewable energy but there is a dark side that some environmentalists would rather you didn’t know about. Solar farms can use a lot of water, a resource that is precious, particularly in arid regions. Many solar power companies, such as NextEra Energy Resources, have been embroiled in bitter wars, fighting for consent to use the millions of gallons of fresh water required to run their “green” power stations.

Biofuel – A wonder energy source?

In recent years, as the world’s environmental conscience developed, efforts were made to find alternative fuels to reduce the dependence on traditional fossil fuels. Research uncovered biofuels as a workable alternative, or at least an additive that existing petrol-powered vehicles could run on. In Curitiba, Brazil, they have been running cars on sugar cane for years. This is an environmental success story, mostly for two major reasons:

1. The production process uses a relatively small amount of energy
2. Brazil produces an excess surplus of sugar cane

In the rush to replicate this success in other parts of the world, corporate researchers have ignored these reasons and have in some cases contributed to an increase in food shortages and hunger-related deaths.

Biofuels overstated environmental benefits

In fact, the actual benefit of some biofuels is being seriously questioned. For example, ethanol, which is commonly used in the United States and blended with regular gasoline, is said to only reduce carbon emissions by just over 10 percent. This is partly due to the pollution created producing ethanol and that it only manages about 75% of the mileage gasoline achieves.

So while the actual environmental benefits of biofuels are under scrutiny, what is more worrying is how and where biofuel production is taking place.

Cars vs The world’s hungry

With the world population set to increase to 9 billion by 2050, demand for food will obviously increase by similar proportions. But those demands could face competition from farmers who are getting more for growing crops for biofuels instead of human consumption. With both the previous government and the current Obama administration pushing for more biofuel production, this issue is not going to be resolved any time soon.

But exactly how much of an effect is biofuel production having on the world’s hungry? It’s not just the scale of farmers who are switching to using arable land for biofuel grains but also the scope of diverting these foodstuffs to cars and not people.

Consider that the amount of grain needed to fill the tank of an SUV with ethanol just once can feed one person for an entire year.

While this disproportion of resources may seem like a major injustice, hungry people are simply unable to compete with the buying power of the average car owner.

No wonder food shortages are increasing in scale and severity, compounded by the developed world’s thirst for fuel and their willingness to pay top dollar for it.

Something better than biofuels

While biofuel provides a degree of false hope to people keen for sustainable solutions to the world’s energy needs, there is another option that is easy to implement, achieves immediate reductions in carbon emissions, and doesn’t require purchasing new vehicles or even upgrading existing engines. It also helps fleets become more profitable and can contribute to lower distribution costs for many industries including foodstuffs.

Route optimization software helps fleet owners convert their entire operations to what is known as ‘green fleet’, or minimized GHG (greenhouse gases) emissions. Route optimization software has saved firms thousands of dollars in wasted miles and time in traffic, and reduced their carbon output many times over.

Telogis Route takes all the relevant information on your drivers, vehicles and customers and suggests the most optimized routes for each day, highlighting potential cost savings (indicating fewer miles and reduced GHG) with your current routes.

While the world waits for better solutions to the looming fuel crisis, for sustainable fuels that don’t starve the world’s poor, route optimization is something you can do right now to promote a cleaner environment.