Calamp

  Fleet telematics devices and smart dash cams are valuable tools for fleet operators who seek to improve safety, reduce wear and tear on vehicles and minimize liability . Drivers increasingly accept this technology as part of the job. But some still balk at the idea of being watched by “Big Brother,” and unions and their members may push back over privacy concerns or fear the data will be used to penalize or even terminate drivers. Overcoming these objections comes down to convincing unions and drivers of the benefits of the technology, assuaging fears over how the data will be used and reminding drivers that smart dash cams and fleet telematics devices are necessary safety features in today’s world. Emphasize the driver benefits One way to ease concerns about the technology is to drive home the fact that it protects drivers, including those who are falsely accused of causing an accident. The truck or van driver always seems to get the blame when there’s a crash. Until fleet dash ...

  A stretched-to-the-limits supply chain has highlighted trucking’s essential role in transporting goods throughout the country. But a trailer shortage that’s forecasted to extend far into 2022 is forcing trucking companies to make do with the trailers they already have. As a result, improving trailer-to-tractor ratios by maximizing trailer utilization has become even more important than ever. Trailer utilization refers to the percentage of cargo space that’s used, and also to the percentage of time a trailer is on the road making money for the company. It’s common for less-than-truckload companies to underutilize the capacity in their trailers. It’s also common for trailers to sit idle at least 30% of the time. Every minute a trailer is parked in the yard or the maintenance shop, the company’s return on investment in that trailer is reduced. One reason trailers sit idle is the increased use of drop-and-hook, designed to maximize drivers’ time. Companies need extra trailers to ensu...

Few parts of the enterprise have transformed more radically over the years than the supply chain as companies struggle to navigate global sourcing, just-in-time delivery models, and unprecedented customer expectations for product availability and delivery speed. Ironically, while companies are leveraging extended supply chain networks and heavy outsourcing to meet these challenges, these solutions create a significant new problem: lost visibility. Lost visibility into your supply chain means lost value. The good news is that the right telematics and related technologies can help maintain powerful visibility and control over even the most complex global supply chain networks Among the many impacts of the Amazon effect is heightened demand for consumer visibility into availability and shipping logistics, from the first mile to the last. Not surprisingly, businesses see value in getting the right supply chain visibility to meet those customer expectations and ensure efficiencies in their ...

  Shipping frozen COVID-19 vaccines, vials of blood, human cells or DNA is not like shipping a TV or even fresh produce. Ultra-sensitive pharmaceutical and biological shipments require more sophisticated packaging and more advanced cold chain monitoring technology to avoid the most feared outcome: degradation. Some of these precious goods must be kept very cold, often below freezing, including during transit. If a temperature excursion occurs en route, the shipper needs to know, in real time to save the shipment if possible. Continuous logging of environmental condition data is also critical for auditing purposes and helps in meeting cold chain compliance requirements. That’s where cold chain IoT solutions, including cutting-edge temperature sensing tags,  come into play. Whether a highly perishable shipment is kept cold via dry ice, gel packs or liquid nitrogen, smart sensor tags can be used to read the temperature inside or outside the container. These tags communicate with ...

  In the wake of Mobile World Congress Barcelona being cancelled, companies all over the world that were prepared to showcase their product advancements were left to reorganize. While cancelling the conference was well warranted, we are still eager to share what we had planned for conference attendees. CalAmp kicked off 2020 by announcing its newest iOn™ Tag and iOn™ Vision products for fleet and asset management. To highlight the capabilities of its new Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, CalAmp planned a few very creative interactive demonstrations. Here is a quick rundown: CalAmp iOn Tag We know fleet managers face the challenge of launching standalone services that don’t tie into their main enterprise applications, making full integration more difficult. The new CalAmp iOn Tag visibility service helps ensure the right equipment is in the right vehicle, yard or storage area. If a valuable asset is left behind, the system will alert the driver and give the last known location to ...

  The 3G sunset is real, and it’s happening soon. AT&T plans to shut down its 3G network in February 2022, Sprint (now T-Mobile) in January 2022, T-Mobile in July 2022 and Verizon on December 31, 2022, as of this writing. For cellular network customers who don’t upgrade to 4G LTE telematics devices in time, whether due to logistical challenges posed by the pandemic or the lack of device availability caused by the global semiconductor shortage, the consequences of assets going dark will be hard felt. Some burglar alarm systems and even ankle bracelets may stop working, as the writer of a recent Bloomberg article noted. As for fleets that rely on IoT solutions, losing the visibility that telematics devices provide may have significant safety ramifications and also cause operational disruptions that impact customer service and the bottom line. Once the 3G networks go dark, any device that relies on a 3G cellular connection will stop reporting, including telematics gateways install...

  Fleet operators must do everything they can to attract and retain drivers, especially during the ongoing driver shortage. That does not mean foregoing dash cams, as conventional wisdom might suggest. In fact, using smart dash cam data as a carrot instead of a stick, and showing drivers the safety benefits of fleet telematics, can help organizations retain their best drivers and make them feel more valued. At the Fleet Safety Experience 2021 conference, panelists in a session on driver care for safer fleets agreed on the power of fleet telematics to transform fleet safety and discussed the impact of video telematics on driver retention as well as ways to facilitate increased acceptance of fleet dash cams and put drivers at the center of a fleet safety program. Fleet dash cams as driver care Over the last five years, Marsh Risk Consulting monitored approximately 60 companies that utilized fleet telematics. According to Richard Bleser, senior vice president, the data they gathered ...