Fleetmatics Group PLC introduced a new upgrade for its Fleetmatics REVEAL product, a business-intelligence based fleet management solution. Most notably, the latest version includes a significant upgrade to the Fleetmatics REVEAL Logbook feature, which allows fleet-based businesses to remove the manual step from HOS paper processing.
In July 2013, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) implemented new rules that, among other things, changed restart requirements and added mandatory rest breaks for drivers of property-carrying interstate commercial vehicles. It is anticipated that FMCSA will issue further electronic logging regulations in early 2015.
“The impending switch to electronic Hours of Service logging has some businesses, and drivers, concerned about the time and effort involved in changing manual business practices that have been in place for years,” said Jonathan Durkee, vice president, product management, Fleetmatics. “We kept these concerns in mind when developing Logbook and are confident this solution will help businesses remain compliant with FMCSA’s regulations in a manner that’s easy to learn.”
Logbook tracks HOS information by getting the vehicle information through the engine and communicating directly to the Fleetmatics driver log mobile application. This allows managers to have visibility into HOS for any driver. HOS non-driving events can also be captured in real time, even when drivers are away from the vehicle. According to the company, Logbook helps drivers prove they are driving safely and in compliance with HOS laws and helps prevent violations through the use of proactive driver alerts that immediately notify drivers if they are over hours.
Beyond compliance assistance, Fleetmatics REVEAL features the full power of fleet tracking, business intelligence and safety management to improve customer service and reduce expenses. Reporting features of the fleet tracking system allow users to drill into a report detail for a speeding or harsh driving event and to automatically generate mobile driver vehicle inspection reports (DVIRs). These features ensure businesses can remain ahead of repairs, prevent violations and keep driver retention strong, according to Fleetmatics.
