“Distracted Driving?” Study reveals this is much more than texting.

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Although texting while driving by truck drivers has become a major safety concern for the trucking industry, a new report on “secondary tasks”—those not related to the primary task of driving the truck— reveals a lengthy list of actions taken by truckers while on their way down the road.

The report was compiled by the U.S. Dept. of Transportation and a private consortium led by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) began a multi-year project to develop an “Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety System” (IVBSS) in 2009. One result of the ongoing initiative is the recently publicly released “Heavy-Truck Field Operational Test Key Findings” report.
As part of the IVBSS program, participating drivers were videoed while behind the wheel to see what activities not directly related to the job of driving they engaged in, such as talking on a cell phone, eating, smoking or adjusting various in-cab devices.
The resulting considerable list of the so-called “secondary tasks” recorded may be almost as useful as the testing of the safety systems themselves, for what it reveals about work life on the road. Below is a shortened list of the “secondary tasks” the drivers were observed doing while on the road:
• Dialing the phone
• Text messaging
• Talking/listening on the phone
• Talking on or holding the CB radio
• Talking to or looking at passengers
• Adjusting stereo controls
• Adjusting HVAC controls
• Adjusting other controls on the dashboard
• Adjusting the satellite radio
• Adjusting the navigation system
• Holding or adjusting other handheld devices
• Writing on or reading the manifest
• Eating
• Drinking
• Grooming
• Smoking
• Reading
• Writing
• Searching the cab interior
Secondary tasks related to communications were the most common (20.7%), followed by eating (9.7%). According to the report, “Drivers with their windshield wipers on were the least likely to perform secondary tasks, while driver at night were the most likely to perform secondary tasks.”
This list is important to consider for drivers and fleet managers alike. Safety is an ongoing issue, and the Vehiclepath team is increasingly researching ways to keep everyone safer on the road.

7 Milestones that changed Fleet Management

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The times have changed since the fleet business first came about in the 1930’s. Technology, economic whirlwinds, and customer needs are ever evolving making room for even more change. Below are 7 milestones have dramatically changed the nature of fleet, and have ultimately impacted the way business is done in the fleet world.

1. Higher Content Fleet Vehicles: In the early days of fleets, companies had a choice of three models: Ford, Chevrolet, or Plymouth. The typical fleet car was the standard model with minimal equipment. The biggest selector deliberations were over the economies of installing a radio or adding air conditioning for vehicles located below the Mason-Dixon Line. The “Plain Jane” fleet car became a historical footnote as OEMs bundled options into packages, allowed free-flow option ordering, and proved that higher-content vehicles sold better in the resale market.
2. Creation of the Open-End Lease: Early lessors offering full maintenance leases were R.A. Company, established by David, Harry, and Nathan Robinson, and Four Wheels, founded by Zollie Frank and Armund Schoen in 1938. Changing conditions in the 1950s led to the development of open-end or finance leasing, which PHH offered in 1951. Fleets wanted the ability to replace units after a 12-month period with off-balance sheet reporting. In 1981, the Swift Dodge vs. IRS court decision legitimized the use of the TRAC clause in an open-end lease.
3. Factory Ordering: Before the advent of OEM fleet departments, companies purchased vehicles from individual dealers. Use of dealer ordering codes by nondealers, such as fleet lessors, allowed factory-direct orders. Another factory innovation was the introduction of fleet previews to provide new-model specifications to facilitate vehicle replacement planning.
4. Drop-Ship/Courtesy Deliveries: In the late 1940s, the concept of volume drop-shipping fleet vehicles was developed. At that time, PHH factory-ordered vehicles delivered to drivers by local dealers. Wheels and McCullagh (acquired by GE) started delivering cars from regional dealers directly to drivers. Ultimately, it became an accepted industry practice to pay a courtesy delivery fee to non-ordering dealers to deliver and prep vehicles.
5. Creation of Fleet Management Services and National Account Program: The first recorded purchase of a fleet management program, other than leasing, was by Gibson Art in 1946. Tire company national account billing started in the early 1950s. PHH and Consolidated Service Corp. (acquired by LeasePlan) started selling tires nationally using centralized billing. Other programs such as maintenance management were not in great demand because gas was cheap and operating costs were manageable. This gradually began to change in response to market demands and new fleet services proliferated such as fuel management, accident management, and personal use reporting.
6. Repeal of the ITC: Prior to the Tax Reform Act of 1986, significant tax benefits prompted companies such as Dart & Kraft, PepsiCo, and Xerox to acquire existing fleet leasing companies. However, as a result of the repeal of the Investment Tax Credit (ITC), many corporate entities sold off their fleet leasing business units. Around this time, GE entered the market as a ready buyer and initiated a series of rapid-fire acquisitions that coalesced the industry into 10 major fleet management companies.

7. Computerization: The fleet industry could not provide its breadth of services without computers. Wheels and PHH installed their first IBM computers in 1959. In the 1990s, fleet quickly shifted to Web-enabled services. Computers gave lessors the capability to evolve into full-service fleet management companies.

How to respond to employees about your decision to use GPS Fleet Tracking

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When informing employees about installing GPS systems into your fleet, it is very important that they understand why you are doing it, in order to alleviate any anxieties. Some employees may feel they are not trusted, which can lead to fear and paranoia that is not necessary. Taking the time to explain how GPS fleet tracking will benefit them and the company as a whole, will drive different results and attitudes about the decision. Below is a list outlining how businesses and employees will benefit from a GPS fleet tracking system that can guide you while presenting the idea to your employees:

Improved Customer Retention: For drivers, it is essential that they retain their customers. Having a GPS system will allow businesses to provide their customers with real-time information about the status of shipments. It will also provide detailed reports that can serve as proof that service was completed on time. As well, customers can get accurate information about where a vehicle is and how long it will take for the vehicle to arrive at their location.

False Claim Protection: Vehicle tracking systems provides information about where a vehicle traveled, the speed of the vehicle, the direction of the vehicle, and weather conditions. This information can be helpful if there is an accident and the other driver claims the employee is at fault. It can also provide proof of a delivery at a scheduled time if someone claims the vehicle arrived late.

Accurate Mileage Log: The GPS vehicle tracking system provides an accurate mileage log, which saves drivers the hassle of manually logging mileage.

Improved Driver Safety: Having a GPS tracking device will help improve driver safety. Driver safety can be monitored for such practices as speeding, excessive idling, and excessive braking. This data is automatically reported so driver safety can be monitored to help a driver improve their driving skills. This will help reduce the chance of being involved in an accident, and possibly reduce insurance rates.

An Improved Business is Financially Beneficial for Employees: When a company improves business efficiency, boosts productivity, and saves money, they will increase their profits. This means there is more chance of employees receiving raises and other bonuses for doing good work. The company can even create incentives based on productivity.

GPS Fleet Tracking offers numerous benefits to a business that deploys a vehicle tracking system, and it is important to alleviate any employ anxieties about the system by informing them of what GPS Fleet Management can do for them. Here is one last tip that may bring about a change in your employees opinion of the use of GPS tracking:

Just Another Way Fleet GPS Tracking Can Save You Money: Insurance Discounts!

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If there is one payment that you can’t avoid in the fleet business, it is vehicle insurance. It is required and it is crucial. The good news is that insurance discounts, for the use GPS tracking, is becoming a trend through out the U.S. Many GPS systems have been installed by fleet managers nationwide to curb driver behavior, such as speeding, which in turn lowers accident rates and helps eliminate tickets, ultimately affecting driving records and insurance rates.
But, in addition to these benefits of installing a GPS system in your fleet, an added incentive may come in the form of a discount from your insurance company because of its effective use in recovering stolen vehicles.
In the unfortunate event that a vehicle in your fleet is stolen, it can be extremely difficult to recover. You are potentially at risk not only for the asset itself, but also for the time lost to your business. With a Vehiclepath GPS tracking system installed, all you have to do is report its current location to the authorities, and the asset can quickly be traced and recovered.
Because of their effectiveness in the recovery of stolen assets, several states have recently required insurers to give vehicle discounts on their comprehensive insurance if they have a GPS device installed. (Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Texas).
Insurance companies in states that do not mandate discounts have also encouraged car owners and fleet managers to install antitheft devices by providing discounts at their discretion.

Currently Offering GPS Device Discounts:
AAA Insurance up to 18% 
AIG Insurance up to 15% 
Allstate Insurance (CA, TX, NY, FL)
ALFA Insurance (AL) up to 10% 
Farmers Insurance up to 15% 
Fireman’s Fund up to 5% 
Gelco up to 10% 
Georgia Farm Bureau Ins. (GA) up to 15% 
Liberty Mutual up to 25% 
Mercury Insurance up to 30% 
Nationwide Insurance (CA) up to 10% 
Progressive Insurance up to 15% 
 
USAA Insurance up to 33% 
21st Century Insurance up to 15%.

Alternative Fuels: What does this all mean?

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Who hasn’t heard the term “Going Green in 2011”? By now it is common knowledge that “green” is the new black, and fleets could be one of the biggest targets for critics in the near future. You don’t have to go very far to hear about how to go green, reduce your carbon footprint, and save energy. You simply un-plug electronics, carpool, and recycle, right? But what about the alternative fuel messages filling the airwaves? Are the solutions for going green on the road just as easy to grasp?

“Increases fuel economy” “Reduces carbon foot print” “Increases energy independence” “Reduces tailpipe emissions”…These phrases are becoming just as commonly discussed as the price of fuel itself. But they often leave fleet mangers asking, ‘what does it all really mean?’ and ‘aren’t these solutions just for the future?’
The energy world and the politics involved can be a confusing and scattered mess of conflicting messages. The only message all the fuel alternatives seem to agree on is their claim to be the “best” sustainable long-term solution.
Vehiclepath GPS, and our team of industry experts, did some research and broke down some fuel alternatives for those of you who are ready and willing to do your part to “go green”. Below are the most common options along with some pro’s and con’s, so you can make the best decision for your fleet.

Electric and Battery

Pros: no tailpipe emissions, domestic
Cons: suffers from grid and battery quality, upstream methods for producing electricity (coal burning and nuclear plants) have pollution that isn’t detected at tailpipe
Compress natural gas (CNG)

Pros: clean, domestic, abundant
Cons: expensive to deploy (infrastructure and vehicle hardware cost mean high price of entry)
Hydrogen

Pros: clean, domestic, abundant
Cons: low on power, requires added compression and featured low fuel economy
Propane autogas

Pros: clean, domestic, abundant, affordable to deploy
Cons: non-renewable fuel source, decrease in energy content.

Overall, every domestic source of energy is good – in it’s own way. For true energy independence, the first step is for fleet operators to adopt a green attitude, do their research and educate their team.
Allowing fleet managers to thread the needle of which fuels work for them will ultimately achieve the reduction of operating costs, freedom of dependence on imported oil and most importantly a cleaner environment.