Yumi, Author at Astreon

October 2022 Monthly Update

Posted on October 14, 2022October 14, 2022 by Yumi

Good day Astreon clients and partners!

In this newsletter, we will introduce the updated functionality of Charts that has gone through some changes over the last few months.

Here is a look at the main changes and how they can help you and your team with updated functionality.

New chart features

Charts in Astreon have been transformed to increase efficiency, accelerate work with different datasets and simplify interaction with different elements within charts.

As a result, you can now get an instant 360° view of your daily operations regardless the number of asset in your fleet and as you scale up.

Current tools have also been updated and enhanced, as well as new tools have been added that can help you and your team do their work better and faster. Charts within the Messages and Reports tabs have also gone through substantial upgrades.

Important: As you probably know, Astreon has charts that are rendered on the server, as well as at the front end/web. These changes only apply to charts rendered at the front end. To take advantage of these changes it is important to ensure that “Render Charts on Server” is disabled (default setting) from within your “User Settings”.

Messages tab & Reports tab Changes

New toolbar design, tooltips, axes, and other elements

The interface has changed with a redesign of existing icons, as well as newly added ones.

Zoom in/out of a certain area in a chart
- Helps compare data, see more information about points in the chart
Save a chart as a PNG file
A cursor line has been added when hovering over the chart
- Helps to better navigate data sets

Updated point tracing

Point tracing has been simplified to more easily identify the correct area on a line in a chart and get the necessary data right away. Once you hover the mouse cursor over it, you get data for all the lines of the displayed charts by default.

The new feature allows you to easily compare the values for different lines when necessary. When the cursor hovers over a line, a visually highlighted block pops out and shows the relevant data.

Customizing the legend

You can customize the legend and chart items by selecting which lines and/or elements to display or hide. This allows users to create a customized chart that is more relevant to their task/information that they are trying to visualize.

Comparing data (ruler icon)

The new ruler icon has been implemented to help when trying to compare 2 points within the data set that you are working and better visualize the change from 2 points in time. You would first click on the ruler icon to activate it (and subsequently click it again to deactivate). Once activated, you can now click on an initial spot within the cart (initial value) and then click on a second spot (final value). This will trigger a popup window that will provide a comparison between the two points and information regarding that duration. This provides a quick and simplified way to compare the change in data.

Reports tabs changes

Easily switching from a chart in Reports to the Messages tab

When you are working with Charts within a report (you must be using a Chart in a report for the following functionality to apply), it is sometimes necessary to check the messages surrounding a specific event to get a more granular view of that event, which in turn can help you to better understand what transpired and get a clearer picture.

Instead of leaving the reports tab, opening the messages tab, and running a new query of messages for that period, you can now jump directly the message of that event directly from the chart within Reports. Simply click on the desired point within the chart in your report, this will open a popup option “Go to messages”. Left clicking on this icon will automatically take you directly to that point within the messages tab, as well load the messages for that period. This makes for a more fluid experience as well as allows you to then jump between both tabs as both sets of data are now open (until you close them off once you are done).

Scaling charts in two windows within the Reports tab

A simplified method has been added to compare tow different sets of data on your screen while running a chart within your Reports. By clicking on the “Show as a second window” icon, this will display the secondary chart above/below the primary chart you are viewing.

An additional button “Zoom charts simultaneously” will appear when you have 2 charts selected and displayed to view at the same time. By toggling this on it will allow you to zoom in/out of both charts at the same time (keeping the same zoom level). Toggling this button off will let you zoom in/out of each chart independently.

Up to six different data types in a report template

The maximum number of data types in the Y-axis has increased to up to six axes to enable you to compare more types of data in a single chart. This feature also helps you identify patterns and draw better conclusions more easily. You can adjust the borders of the selected area even after you have set the second point.

Contact us today!

Tel: +1 (800) 647-4730

Email: sales@astreon.com

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FMCSA considering ELD rule revisions

Posted on September 26, 2022September 26, 2022 by Yumi

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration(FMCSA) has published a list of ELD mandate changes their goal is to improve the clarity of current regulations on the use of electronic logging devices (ELD’s) and address certain concerns about the technical specifications raised by industry stakeholders. FMCSA seeks industry comments on this public notice by November 15, 2022.

Some of the potential changes could improve ELD functionality and its standards. This will eventually help industries choose the right ELD when shopping for a suitable product.

The potential changes are the followings;

Applicability to Pre-2000 Engines
Addressing ELD Malfunctions
Removal Process
Technical Specifications
ELD Certification

ELD Certification

Unlike Canada’s ELD Certification process, FMCSA accepts a self-certification process for ELDs. What is self-certification?

In the U.S., ELD’s are certified by service providers working with manufacturer’s hardware, not the FMCSA. In order to get certified, service providers are required to register their own ELD service, with compatible devices. They self test their ELD devices to meet all technical specifications detailed in the ELD Rules provided by the FMCSA. After they meet all requirements, verified ELDs can be self-certified and registered with FMCSA.

This process has been highly criticized. In Canada, an ELD must be certified by a third-party verification agency approved by the government. The third-party evaluates the service provider’s chosen ELD device, or devices, to determine whether they meet all regulatory requirements. In the list published by FMCSA, FMCSA is asking if it should establish a certification process for ELDs here in the U.S., and if so, what a certification process should consist of, and what would be the impact to the industry with existing services in operation today.

If the certification process is implemented, it’s going to be a big change in agency staff, state enforcement personnel, ELD providers, and the industry.

Removal process from FMCSA’s list of ELD-certified devices

There are several questions about the process for revoking non-compliant ELD from the list of registered self-certified ELDs.

If an ELD provider goes out of business and fails to self-revoke, should FMCSA be able to immediately remove the device from the registered ELD list?

The ELD rule requires ELD providers to keep their information current. However, the rule does not include a time restriction. Should FMCSA require ELD providers to update their listing within 30 calendar days of any change to their registration information found in section 5.1.1? Additionally, should ELD providers be required to confirm their information on an annual basis? Should an ELD provider’s ELD be removed from the FMCSA list if it fails to confirm or update its listing on an annual basis?

Providers must respond to the Agency’s written notice of required corrective action within 30 days to remain on the list. Additionally, the provider is given 60 days after the Agency provides a written modification to the notice of proposed removal or notice to affirm the proposed removal. Should FMCSA consider decreasing the 60-day period to 30 days, in order to more timely remove an ELD listing found with non-compliance issues that could adversely impact highway safety?

Should FMCSA consider any other factors related to a carrier’s continued use of a device that has been removed from the FMCSA list due to a provider’s status (out of business or failure to file an annual registration update)?

ELD Technical Specifications

FMCSA is requesting information on the impact of including the following data elements in every message.

Actual odometer
Actual engine hours
Location description
Geo-location
VIN
Power unit
Shipping document number
Trailer number
Driver
Co-driver if there was one
Which driver was driving at the time if there was a co-driver

There is also the question about the frequency of intermediate recordings whether they should be more frequent like the quarter hour, half-hour, three-quarter hour, and hour to more efficiently monitor a vehicle over the course of a driver’s cycle.

This question could ease the industry’s administrative struggle. It says that FMCSA should consider allowing a driver to change his or her ELD configuration to exempt status to help reduce the administrative burden noted by the industry.

ELD Malfunctions

Currently, drivers are required to document their RODS to switch to paper logs when an ELD malfunctions. The drivers are also required to follow the motor carrier and ELD provider recommendations when a data diagnostic event is logged. Whenever an ELD fails to record a driver’s hours, enforcement personnel must be able to review the driver’s paper logs. In contrast, when an ELD device malfunctions, but continues to record the driver’s hours accurately, the driver should not switch to paper logs. FMCSA is asking for more clarification surrounding this topic as it can be very confusing.

ELDs and Pre-2000 Engines

Many vehicles with pre-2000 engines and most vehicles with rebuilt pre-2000 engines have engine control modules (ECMs) installed that could accommodate an ELD. FMCA is asking if FMCSA should re-evaluate or modify the applicability of the current ELD regulation for re-built or re-manufactured pre-2000 engines.

See the full proposed rule from the FMCSA here.

Big change is coming

If these proposed rules are implemented, it will be a massive change for the industry, especially the proposed rule regarding ELD certification. Applying a stringent ELD certification process like Canada could avoid potential violations of ELD compliance and ELD replacement.

Astreon has a partnership with fully certified ELD service providers in Canada and the USA, such as Apollo ELD, brought to you by Astreon. They are an industry-leading ELD provider that is driver-friendly and well recognized in the USA and Canada. They have also already gone through stringent certification in Canada, and are well prepared if this becomes necessary in the USA.

In addition to certification, leverage our ELD solutions to provide continuity and risk mitigation for your business with HOS, IFTA reports, Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports, Engine Diagnostics, and many more powerful features.

Visit our ELD page to learn more.

Contact us today!

Tel: +1 (888) 647-4730
Email: sales@astreon.com

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September 2022 Monthly Update

Posted on September 7, 2022 by Yumi

Good day Astreon clients and partners. We trust everyone has had a great summer and are looking forward to jumping into a busy September.

This month we have a lot of new features in our supported applications, along with a new service. You don’t want to miss this one!

Astreon New features and enhancements

Mobile App – New Features

New enhancements to the mobile app have added a bunch of new data points to make managing your fleet from your mobile device easier than ever:

Vehicle Profile information like vehicle type. For example, Bus, Heavy Truck, etc.
Expanded date/time information in the history tab
New Geofences report by group, not just a single vehicle

Upgraded History

Event messages that trigger a notification are now visible. An example of this is that a speeding event was triggered. It will now show that speeding even in the Unit history. This is displayed on the map with an icon depicting the event type, location, and time.

Hecterra – Agricultural Management

New Report – By Campaign

To provide a deeper level of management, we have added a new report for campaigns. This report provides detailed information on campaign fulfillment, including every instance of cultivation in each field throughout the season.

Logistics – Last Mile & Task Management

Optimized planning by geofences

A lot of businesses assign work by geographic area. The field employee is responsible for all customers in a certain area, or the driver services just this specific part of a city. These businesses generally have large geofences that segment each service or delivery zone.

Dispatch+ has been enhanced to take into account vehicles assigned to a geofence, and orders or services scheduled in those geofences. This new option when creating a route, only assigns orders in a geofence to a vehicle or a group of vehicles assigned to it.

To leverage this new feature, activate “Planning by geofences” in Settings/Planning. Then go to the new Geofence tab in the Settings.

You can add geofences created in Astreon hosting, filter and delete them in the new tab. You can also attach vehicles to geofences. A vehicle attached to a certain geofence will only receive orders from within that geofence.

Geofences with assigned vehicles can be found in the new Geofences column at the second and third stages of planning, as well as on the Routes and Templates pages.

Driveroo: A mobile and cloud-based fleet inspection application

Driveroo is an easy, mobile and cloud-based fleet operation management solution. Offering breakthrough, fully visual inspection workflows, Driveroo’s intuitive, easy to use app cuts inspection time, improves accuracy and engages drivers and operators to be more accountable.

Driveroo also provides a complete set of digital tools to help streamline fleet operations, and built-in capabilities for alerts, notifications and reminders that keep the whole team aligned and on track.

A Faster DVIR

Driveroo’s unique visual inspection workflows provide an exact representation of every vehicle making it easy to understand and simple to use. Prior issues are preloaded into each new inspection saving drivers time and effort.

Simple Tap-n-Go inputs eliminate tedious data entry, and pictures, voice-to-text and videos provide the detailed information you need to understand fleet health.

Easy Inspection Reporting

Inspections are instantly available on the operator app and online through Driveroo’s cloud-based web portal. Dashboards make it easy to see issues by severity, asset, teams, locations or individual drivers.

Asset Management

Keep track of every vehicle, with a history of all inspections. Collect and save critical vehicle documentation such as insurance and registrations, and assign reminders and notifications for renewals.

Fuel Management

Track fuel use and key metrics across vehicles, teams and locations. An easy fuelling workflow is included in the Driveroo mobile app with the ability to capture fuel amounts, costs, images of receipts and fuelling location which is automatically captured through the app GPS.

Accident & Incident Reporting

Accidents happen, and when they do, you want your drivers to take all the necessary steps to address the situation. Driveroo provides an easy workflow that simplifies the process for drivers to collect the necessary information and report the accident or incident, with step by step instructions. Accident reports are immediately available and can trigger alerts for management.

Driveroo App Features at a Glance:

Instant VIN scanner
VIN-based Inspection and financial transaction history
Speech-to-text customer contact
Email quotes to customers with photos
Automotive icons to streamline inspections
Turbographics to help customers quickly understand repair issues
Universal Mobile Receipt, (Communicate with customers through text, email, phone)
Customers receive an interactive repair report
Unlimited tracking of vehicles (subscription service)
Unlimited statistics (subscription service)

Task Management

The Driveroo Fleet solution includes flexible task management capabilities. Create one-time or recurring tasks, and assign tasks to individuals, teams or roles within your organization. Make it easier on you and your team to ensure that work gets done with visibility to task status and notifications.

Alerts, Notifications and Reminders

Accidents happen, and when they do, you want your drivers to take all the necessary steps to address the situation. Driveroo provides an easy workflow that simplifies the process for drivers to collect the necessary information and report the accident or incident, with step-by-step instructions. Accident reports are immediately available and can trigger alerts for management.

Users, Teams and Roles

Driveroo is easily configured to meet the needs of simple and complex fleets. Every user in Driveroo can be assigned a specific role and permissions. Roles can also be used in task assignments. Organize by locations and teams to make it easy to send notifications, and assign assets or tasks.

Document Management

Driveroo document management makes it easy and convenient to link documents to individual accounts or to assets. Drivers can have their own documents attached to their accounts, and every asset has its own document repository as well. With just the touch of a screen, operators can retrieve any information they need.

For more information about Driveroo, visit Driveroo page.