Opening the floodgates: 5 reasons truck navigation is growing

Nearly all companies that supply mobile fleet management systems have moved to the Android platform within the last four years. Some offer it as an option; for others it is their only option.

Many devices on the road today still use a Windows environment, but the main drawback of these more traditional platforms is the inaccessibility to a virtually limitless supply of third party apps.

Truck navigation has been available for more than a decade, and with the emergence of Android in transportation, it has become the most popular addition to the core fleet management applications of driver messaging, electronic logging and workflow.

Here are five reasons why:

Already included. Some suppliers offer navigation as a centerpiece of their mobile platforms. Rand McNally, for instance, offers a stand-alone GPS navigation device called the IntelliRoute TND. The company includes the navigation software in its Windows and Android fleet devices. Its HD 100 device enables all of its applications — messaging, electronic logs, navigation and more — to run on any Apple or Android device.

Blue Tree Systems has partnered with Garmin to offer its fleet 670 device to run all BlueTree applications. The device is a durable Android tablet with a 6-inch screen that comes with navigation and lifetime map updates. Blue Tree’s apps include messaging, electronic hours-of-service with HOS Advisor, and driver performance.

Compatibility. “Plug and play” is not a term that is usually associated with mission-critical business applications. Navigation has traditionally been a stand-alone app, but today it comes with pre-built integrations with mobile and back-office fleet management systems. Telogis Navigation, for example, is one of several integrated components of Telogis’ cloud-based “location intelligence platform” that includes route planning and mobile apps for Hours of Service (HOS) plus mobile forms and telematics.