Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/252139
24 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | FEBRUARY 2014 technology W hen considering today's options to enhance or upgrade fleet management systems, the applications in the office and mobile environment likely will take priority over those in the maintenance bay. For many years, fleet main- tenance software systems have done the same things: schedule service, track repairs and manage parts inventory. Once the software was installed and doing what it was supposed to do, bigger challenges and opportunities in the company seemed to command attention. But as with all technology, FMS systems have evolved and continue to do so. While recent advancements may not be as flashy or exciting as other areas in fleet manage- ment, they can make a difference. Here are four areas to consider an upgrade: 1 Closed-loop inspections The Compliance Safety Accountability program has given fleets and drivers an incentive to pay closer attention to equipment defects – however minor – before they lead to a roadside inspection or violation. Managing the flow of maintenance-related information among drivers, the office and the maintenance bay is essential to identify and resolve problems quickly before they surface as CSA violations. Many fleets have their drivers use mobile applications to submit electronic driver vehicle inspection reports. Any defects found in the reports can flow directly into FMS systems to initiate a closed-loop repair process. PeopleNet's touchscreen mobile devices – the Blu and Tablet platforms – have an icon in the daily workflow menu to initiate an inspection form. Forms with noted defects are captured by TMW Systems' TMT fleet maintenance system and added to a queue of pending repair orders for mechanics to review and initiate repairs. Once the repair is complete, TMT sends a form to drivers via the PeopleNet in-cab device; drivers enter their name, date and time on the form to acknowledge the repair. J.J. Keller offers an electronic DVIR application in its Keller Mobile electronic onboard recorder that uses Android devices for the driver display. The eDVIR is integrated into Keller's Encompass management portal. Inspection defects are displayed on the Encompass dash- board with a maintenance feature to create repair orders and manage the process through completion. SquareRigger Software, which offers the SQ.7 fleet r Comdata Inc. acquired eFueling Technol- ogies, a subsidiary of Woodfin Oil Co. Com- data said the acquisition, terms of which were not announced, will help expand its product offerings in the unattended fueling market. r Velociti, a provider of technology deploy - ment services, announced its new ROI– Savings Calculator, an online tool designed to provide fleets with a clear indication of true cost savings and return on investment. r PassTime, a telematics provider, launched a new fleet division, PassTime Fleet Finance and Telematics, and selected Geotab's fleet management technology as the major foundation of its portfolio. r Sylectus, a business unit of Omnitracs Canada and provider of Web-based transportation management software, announced that 30 percent of its customer base has adopted or is testing its An - droid-based Sylectus Mobile application. r 1FHBTVT5SBOT5FDI announced new cus- tomer signups in 2013 set a record for the seventh consecutive year. The company said its Transflo scanning services continue to grow in popularity with fleets. r -ZUY*OD, a global provider of driver safety and compliance systems, announced the addition of more than 140 new clients and more than 55,000 new DriveCam Powered by Lytx subscriptions in 2013. r Bestpass announced that it is continuing to expand its coverage of tolling authori - ties across the country. The company has established operating arrangements or agreements with E-ZPass, ExpressToll, Prepass, Norpass, NJPass and NCPass. r $BEFD(MPCBM announced that North - west Food Products Transportation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Land O' Lakes, upgraded to Cadec's PowerVue Enterprise system to provide fleet managers with re - al-time driver and fleet activity information viewable from one dashboard. INTERESTED IN TRUCKING TECHNOLOGY? Scan the barcode or go to www.goo.gl/Ph9JK to subscribe to the CCJ Technology Weekly e-mail newsletter. INBRIEF in focus: MAINTENANCE SOFTWARE Four ways to upgrade maintenance technology BY AARON HUFF Smarter shops 1FPQMF/FUBOE5.84ZTUFNTIBWFDSFBUFEBO JOUFHSBUFE%7*3BQQMJDBUJPO 'PS;POBSTJOUFHSBUJPO XJUI4RVBSF3JHHFS;POBS QSPWJEFTUIF5BCMFU PíFSJOHDPNNFSDJBMOBW- JHBUJPOIPVSTPGTFSWJDF UXPXBZDPNNVOJDBUJPO BOEFMFDUSPOJDWFIJDMF JOTQFDUJPOTPOBOPQFO "OESPJEQMBUGPSN