CCJ

April 2014

Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal

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COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | APRIL 2014 55 S taying connected" is more than a modern conve- nience. It is a way of life, a habit, an expectation for people who own a smartphone or tablet device. In the transportation industry, connectivity tradition- ally has been limited strictly to business purposes. Com- mercial and private fleets installed systems in vehicles specifically to send and receive messages, track location and capture performance and maintenance information from engine electronics. Today, the possibilities for drivers to be connected on the road for business and entertainment virtually are endless. For those behind the wheel, everything has con- verged to make life more convenient – at least technolog- ically speaking. Staying connected is less complicated for consumers since they can decide how, when and where to be connected. "In the commercial space, many new issues come into play, like security, compensation, personal vs. consumer devices, support and reliability of dealing with many devices," says Eric Witty, vice president of product man- agement for Cadec, which provides the PowerVue mobile fleet management system. Cadec's fleet applications automate logbooks and structure workflow for drivers from pickup to delivery, including turn-by-turn navigation. Electronic toll and bypass systems also can communicate wirelessly with devices in the vehicle to keep the wheels rolling. "Fleets and vendors seem to be working through these issues to find the right solutions for them," Witty says. When the wheels stop, drivers can use their personal devices to stay connected to family and friends, use social media and even control their home's security system, lighting, thermostat and appliances. Drivers soon will be able to use apps to reserve park- ing spots and check the wait time for shower facilities at truck stops, among other conveniences. Some commer- cial platforms allow drivers to do this today. Also in the near future, some fleets will use these same systems to connect to drivers' wearable devices to capture heart rate and sleep information to predict driver fatigue, says Christian Schenk, founder of CLS LLC, a technology consultant for the transportation industry. Again, the possibilities seem endless. Featured are some of the latest commercial in-cab plat- forms that fleets can use to keep drivers safely connected to their corporate network. Many of these platforms have cross- over appeal to the consumer side for expanded connectivity options to improve the user experience for drivers. Fleets and vendors seem to be working through these issues to find the right solutions for them. – Eric Witty, VP, product management, Cadec THE NEXT GENERATION OF FLEET MOBILITY BY AARON HUFF

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