Qualcomm Inc., a provider of business-to-business wireless enterprise applications and services, made several announcements this week at the Truckload Carriers Association’s Annual Convention in Las Vegas, Nev.
Analytics Manager added to Transportation Services suite: Qualcomm added the Analytics Manager service to the Qualcomm Transportation Services suite, which will offer fleets a holistic view of driving performance to help carriers run their businesses more efficiently and safely. The Analytics Manager will provide a critical-event reporting dashboard, driver safety reports and scorecards, as well as key industry benchmarking. The service is expected to be available on multiple Qualcomm platforms this fall.
“All sizes of fleets can benefit from the Analytics Manager service, but especially smaller fleets that typically cannot afford to build their own,” says Norm Ellis, vice president of sales, services and marketing for Qualcomm Enterprise Services. “By pulling the customer’s data together from their use of Qualcomm’s existing products and services, we are able to provide the fleet manager with an in-depth analysis for making immediate improvements to the fleet.”
Analytics Manager presents actionable data via intuitive user interfaces that make the information easy to understand, navigate and interpret. The service enables easier identification of areas of improvement for fleets, as customers easily can set parameters for driver performance monitoring and view data at the group or functional level.
Reports planned for the Analytics Manager service include:
• Critical Events Dashboard – outlines fleetwide safety trends captured with the Critical Event Reporting service;
• Driver Scorecard – incorporates data from Hours of Service, Critical Event Reporting and Performance Monitoring services to assist with CSA 2010 compliance; and
• Industry Benchmarks – pulls data from multiple services and shows how a carrier’s fleet measures against averages for key performance indicators such as fuel consumption, idle time, overspeeding and hard braking.
Maptuit’s NaviGo Fuel, Hazmat added to MCP Series: Qualcomm announced Maptuit’s NaviGo Fuel and NaviGo Hazmat add-ons to its NaviGo In-Cab Navigation service on the Mobile Computing Platform Series. The two NaviGo add-ons offer additional functionality to help fleets control costs and improve routing.
NaviGo Fuel provides information on fuel stations and their associated fuel prices within a customer-configurable radius or corridor along the truck’s route. Search results are returned based on the fuel stops’ proximity to the vehicle’s current location. In addition to selecting which fuel data feed they would like to use, customers also have the option of leveraging their own custom fuel network, which helps improve efficiency in managing fuel plans and fuel costs.
With NaviGo Hazmat routing service, the driver is routed using a hazmat trunk network consisting of only Surface Transportation Assistance Act (STAA) roads. Within the route, known hazmat-forbidden roads are circumnavigated based on the criteria for specified hazardous material. This helps ensure fleet compliance with U.S. Department of Transportation regulations.
“Fuel and hazardous materials information are critical to the efficiency of any fleet,” Ellis says. “Combined with our current NaviGo In-Cab Navigation service, NaviGo Fuel and NaviGo Hazmat provide drivers and the back office with data designed to improve productivity by streamlining the navigation process.”
Maptuit’s NaviGo, available on Qualcomm’s MCP 100 and 200 Series, is a near real-time hybrid in-cab navigation solution that uses both onboard and server-based computing power to provide accurate maps and truck safe routes. This end-to-end solution offers interactive maps to improve efficiency and the user experience. Drivers access an easy-to-use interactive navigation application providing optimal map viewing options for day and night using a built-in in-motion interface for improved driver safety. Additionally, accurate routes enable increased productivity, enhanced customer satisfaction and, ultimately, an improvement to the bottom line.
The navigation service helps to reduce out-of-route miles and improves on-time delivery with commercial-grade truck routing, accurate maps with street-level detail and directions delivered over the air. Qualcomm’s onboard mobile application server houses the NaviGo applications and maps. Intensive route computations are processed by Maptuit’s powerful server farm and are delivered seamlessly over-the-air, enabling both effective and cost-efficient truck routing.
FedEx Custom Critical chooses MCP200: FedEx Custom Critical, which provides same-day and next-day critical shipment delivery throughout the United States and Canada, has chosen Qualcomm’s MCP200 for its entire fleet. FedEx Custom Critical will use MCP200 applications, including content delivery and education, and integrate the platform with the company’s back-office operations.
One of the deciding factors for FedEx Custom Critical was MCP200’s advanced functionality, which allows the company to create a better communications system with its drivers, all of whom are owner-operators. “We chose Qualcomm because MCP200 is an innovative platform with services such as audio and print content delivery, in-cab education and Wi-Fi connectivity, which helps us to better communicate with our owner-operators and improve our customer experience,” says Virginia Albanese, president of FedEx Custom Critical. “FedEx Custom Critical has been a customer of Qualcomm’s for more than 20 years. We believe in the solutions that Qualcomm provides because we know they deliver a high-quality product that enhances our business.”
FedEx Custom Critical considers content delivery and in-cab education to be two of the most important MCP200 services, as the company plans frequent communication directly with its owner-operators. MCP200’s in-cab training feature gives owner-operators access to the critical information they need to do their job more efficiently. In addition, integration with Trailer Tracks 200, which enables untethered trailer visibility, was a key driver in the decision. FedEx Custom Critical has been using Qualcomm trailer-tracking solutions for more than 12 years.
“In a business like FedEx Custom Critical, there is no room for error,” Ellis says. “Qualcomm platforms and services, such as MCP200, will make it easier for FedEx Custom Critical to deliver the high quality of service their customers expect.”
Marten Transport first reefer carrier to adopt MCP200 fleetwide: Marten Transport is the first refrigerated carrier to adopt the MCP200 across its fleet. The Mondovi, Wis.-based company cited expected cost savings, services that enable them to become an even more driver-friendly company, and the wide range of rich features as reasons to upgrade its fleet.
“Moving to the MCP200 enables us to move more work inside the truck in ways that benefit our drivers, our customers and our business,” says Robert Smith, chief operations officer of Marten Transport. “We know that we will save money and streamline our operations by being able to use the MCP200 in-cab features, such as Wi-Fi, and we are already hearing positive feedback from our drivers using Electronic Hours Of Service.”
Marten Transport plans to leverage MCP200 services to access driver and trip information more quickly, allowing Marten to speed up the billing cycle and pay drivers faster. In the future, Marten also plans to implement the MCP200’s rich In-Cab Training feature, allowing the carrier to provide more training with more flexibility.
“As illustrated by its adoption into so many of the country’s top fleets, MCP200 has gained significant momentum in the transportation industry and is now considered the leading mobile computing platform available today,” Ellis says. “To see a leader like Marten Transport putting their confidence in our solution is an accomplishment that we are very proud to see.”
