Reltima is Now a Part of SkyBitz!

We are excited to announce that we are now a part of SkyBitz Corp – a leader in asset tracking and one of the most highly respected names in the GPS fleet management industry today.

On July 8th a deal was finalized with the Telular Corporation of Chicago, IL to complete the Reltima acquisition. Also purchased in the transaction was GPS North America, Reltima’s largest distributor of GPS fleet tracking equipment and systems. The two companies will operate within Telular’s SkyBitz division and will work to increase the SkyBitz footprint in the growing commercial telematics market. SkyBitz is owned and operated by the Telular Corp.

For more information please refer to the link below

http://www.skybitz.com/NewsEvents/PressReleases/tabid/101/ID/127/Telular-Completes-Acquisition-of-Reltima-and-GPS-North-America.aspx

The Importance of Using GPS Based Vehicle Maintenance Planning

One of the most overlooked and under used features in our Perigee GPS fleet tracking application is the maintenance planning tool. Any steps one can take to extend the life of  company vehicles will go a long way in reducing repair and replacement expenses related to poor maintenance planning and, in the end, help the “bottom-line”. A recent survey citing several government agencies in “The Truckers Report” discovered that general truck maintenance costs, including tire replacement, can reach as high as $0.15/mile. A commercial truck that travels just 100,000 miles per year may see maintenance costs reach $15,000.00 in just 12 months.

Using the Perigee Maintenance Planner allows a manager to receive accurate miles traveled or engine hours of operation sent from our SmartAntenna tracking device (installed in the vehicle) to their desktop. This takes the onus off of the driver to record and report mileage distances and helps to ensure that adequate notification, through early warning alerts, may be sent to a mechanic automatically – so that the truck may be serviced in timely manner.

In addition, fault codes triggered though the engine computer module, can also be sent to the desktop, via an alert or report – so that a manager can make informed and timely decisions about servicing a vehicle with potential or existing problems.

Increasing vehicle life is one of the most important aspects of an effective vehicle maintenance plan. Using the maintenance tools we provide at Reltima, by way of the Perigee GPS fleet management system, can substantially extend the life of your trucks and ensure that you never miss on oil change, tire rotation, or any other service that should be performed on a regular basis.

Here’s the link to the Truckers Report on maintenance –                                                                http://www.thetruckersreport.com/infographics/cost-of-trucking/

Reltima GPS Fleet Tracking Helps In Recovery Of Stolen Fuel Tanker Truck

Technology provided by our company, Reltima GPS Fleet Tracking Systems, through our registered dealer Creative Energies was instrumental in the recovery of a recently stolen fuel truck in Paramount, CA. After discovering the theft SC Fuels of Orange, CA was able to utilize location data provided by our SmartAntenna tracking device to guide police to the vehicle were the suspect was quickly apprehended. See below for the link to the local news broadcast.

http://ktla.com/2015/03/30/man-arrested-in-paramount-after-pursuit-involving-stolen-tanker-truck/

Reltima Announces The Release of Perigee Professional – An Android Based Mobile Tracking & Communication Application

At Reltima we are proud to announce the release of Perigee Professional – our newest offering that provides driver tracking, driver time card data and a 2-way communications platform using an Android based mobile device. Our newest offering allows a driver to communicate with their company’s Reltima GPS fleet management account and enable tracking of their own mobile phone. The application can be downloaded for free at the Google Play Store. The system also gives the driver the ability to complete job status events for time card tracking and to send and receive 2-way messages through the Reltima messaging portal. Shown below is the Welcome Screen for the new app –

The system also sends the driver time card information to the Perigee fleet management application where it can be reviewed in reports or sent to payroll for processing. The driver can also review existing messages in the inbox or send messages back to the portal. In situations where cost is a factor this system can be enabled by using any existing Android – based devices. No additional hardware is needed. For more information on this new application or for the location of a Reltima Registered Dealer in your area please call Don Lewis at 617-842-4811.

The Importance of Electronic Driver Logs

Compliance with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Hours of Service (HOS) regulations related to drive and rest times are vitally important in reducing accidents and fatalities that may result from drivers who may be “at the wheel” for too long.  Completing hand-written driver logs can be problematic for the driver as he/she has to take time out of their workday to enter this information manually. Inadvertent errors may occur, putting the driver at risk for an undeserved citation and fine – which can be quite large, to say the least.

Reltima’s HOS Electronic Driver Log application takes most of the work of completing these logs manually out of the driver’s hands – thereby making it easier to focus on the work that needs to be done for the day. A driver simply logs into the system, using a Mobile Data Terminal (MDT) clicks the “On Duty” button and the system senses when the vehicle is driving or stopped while still on duty. The MDT then adjusts the driver’s log accordingly. At the end of the day the driver clicks the “Off Duty” button and the log is complete. This information can also be reviewed by a dispatcher or manager on our web-based application at any time and can generate alerts when possible HOS rules violations are about to occur. State boundary crossing are also automatically recorded taking the onus away from the driver to manually log this information.

When it comes to driver log compliance The Reltima HOS Electronic Driver Log system is very helpful in ensuring that drivers operate their motor vehicles within the FMCSA designated rules thereby increasing both driver and pedestrian safety. For more information on the system please visit this link:

http://reltima.com/solutions_driverlog.html

For a system demo call Don Lewis @ Reltima GPS Fleet Management Systems (617) 842-4811

Reltima Releases New GPS Fleet Tracking System Buyer’s Guide

Reltima has compiled a GPS fleet tracking system buyer’s guide to help those interested in learning about GPS tracking applications and what to look for when purchasing a system. Click here to read the guide and learn what works best when using a telematics system to improve your fleet operations and reduce costs –

http://reltima.com/docs/Reltima_Buyers_Guide-Dec10_2014.pdf

 

Reltima Releases Perigee Fleet MD – Remote Engine Diagnostics at Your Fingetips

Reltima now offers you the ability to see your engine’s Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) information in your Perigee tracking system. Key data from your engine’s computer can be reviewed in our already robust report module. You may now review inspection pass/fail status before an inspection takes place and have the ability to make the necessary repairs to insure compliance. The Fleet MD system also clearly displays any Diagnostic Trouble Codes as they are triggered thereby reducing the extra man-hours needed to diagnose these problems manually. The system also states the severity of the problem based on the activity of the check engine light as it relates to color or blink frequency.

The Fleet MD Engine Diagnostics Platform now allows you to increase the operational life of your vehicles while helping to improve your “bottom-line”. Call us for more information at 617-842-4811 and start increasing your fleet profitability now.

Reltima Releases New “Posted Speed” report

We are very pleased to announce the deployment of our new Posted Speed Limit Report. This report displays critical data in reference to a vehicle’s speed in relation to the current traffic flow and any actual breaches of the actual posted speed limit. The report actually tracks the average speed of the surrounding traffic at any point on the highway and can ascertain actual breaches of the posted speed limit. In the example below you can see columns for the following purposes –

1. Vehicle Name in top right hand corner.
2. Date – Date and time of activity.
3. Driver – Assigned driver. (In this example the driver was included in the actual vehicle name)
4. Traffic – Speed of surrounding traffic at time of data posting
5. Speed – Speed of vehicle at time of posting
6. Over – MPH over “Posted” or “Traffic” speed (as selected in box shown below next to “Violation Of”)
If the “Posted Speed” designation is selected from the drop-down menu in the box shown below then the MPH shown in the “Over” column will display the amount of MPH the vehicle was traveling over the posted speed limit at the time of the data posting. If the “Traffic” designation was selected from the drop-down menu then the “Over” column will display the amount of MPH the vehicle is traveling above the average speed of of the traffic flow at the time of the data posting.
7-9. Address, City, State – Vehicle location information at the time of data posting.
10. Number of total violations for this vehicle is listed at the bottom right hand side of the entry for this vehicle.

The report also displays violations in 3 darkening shades of red. Pink denotes speed limit or traffic flow breaches of up to 5 mph, light red denotes breaches between 6 and 15 mph and red denotes breaches of over 16 mph.

You may run this report for specific fleet or all trucks as well and you may also choose a date range using the calendar provided. By checking the ‘Show violations only” box you may also choose to see all speed reports or only those where a violation exists. The report below shows all speed data.

Reltima Adds New Features in GPS Fleet Tracking Application

We are pleased to announce the addition of several new features which will add to our already robust feature set for tracking and managing commercial fleet vehicles. We continue to strive for excellence in providing the best in GPS fleet management technology and will continue to add functionality at a brisk pace. The new features are as follows –

• Graphs for Fleet Performance Analysis – Users now have the ability to see fleet metrics such as total stop and idle times as well a fleet averages in a graphical format using colored bar graphs that display vehicle performance against the fleet average for the specified metric. This is viewable in our Fleet Summary Report.
• Zoom to Scroll – This feature enables a user to zoom in or out on the map by simply scrolling the mouse wheel as opposed to double-clicking and re-centering the map at each new zoom level using the previous zoom method.
• Totals & Average Time Spent at Saved Locations – System users now have the ability to see the total time spent at a saved location or the actual average time spent at the location over a specified date range. This may be accessed in the Location Retrospective Report.
• Print Route – Routes and messages constructed and saved in the routing module may now be printed to be given to a driver or dispatcher for reference purposes. Simply click the print icon and the document will print for dissemination.

We will update you on new features that will be deployed shortly and look forward to continuing or efforts to remain the best GPS fleet management value in the marketplace today. Please visit us at www.reltima.com for more information.

 

Feds ban use of hand-held cell phones for commercial drivers

The writing has been on the wall for a while, but now the federal government has made it official: Interstate truck and bus drivers can no longer use hand-held cell phones while driving.

U.S. Transportation Secretary announced the final rule on Wednesday, just before the Thanksgiving holiday.

The joint rule from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) prohibits commercial drivers from using a hand-held cell phone while operating a commercial truck or bus.

Potential penalties for a violation of the new regulation include:

• civil penalties of up to $2,750 for drivers for each offense
• disqualification from operating a commercial motor vehicle for multiple offenses
• suspension of a driver’s commercial driver’s license after two or more serious traffic violations
• maximum penalty of $11,000 for commercial truck and bus companies that allow their drivers to use hand-held cell phones while driving.

About four million commercial drivers will be affected by the rule.

FMCSA research shows using a hand-held cell phone requires a commercial driver to take several risky steps beyond what’s required for using a hands-free phone, including searching and reaching for the phone.

Commercial drivers reaching for an object are three times more likely to be involved in a crash. Dialing a hand-held phone makes it six times more likely that commercial drivers will be involved in a crash.

This isn’t the first step the federal government has taken in this area. In September 2010, FMCSA issued a regulation banning text messaging while operating a commercial truck or bus. PHMSA followed up with a similar rule in February 2011 for intrastate hazardous materials drivers.

More than 5,400 people died and half a million were injured in crashes involving a distracted driver in 2009.

Many large truck and bus companies, such as UPS, Wal-Mart, Peter Pan and Greyhound, already had policies banning their drivers from using hand-held phones.

Do you think state governments should follow up with bans on hand-held cell phones while driving for all drivers? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Fred Hosier – Safety News Alert – www.safetynewsalert.com