Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/588093
48 commercial carrier journal | october 2015 technology N early all companies that supply mobile fleet manage- ment systems have moved to the Android platform within the last four years. Some offer it as an option; for others, it is their only option. Many devices still use a Windows environment, but the main drawback of these more traditional platforms is the inaccessibility to a virtually limitless supply of third-party apps. Truck navigation has been available for more than a decade, and with the emergence of Android in transportation, it has become the most popular addition to the core fleet management applications of driver messaging, electronic logging and workflow. Here are five reasons why: 1. Already included. Some suppliers offer navigation as a centerpiece of their mobile platforms. Rand McNally offers its IntelliRoute TND standalone GPS navigation device and includes the navigation software in its Windows and Android fleet devices. Its HD 100 device enables all of its applications – messaging, electronic logs, navigation and more – to run on any Apple or Android device. Blue Tree Systems has partnered with Garmin to allow its Fleet 670 device to run all BlueTree applications. The device is a durable Android tablet with a 6-inch screen and comes with navigation and lifetime map updates. Blue Tree's apps include messaging, driver performance and electronic hours of service with HOS Advisor. 2. Compatibility. "Plug and play" is not a term usually asso- ciated with mission-critical business applications. Navigation traditionally has been a standalone app, but today it comes with prebuilt integrations with mobile and back-office fleet manage- ment systems. Telogis Navigation is one of several integrated components of the company's cloud-based location intelligence platform that includes route planning and mobile apps for hours of service, plus mobile forms and telematics. 3. Customizable. No fleet owner wants drivers to be hopping between apps while a vehicle is in motion. Minimizing distractions is what led ALK Technologies to build an extensive integration kit for its CoPilot Truck naviga- tion app. Third-party software developers can wrap information from their own dispatch, hours- of-service, driver performance and other apps into CoPilot's user interface to improve safety, says Dan Popkin, ALK senior vice president of enterprise solutions. 4. Rapid deployment. As suppliers come out with new An- droid platforms, navigation is one of the first third-party apps they make available within their own private "Play" stores. This was the case when Zonar released its 2020 Android tablet with ALK's CoPilot Truck in 2014. CarrierWeb soon will offer a suite of integrated trucking apps with third parties, including Trucker- Path, Drivewyze and ALK CoPilot Truck. 5. Journey management. A lot of variables go into creating safe routes, especially during the final mile. Truck navigation apps can be set to provide drivers specific location-based instructions as they cross a virtual geofence boundary. When a truck approaches a loading or unloading site, the apps can read off a set of instruc- tions to drivers and provide warnings before they encounter a dangerous turn or enter a high-theft area, among other possibil- ities. Telematics provider MiX offers a navigation app from Sygic on a 7-inch Android tablet. MiX has a large presence in the oil and gas industry where strict adherence to routes is critical, says Pete Allen, executive vice president of sales. The company will be add- ing a journey management tool that integrates route compliance tools with the Sygic app. What's next? Going forward, another possibility is to include predictive mod- eling in navigation. Omnitracs Analytics, a division of Omnitracs, has advanced predictive models that identify at-risk drivers for fatigue and accidents. The company is working on a new intelligent routing and nav- igation product that will give fleet managers and drivers real-time recommendations to lower risk, such as where and when drivers should obtain rest based on the characteristics of the route, their work and sleep schedules and more, says Dean Croke, vice presi- dent of Omnitracs Analytics. Opening the floodgates Five reasons truck navigation is growing by aaron huff in focus: ONBOARD NAVIGATION Rand McNally offers its IntelliRoute TND standalone GPS navigation device and includes the navigation software in its Windows and Android fleet devices. Telogis Navigation is one of several integrated com- ponents of the company's cloud-based location intelli- gence platform. CarrierWeb soon will offer a suite of integrated trucking apps with third parties, including TruckerPath, Drivewyze and ALK CoPilot Truck.