Guides

Artificial Intelligence Applications for Transportation Businesses

Artificial intelligence has become a feature of everyday life. This guide provides an overview of what AI is, how it works and how it is helping transportation businesses transform their operations to boost efficiency, safety and profitability as they navigate an increasingly complex regulatory and businesses landscape.

Cold Chain Temperature Monitoring

To ensure the safety of the temperature-sensitive products they haul and to comply with government regulations, carriers must maintain the appropriate temperatures in their refrigerated trailers. In this guide, we’ll provide an overview of the cold chain and the related regulations as well as cold chain temperature monitoring and technology solutions that can help carriers stay in compliance, reduce waste and make better business decisions.

Video Telematics: Everything You Need to Know

More and more transportation businesses are implementing a video telematics solution that contextualizes traditional telematics data with the addition of video. This combined data provides safety and operations managers with the information they need to identify undesirable driving behaviors and address them with proactive coaching to prevent major safety incidents. Additionally, data from video telematics can help businesses defend against fraud and legal claims..

Trailer Tracking: Everything You Need to Know

A trailer tracker – also known as an asset tracker – is a GPS device that is attached to a trailer. Trailer tracking ensures that you always know where your trailers are. And advanced trailer telematics takes it even further by providing insights into trailer health and readiness.

This guide includes everything you need to know about trailer tracking, smart trailer technology, and things to consider when choosing a trailer tracking solution.

What is Fleet Management?

Fleet management is a discipline required in organizations where transportation is a key part of the overall operation. It consists of tasks related to managing drivers, vehicles, assets (such as trailers and equipment) and vendors of solutions ranging from leasing, insurance, technology, fuel procurement, service and maintenance and more.

Fleet Telematics Explained

The term ‘telematics’ is a combination of ‘telecommunications’ and ‘informatics.’ It is how telecommunications devices send, receive and store data related to mobile, yet connected objects. As a system, telematics describes data collection that offers practical information and guidance.

Naturally, commercial fleet management teams prefer fleet telematics systems because they improve business productivity while eliminating risks. They also save valuable time.

What is an ELD?

An Electronic Logging Device (ELD) is defined as a device or technology that automatically records a driver’s driving time and facilitates the accurate recording of the driver’s hours of service, and meets the technical and functional requirements of Subpart B of 49 C.F.R. Part 395. An ELD must be self-certified and registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

An ELD device must connect to the commercial motor vehicle (CMV) engine to record vehicle information during the driver’s duty status changes and during driving events. ELDs are an evolution of fleet management solutions and utilize the types of technologies: GPS, wireless and/or satellite communications and cloud-based services for storing, accessing and manipulating data.

Understanding ELD Compliance

ELD Compliance means installing and properly using an FMCSA-registered ELD to record hours-of-service in required vehicles.

Failing to keep up with ELD compliance will result in costly penalties. This guide is a look at the major components of the mandate, and what you can do to ensure that your fleet is ELD compliant.

What is Smart Short Haul?

If your driver meets § 395.1(e)(1) criteria for short haul they are exempt from preparing RODS, using an ELD or taking a 30-minute break. This limited exemption from the ELD mandate is called the short-haul exemption and requires drivers to meet several criteria, including hours and air-mile limits, in order to qualify for the exemption.

But there are times when some of your drivers may not meet all the short haul criteria required and RODs must be maintained. Smart Short Haul automatically switches your drivers off the short haul ruleset as soon as they surpass one of the limits and helps produce the RODS for the day.

AOBRD vs. ELD: What’s the difference?

There are key difference between an AOBRD, or Automatic On-Board Recording Device, and ELDs (electronic logging device). The main differences are that:

• AOBRDs do not record or display as much data as ELDs
• Using AOBRDs is no longer compliant with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulation 49 CFR 395.15