If Big-Rig Drivers Don’t Behave, Software Will Log It All
Reports on actual speed compared to posted limits, driving behavior, and even inspection records and maintenance can be easily logged electronically and sent to a fleet dispatcher's database.
And as millions of Americans hit the highways to be with loved ones for the Thanksgiving weekend, a deal between the nation's largest wireless carrier and XATA, maker of fleet-compliance software, will make it easier for companies to track safety through drivers' cell phones.
Minneapolis-based XATA's Turnpike fleet management solution, available this week, is designed to help companies comply with the Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010 (CSA10) initiative of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). That section of the Department of Transportation was established in 2000 to regulate the trucking industry and reduce commercial motor vehicle-related accidents.
"This is a critical software update," said Benigno Gonzalez, vice president of enterprise operations for Verizon Wireless. "With XATA's CSA 2010 fleet-management and compliance tools now available on the nation's most reliable wireless network, customers will have the driver and fleet information they need to help keep their employees safe."
Compatible with Research In Motion's BlackBerrys and other smartphones, XATA Turnpike, a fee-based subscription service, allows customers to access electronic logs to prevent inspection lapses or violations of hour-of-service restrictions as well as keep a scorecard of driver performance and get driving-behavior alerts.
XATA Turnpike data can also be integrated with the third-party applications businesses already use to manage their operations.
"The impact of CSA 2010 on a fleet's operations is enormous, so companies and drivers need to be well prepared," said Christian Schenk,...
