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Category: Maintenance

The Benefits of Implementing Mobile Workforce Management Tools for Effective Pest Control

Posted on by Yumi

Every business, big or small, understands that technology can significantly help their business. It allows them to automate processes to tackle their challenges and increase efficiency. Pest Control companies are also one of the industries seeking tools to leverage automation.

Market growth in the pest control industry

The pest control industry has been growing steadily and it is expected to increase market growth. Pest control revenue has grown 7.0% to $26.2 billion over the past five years according to an IBISWorld report.

Business owners are realizing that they can better tackle challenges in the industry through technology. This affects improving the delivery of their services.

 

Business owners in pest control companies not only have to focus on business operations, but also staff management. GPS Fleet Management Software and Telematics help bridge this gap in resources and scale your pest control company by automating processes to save you time and increase your client base.

Using fleet software and telematics enhances work productivity, improves customer service and increases revenue by reducing maintenance costs, increasing customer visits, and improving staff professionalism.

Let’s find out how fleet management and telematics are beneficial for pest control companies by exploring a day in the life of a pest control technician and a company that adopts advanced GPS fleet management and telematics.

pest control technician

Meet Joe, a pest control technician. Joe’s day starts early. He gets up at 4 am and checks his Logistics app to go through his route and customer information for the day. This process replaces all the paper and manual processes that the company used to employ. The Logistics app simplifies any paper-based process and digitizes it.

In addition, if he faces any difficulties or emergencies, he can contact and chat with his Manager via the app, which also allows him to send photos.

After he checks his schedule, he heads to his vehicle and starts a thorough pre-trip inspection. It is mandatory to do a pre/post trip inspection such as the lights, tire pressure, doors, windshield wipers, fluid levels, brakes, etc.

He used to use a paper checklist, however, thanks to technology, he can complete inspections with the Driveroo App from his mobile phone.

Logistics – Managing multiple locations & drivers

The Logistics application is designed to help organize job assignments of field workers at all stages. The application has two components: a web version for operators and a mobile version for field workers which is supported on smartphones and tablets with Android and iOS.

The application allows operators and mobile workers to automate dispatch by Importing jobs or using our API to integrate with your application.

logistics route

Field workers use the app to check assigned routes, route to destinations, complete a task, capture signatures, call clients, and even attach images. Reporting and Management tools are all included in this feature-rich Logistics application.

logistics mobile

For a mobile version of Logistics, field workers can have access to the following features;

  • Delivery statuses and Call to a client
    • Assigning a status to a job like completed or not-complete and call-to-client button.

 

  • Real-time routes optimization
    • Sending the route to the mobile app and provide turn by turn directions using external navigation apps.

 

  • A detailed description of jobs
    • Address, customer requests, price, appointment time, etc.

 

  • Communication and photos
    • Two-way communication and adding comments and photos to a job.

 

  • Chat with an operator
    • A handy chat to notify an operator of any circumstances regarding the service.

 

Driveroo – Mobile and cloud-based fleet operation management

By using Driveroo, drivers will have full access to visual inspection workflows from their mobile devices. Driveroo can turn any paper form into a fast, mistake-free automated process to boost operations and lower costs. A driver can streamline the inspection process using the app with a visual, asset-specific interface that incorporates required checklists and captures details, voice, image and video. All drivers need to do is just follow the easy visual guidance and tap to check items, flag issues and share inspection data with a team or a fleet manager in real-time.

driveroo - operation management

After he checks his routes, customer info, and required services, he drops by a corporate office to collect some chemicals and takes inventory of all his stock.

 

Joe arrives at today’s first customer’s location and gets to work performing the service.

Throughout the service job, he fills in a Mobile Form that is customized by his company to perform record keeping, materials used, and report the service. He can also add photos, and sign signatures if needed. He fills in the information about the chemical he used earlier, and whether he had any specific issues.

 

Mobile forms – Seamless auditing and reporting

mobile form

Pest control technicians often need to provide reports and audits with very little notice, to show that they are complying with sustainability and safety regulations. They need to make sure the information is accurate and easily accessible.

The mobile form is a complete and fully customizable solution to transform your paper forms into dynamic, mobile forms to save time and money. Users can build their custom mobile forms using our powerful forms builder, or have our professional services team build them for you. After the form has been built, it can be dispatched or assigned to any number of users who can then complete them using the mobile forms app on their own smartphones, tablets, or through a web form browser.

Once the form has been submitted, it automatically generates reports and/or routes your data to a third party application. Field workers like Joe can submit the form from their mobile phones to make sure their performance has been reported, whereas, operators can collect data, their compliance and safety checks, and documentation related to their service. All documentation can be leveraged to analyze field workers’ performance and insights into any improvements.

 

As Joe completes his first service, he opens the Logistics app to check the next route.

During his duty, his operator monitors and tracks his progress in real-time using Logistics.

 

Joe completes his customer visits for today. His dispatcher messages him to come back to the office because his vehicle needs an oil change based on the data from the Fleet Maintenance Software.

 

Fleetrun – Fleet Maintenance Software

dashboard2-fleetrun

If you knew when to perform maintenance, repairs, inspections, cleanings, etc, you can prolong the lifespan of your vehicles without unnecessary costs. Neglecting routine maintenance on your vehicles leads to unnecessary costs and unexpected breakdowns..

 

With Fleet Maintenance Software, operators can analyze and make key decisions on the timing of vehicle replacements by monitoring and Tracking data on Fleet maintenance, fuel usage, utility, vehicle wear, breakdown, and accidents incurred by aggressive driving behaviour.

 

Fleetrun benefits;

  • All data in a single application
    • Use Fleetrun instead of paper logs and multi-page Excel documents to plan and monitor maintenance services.
  • Maintenance management
    • Register repairs for every vehicle: maintenance work to fulfill, parts to replace, total costs, and the time when the vehicle returns from the service station.
  • Maintenance scheduling
    • Set up service reminders and specify their frequency manually, or set up automatic maintenance notifications based on mileage intervals, engine hours, or time periods.
  • Cost reports
    • Keep all your repair orders and spare parts expenses in one app. Fleetrun will calculate the maintenance costs of each vehicle individually and the whole fleet in general.
  • Process digitalization
    • Save your employees’ time and let Fleetrun automatically create services and send notifications regarding their status.

 

Get Ahead of the Curve by Installing a Comprehensive Mobile Workforce Management System Today

Our Mobile Workforce Management Systems with specialty applications offer a comprehensive solution to help you get ahead of the curve and stay on top of your pest control business. With this system, you can track your vehicles, monitor their performance, and ensure that they are on the right path. You can also access real-time data that will allow you to make informed decisions about how to best manage your fleet. This system is designed to help you save time and money while providing more efficient service for your customers. Investing in comprehensive Mobile Workforce Management Systems with specialty applications today will help you stay ahead of the competition and maximize your profits.

Contact our professional representatives for more information today!

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Email: sales@astreon.com

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Unlocking Maximum Efficiency with Bus & Transport Fleet Management Software

Posted on by Yumi

Managing vehicle operations efficiently and productively is a great challenge today in the fleet industry, especially in mobile environments such as public transportation services. Passenger transport companies face many challenges. For example, vehicle inspections, route management, regulatory requirements, maintenance, and safety with over 100 busses running more than 100 routes every day.

In this blog, we explore the challenges faced in daily operations, plus solutions that maximize bus efficiency and safety with fleet management and telematics Astreon offers.

 

A typical day for a transit operator

bus transit driver

Let’s take a look at a day in the life of a transit operator.

Meet John, a driver at a local bus service company, who has worked for 5 years.

 

1.     Clocking in

After arriving at work, John prepares for the day, grabs a cash box, heads to an operation counter, and his route for the day.

 

 

2.     Inspection

John heads to an assigned bus and does a thorough pre trip inspection. He takes a couple of notes on paper checklist and makes sure the bus is safe to operate. It is mandatory to do a pre/post trip inspection such as the lights, tire pressure, doors, windshield wipers, fluid levels, brakes and etc.

 

Challenges

The company is using a paper-based inspection process, storing hard copies of all pre-and post-trip inspection forms in boxes. This process causes storage, data retention and data collection issues. The stored forms take up valuable space and are difficult to use for reporting and determining necessary maintenance and unplanned repairs. It’s easy for drivers to overlook some processes and they are not compelled to complete the inspection forms thoroughly. Overall, the paper-based inspection process is slowing down operations and creating a compliance exposure.  This type of process also increases maintenance and repairs costs as small issues not properly dealt with can turn into expensive repairs down the line.

 

Solutions

A mobile and cloud-based fleet operation management solution

Using operation management Driveroo, which is a mobile and cloud-based fleet operation management solution, drivers have full access to visual inspection workflows from their mobile devices. Driveroo can turn any paper form into a fast, mistake-free automated process to boost operations and lower costs. A driver can streamline the inspection process using the app with a visual, asset-specific interface that incorporates required checklists and captures details, voice, image and video. All drivers need to do is just follow the easy visual guidance and tap to check items, flag issues and share inspection data with a team or a fleet manager in real-time.

driveroo - operation management

3.     Operate assigned routes

After finishing the pre-trip inspection, John heads out for the day. The shift card is made up of multiple runs at multiple different locations for the day.

 

Challenges

Keeping operations on time smoothly and safely is a primary task for transportation services. The manual process could cause a delay due to traffic, weather, maintenance issues, and unexpected accidents. Those events require support from the back office to get the bus operation back to normal and in a safe manner. In addition, it is crucial for a fleet manager to monitor driver behaviour to prevent unnecessary accidents, violations and unprofessional driving behaviour, such as speeding, unnecessary acceleration, heavy braking, and acceleration while cornering. These actions often increase maintenance costs and contribute to an unsafe environment.

 

Solutions

Public Transportation Management 

Transit + bus management

Using  a Transit Management solution enables bus service companies and drivers to digitize all processes, reduce human error, reduce costs, and improve safety.

Nimbus is a public transport management system that combines location-based services with route and schedule management. It has specialized tools designed for route management and can create stops, optimize routes, distribute vehicles across routes, manage schedules, and track route performance in real-time.

A fleet manager can create routes, add schedules, and track vehicle movement in real-time. It also sends notifications to control late/early arrivals, deviations from the route and other conditions demanding immediate intevention such as an emergency.

Transit + bus management

With Nimbus reports, a fleet manager has access to Ride History and performance quality assessment in terms of routes and vehicles. Analytics allow companies to further optimize the operations of passenger transportation services.

 

 

 

 

Dash camera

Transit operators are responsible for ensuring smooth operations of a transportation service. Connected Dash Cameras capture critical driving incidents, such as lane departure, forward collision, and improper driver behaviour, and can alert users in real-time.

Dash Cameras can also be leveraged for the evaluation of drivers’ professionalism and rewards for drivers. Cloud-based dash cameras upload events to the monitoring platform to be reviewed by managers or safety and compliance to identify areas to improve and reward positive behaviour.

AD PLUS without brand name

Astreon’s A.I. Dashcam is an all-in-one recorder designed to increase safe driving. It has all the features of a regular dash camera, and also supports intelligent driving assistance. It also has the advantages of a powerful telematics tracker, competitive price, and is an enterprise grade device.

Astreon’s’s built-in A.I. cameras help avoid unnecessary accidents, providing advanced active collision warning by intelligently identifying vehicles, lanes, and traffic ahead. Effectively predicting driving hazards such as tailgating, front & pedestrian collision, and lane departure.

ad plus forward camera collision warning

  • Front Collision Warning
  • Lane Departure Warning
  • Headway Monitoring and Warning
  • Pedestrian Collision Warning
  • Front Departure Warning
  • Blind Spot Detection
  • Stop Sign
  • Speed Limit Detection

 

higher AI accuracy

Intelligently identifying the driver’s behaviours such as using mobile phones while driving, being drowsy, distracted, and not wearing a seatbelt via the cabin camera. It also includes alerts that reduce traffic accidents caused by driver behaviours.

  • Phone Usage & Texting
  • Seat Belt
  • Face Recognition
  • Distraction
  • Fatigue

 

Driver Safety

Eco driving driver score

Professional and careful driving contributes to reducing fuel costs, extends vehicle service life, and improves fleet safety for passengers and drivers.

To improve drivers’ professionalism and performance, driving behaviour monitoring is a key service.

Eco Driving (Safety+) Astreon is an app that helps assess a driver’s performance. The solution evaluates driving skills based on penalty points for violations such as speeding, unnecessary acceleration, heavy braking, acceleration while cornering, etc.

Driving behaviour analysis helps operators or fleet owners discipline and educate drivers.

 

Eco driving

Eco Driving also has the following features;

  • Trip analysis
    • A detailed report on trips with a map and a violations table
    • The driver’s rating displayed regarding the trip duration in the form of a column.
  • Reports
    • Several types of reports for a comprehensive driving behaviour analysis: by a driver, group of drivers or units for any period
    • Export to PDF and XLSX files.

 

  • Driver Score
    • Eco Driving (Safety+) enables you to establish a baseline score across all drivers in your fleet based on their driving habits. It is an easy and intuitive way to provide coaching to your drivers by analyzing and highlighting top critical events that contributed to their scores.

 

4.     Final Trip and clock-out

John finished his final trip and makes his way back to the depot. He starts a post-trip check and reports it to a manager if there is any vehicle faults or damages. He returns his cash box and prepares to clock out.

 

Benefits of Using Bus & Transport Fleet Management

Using and combining powerful apps, software and telematics enable managers to quickly detect and educate ineffective drivers. Bus & Transport Fleet Management also helps companies reduce maintenance costs, improves safety and service quality. For drivers, Bus & Transport Fleet Management helps improve their driving skills, increases safety and morale.

 

Astreon – A leader in connected transportation solutions

Astreon is a Mobile Workforce management expert in custom software development and application development for Canadian Fortune 500 Companies. Our platform connects to over 3.4 million vehicles and our open platform offers options for over 20 business-specific companion application solutions. Our customers rely on our services daily as business process management tools and benefit from multiple add-on tools and applications such as Compliant ELD, Maintenance Management, Driver Coaching, Video Management Dashboard, KPI Measurement Dashboards, Logistics & Dispatch tools, plus many more.

Connect with us today to find out more about how Astreon can benefit your business.

Contact us today!

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

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A Comprehensive Guide to Non-Powered Asset Tracking Solutions & How They Can Transform Your Business

Posted on by Yumi

GPS Tracking can be used for various purposes and different types of assets by offering several benefits, such as reducing operating costs and improving productivity.

Non-powered asset tracking is one of the asset types benefiting from the features of GPS Tracking. Non-powered assets include trailers, water tanks, heavy equipment, trailers, bins and other types of containers. These types of high value assets are not equipped with a power source and so non-powered asset tracking is the perfect solution to streamline asset management.

 

What is Non-Powered Asset Tracking & Why is it Important?

Non-powered asset tracking is a method of monitoring and tracking assets without the need for an external power source. Utilizing a small, mountable battery-powered unit, companies can track the movement of their high value assets anywhere they may be. This allows fleet managers to keep track of their assets without having to rely on manual processes or more costly solutions.

 

By using a centralized GPS tracking software solution, your company can consolidate location and sensor data of your assets into a single portal to streamline asset management, improve productivity, billing accuracy, and reduce loss.

In addition, it provides you with full asset visibility, including location, status, usage history, and asset maintenance in a web-based dashboard. The software can generate reports for you to get insights into your assets and help you schedule maintenance at right time.

Non-powered asset tracking can help businesses save time and money by reducing labour costs, increasing efficiency, and improving accuracy in inventory management.

 

The Top Benefits of Non-Powered Asset Tracking

Non-powered asset tracking is a cost-effective and reliable way to keep track of valuable assets. It eliminates the need for expensive and complex powered tracking systems, while still providing the same level of accuracy and visibility. With non-powered asset tracking, businesses can benefit from improved efficiency, reduced costs, and increased safety. There are several advantages to using non-powered asset tracking;

 

Visibility

Asset tracking devices provide dynamic data on the location of your high-value assets and sensor data like temperature. With a cloud-based system and integrated mobile application, a fleet manager can get real-time asset tracking visibility with detailed reports on their location while field workers monitor key data like geofence status, fuel level or temperature.

 

Enhanced security

Lost or stolen equipment causes downtime resulting in loss of revenue for businesses that lease or own equipment. Asset theft is on the rise globally.

Using real-time geofence alerts to create a virtual boundary that triggers an immediate warning detects potential theft or unauthorized use. You can prevent potential loss and impact on your business by taking immediate preventative action.

 

Optimize productivity

With centralized data, managers can see quickly where they are wasting assets and money.

In addition, asset management solution can reduce paperwork, simplify workflow and optimize processes by collecting data in one application accessible anywhere anytime.

Fleet mangers can make quicker decisions with real-time insight into the company’s assets’ current location, status, and availability.

 

Enhance Asset lifetime management

When it comes to asset tracking solutions, it’s not only tracking, but also monitoring mechanical health and asset status based on usage indicators. It provides you with a clear insight into the asset status such as fuel level, temperature, speed, and other parameters. This helps manage key activities like scheduling maintenance or delivering fuel on time.

 

Options for any asset type

Choosing the best Asset Tracking Device for your business can be challenging. Especially when solutions and devices vastly vary between providers. Here are some tested and reliable options which meet different equipment needs;

 

For Construction & Trailers

Solar-Powered 4G LTE-M GPS Tracker

Topfly TLP2-SFB

This GPS tracking device is designed to track the location of assets with a large internal battery  and Bluetooth technology for wireless sensors. This is the best mount and go type device for heavy equipment because it is built to withstand the harshest environments, vibration, and dust.

For Reefers

Our Solar BLE GPS Tracker supports wireless BLE sensors for reefer and door open.  This is a simple, cost-effective solution, which doesn’t require any wiring or a costly installation.  This device is purpose-built for this type of application.

 

For Agriculture

ATrack AS11_Cover2

Our rugged tracker supports both powered and unpowered applications and comes with inputs, outputs, and an optional BLE radio for wireless sensors. With an IP68-rated casing, it is designed to operate under extreme environments against water and dust. It is also equipped with GPIOs for varieties of application expandability and flexibility by connecting to a wide range of accessories.

How to Choose the Best Non-Powered Asset Tracking Solution for Your Business Needs

Choosing the best non-powered asset tracking solution for your business needs can be a challenge. With so many options available, it can be difficult to decide which one is best suited for your needs. To make the right choice, you need to consider factors such as cost, scalability, accuracy, and reliability of the system.

With Astreon, we offer seamless integration with Asset Tracking management and devices. We provide tailored Asset Tracking Devices that are compatible with dozens of enterprise systems. Our Asset Tracking Management system also provides dynamic data including the location & status of assets in the field. By customizing the solution with specialty applications, you can customize the solution to your specific needs.

Learn more about our Asset Tracking management solution at Astreon

 

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Ways to Extend a Trailer’s Life and Save on Maintenance Costs

Posted on by Yumi

According to the data from INDEXBOX, U.S. Truck Trailer Prices rose 17% to $8,791 per unit due to the higher costs of raw materials that are used to make a trailer and labour shortages. This is causing challenges for the truck industry as inflation and lack of supply are causing haulage companies to extend their trailer life cycle beyond their normal operation.

 

What is the average lifespan of a trailer?

When you purchase a modern trailer, you can expect it to last at least approximately 8 years or about 40,000 engine hours. With proper maintenance, you can extend these averages significantly.

 

What can you do to extend your trailer’s lifecycle?

Every trailer has a maintenance schedule that should be followed. You should service your trailer at least every six months.

 

Tips on how to maximize a trailer’s longevity

Increase inspections and maintenance

In addition to the annual safety inspection and driver pre-trips, additional preventive maintenance inspections are recommended throughout the year. The more inspections, the less of a chance of a roadside breakdown and unexpected repair costs.

 

Check your tires regularly

Tire monitoring or inflation systems are recommended. Include a check of tire condition avoiding blowouts on the highway. These preventive measures save fuel, loss revenue from unexpected breakdowns, and lives.

 

Thoroughly wash your trailers

Always keep your trailer clean to reduce maintenance cost. A range of problems can be caused by unclean trailers including mold and mildew, cross- contamination, food borne illnesses, including rodent and insect infestation.

 

Lube it correctly

The correct lube in appropriate quantity is a must for proper trailer operation. Enough new grease must be added to purge the old grease. The debris that cling to old grease makes it ineffective. Adding new lube removes dirt and ensures safe operation.

 

Take time for brakes

The first sign that it’s time to replace your brake pads is if you hear persistent squeaking or squealing. Another sign is when you see the indicator light on, or when it’s taking longer to stop and the pads appear to be thin.

 

Ultimate Preventive Maintenance Measures

GPS fleet management

Combining more advanced digital tools and fleet management software will make monitoring your trailers easier. This will help extend their lifespan.

Astreon is one of the leading providers of fleet management solutions, such as GPS tracking, dashcams, ELD compliance, and trailer tracking.

We offer tracking devices purpose built for dry vans, reefers, flat beds, and more, helping you make the most out of your equipment.

Asset Management Software gives you deep insight into your assets. It enables you to control every aspect of your equipment from maintenance to fuel management and make use of cost-effective and reliable remote monitoring.

 

 

 

driveroo mobile maintenance

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Make the transition to automated digital processes with our new app, Driveroo

Posted on by Yumi

Are you tired of looking through stacks of paper on your desk to find a work order?  Are you a Fleet Manager working to analyze data based on paper processes and fighting to find improvements in your business?  Are you fighting to get field workers to fill out accurate pre and post trip vehicles inspections?

Paper based and manual processes create massive issues in any business. From lost forms, to non-compliance, to driving operating costs up, this just doesn’t work in today’s competitive landscape.

For repair technicians, repairs based on paper inspections is outdated and inaccurate.

Fleet Managers need access to reliable information to aid in making the best decisions for your Fleet.  Fleet metrics provided by a fully integrated Fleet Management solution is what you need.

 

Driveroo: A new mobile and cloud-based fleet operation management solution

Astreon is excited to introduce Driveroo, a Digital inspection application with built in workflows to automate and streamline business processes.  A proper solution to solve the manual process and paperwork headaches many businesses still suffer from.

 

Inspection management

Driverooo takes your business to the next level with streamlined digital workflows that improve efficiency and productivity, while providing immediate visibility to the condition of your assets.

The Driveroo app has many features that save time and money in the inspection and repair process, including text-to-speech functionality and electronic reports that streamline the inspection process. Driveroo provides the tools to present a clearer picture to clients, which helps to ensure that preventative maintenance does not lapse, leading to major repairs and/or catastrophic failures down the line.

In addition, the Driveroo app allows repair technicians to scan the VIN information instead of typing it in manually. Graphic icons of damaged parts can be used to help clients understand areas in need of repair. By visualizing every problem, you and your clients can see where the issues are and what needs to be fixed quickly.

 

Driveroo App Features at a Glance:

driveroo fleet tracking

  • 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)

 

Other asset-specific inspections with Driveroo

Driveroo enables you to inspect other types of assets and fleets.

  • OSHA Compliant Forklift Inspection
    • Empower your operations to complete fast forklift inspections
  • DOT eDVIR Inspection
    • Streamline your inspection process to ensure DOT compliance
  • School Bus Pre-Trip Inspection
    • Ensure your school bus fleet is well-maintained, safe, and always ready for action
  • Vehicle Condition Report
    • Inspire customer confidence with detailed pre-purchase inspection reports.

 

Fleet and Asset Management

Driveroo can turn any paper form into a fast, mistake-free automated process to boost operations and lower costs. Driveroo enables you to customize exact visual representations of your vehicles, and tailors every workflow to fit your unique process with as many or as few steps that you need. It’s the easiest way to get the exact solution for your fleets.

 

Driveroo Astreon Bundled Features

eDVIR: Verified Inspections

Streamline the vehicle inspection process and ensure legal compliance. The intelligent mobile app empowers drivers to complete inspections without the paperwork – all in a few quick and easy steps.

 

Scheduled Maintenance

Design preventative maintenance schedules based on vehicle mileage or vehicle inspection data. Set up custom vehicle maintenance reminders for managers, drivers and everyone in your team.

 

Proactive Driver Management

Empower your drivers and operators with a powerful, visual mobile app that’s easy to adopt and simple to use. Zip through reports, and put everything they need on their smartphone. Receive notifications of missed or incomplete tasks.

 

Geofencing

View the real-time location of your vehicles. Get alerts when drivers stray outside designated zones, or when vehicles leave a specified location without a completed vehicle inspection.

 

Document Management

Ensure that all licensing and registration documentation stays up-to-date. Securely store and manage any records online, and assign individual access rights to drivers, managers and other members of your team.

 

Asset Assignment

Assign vehicles or equipment to your team members and manage assignments in real time. Search by operator or by asset to access scheduled assignments. Quickly add, edit or move assignments and send automatic notifications to drivers and operators.

 

Safety and Incident Reporting

Quickly guide your operators through every step of important checks and reports. Driveroo Fleet is easy to adapt to your specific needs to make sure all checks are complete and all the necessary information is captured for reporting purposes.

 

Custom Fleet Dashboards

Analyze data and design easy-to-read custom reports to gain a deeper insight into your business operations. Make decisions driven by reliable data collection and thorough analysis of cost and efficiency.

 

Transform your business to digital workflow today

Driveroo top banner

Our mobile and cloud-based fleet operation management solution, Driveroo, enables your business to transform digital streamlining, including saving time and lowering operational costs.

Experience Driveroo at Astreon today to learn more and contact us to see it in action!

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Leveraging Mobile Workforce Management Systems to Automate and Streamline Your Business Processes

Posted on by Yumi

The needs of modern field service operations have changed due to new technologies, changes in consumer expectations, and the economy.

Companies with field operations are equipping their workforce with digital tools like intelligent devices, real-time monitoring, IoT, and artificial intelligence enabled tech to cope with these changes by improving operation efficiency & productivity.

By integrating more advanced digital tools and field service management software, companies can sync workflows and create more effective strategies based on real-time data. This will help your field workers accomplish more by working smarter instead of harder, as well as helping office staff by eliminate paper-based processes as well as manual data entry that cause delays and introduce human error.

 

A key management solution for field service operations is Mobile Workforce Management (MWM). MWM Solutions provide visibility to field workers, optimize and control field operations & mobile staff performance. According to the report by verified market research, the Mobile Workforce Management Market size was valued at USD 3.89 Billion in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 10.46 Billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 13.16% from 2021 to 2028.

 

What is MWM and MWMS?

MWM is the management of a mobile workforce with the help of tools such as apps, software, and processes or networks.

MWMS (Mobile Workforce Management Software) is a solution integrated with MWM that enables businesses to manage their employees while they are on the go. For mobile workers, it’s a tool that assists them in performing their job more effectively throughout their day. For a manager, it’s a visibility solution that helps them keep track of field worker productivity.

In today’s global workforce, 80% are deskless workers. According to the survey from EMERGENE, the top deskless workforce industries are: Agriculture, Education, Healthcare, Retail, Hospitality, Manufacturing, Transportation, and Construction, that employ 2.7B employees.

This survey also shows that 82% of respondents from those industries are planning to increase spending on technology for their deskless workforce. Transportation and Manufacturing are the two leading industries. In addition, these industries are willing to invest in new technologies to assist their employees with productivity and keep them happy.

global workforce in deskless

top reason for investing in deskless technology

Businesses Can Save Time and Money with a MWMS

There are common struggles that companies running field services operations face: controlling costs, improving resource allocation, and streamlining business management. Implementing MWM provides a solution to these common factors, and provides a competitive advantage.

 

Key Benefits of Implementing a MWMS

Increase Efficiency

Efficiency is essential as it impacts productivity. With MWMS, managers can monitor the actual time employees spent on tasks and their progress. The telematics data and reports enable managers to analyze working processes, optimize and organize the field workers. In addition, managers can provide training and support their employees when issues are identified early.

MWM streamlines scheduling, dispatching and communication through centralized tools. The result is reduced downtime, increasing efficiency and productivity, ultimately impacting your bottom line.

 

Reduces Operational Errors & Increase Customer Satisfaction

Operational errors and process complexity negatively impact all aspects of finance, management, and overall business operations. Many of these issues stem from paper-based processed. This can also lead to lower customer satisfaction due to process and timeline management challenges.

MWMS enables the back-office to simplify processes by streamline payroll and invoicing that will result in lower administrative costs and errors. In addition, it provides greater accuracy and reduces overhead expenses, ultimately resulting in an improved customer experience, employee satisfaction and lowered operating costs.

 

How Astreon can help improve your business

Astreon Mobile is a fully-featured and effective mobile workforce management service.

The application is installed on a mobile device, transforming it into a part of a comprehensive personal monitoring system. With Astreon Mobile, you can track field employees’ productivity, schedule & dispatch tasks, and monitor their completion. With the Configurator web app integrators also have 24/7 remote access to the app configuration and diagnostics.

Astreon mobile is designed to provide visibility to field workers, optimize and control field operations and mobile staff performance.

 

Features

Access to relevant data

Astreon provides relevant and usable data in an easy-to-read format. Information is automatically updated and displayed in a user-friendly interface. View the main tracking parameters on the home screen for quick checks as well as status and alerts. Everything is automatically updated based on the latest message from the device.

 

Supports various communication options

Employees can chat, send photos, SOS messages, or location data by office staff by simply tapping a button. The back office is notified when personnel needs help or further instructions. Whatever happens, the employer will be aware of what’s going on.

 

User Statuses

Manage user status (Busy, Available, Away, etc.) to make better decisions by staying informed about your team’s activities. You can further tailor to your needs by creating your own custom statuses, and runs detailed reports to simplify payroll, differentiate what activity is personal or business related for costing purposes, and much more.

 

QR codes

Leverage QR codes to provide employees a means to log in by a simple scan, or changes status (for example at the end of a route or a task).

 

Remote control

An integrator or employer can change settings, download logs and troubleshoot issues without physical access to the employee’s smart devices. Request actions such as a camera snapshot or a service stop and change app settings remotely to proactively guide and help your team.

 

BLE beacons

The user’s smart device can be connected to a BLE device, and Astreon Mobile will detect such a beacon nearby and send this information to the monitoring system.

 

What to look for in MWM solutions

An MWMS is a critical aspect of digital transformation. By investing in MWM solutions, companies can embrace digital transformation and reap the benefits of an accelerated ROI.

When implementing, it is essential to take some initial steps:

You should identify :

  • What are your business goals?
  • How easy is it to implement?
  • Whether it can be integrated with other digital tools, such as GPS fleet tracking?

 

Through integration, managers & employers can access relevant data via a more centralized way, as well as providing deeper insight into the data to make better informed and faster business decisions.

 

Astreon offers MWM solutions tailored to your business. With solutions such as mobile forms, scheduled transportation management, delivery monitoring service, maintenance management, driver behavior monitoring, transit solutions, agriculture solutions, and much more. Astreon has the right solution for your business needs.

 

Astreon Mobile is a fully-featured and effective mobile workforce management service. We capture accurate speed and detailed location throughout the day. For the back office, it is designed to quickly, conveniently, and easily connect any number of employees to the monitoring system without the need for specialty hardware, simply leverage your existing smart devices in the field and off you go.

Don’t know where to start or need more details? Our dedicated representative will help you find the best solution. Contact us today!

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

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2022 Truck Trends

Posted on by Yumi

2021-2022 are transformative years for the truck industry and have been keeping people in the truck industry busy. This transformation affects operations, expenses, and administration. With ELD compliance, Electrification to ease climate change, driver shortages, rising fuel costs, and trucker convoys for COVID-19 restrictions, it’s been a busy couple of years.

This article digs a bit deeper into ELD mandates and tighter truck emission regulations in Canada and the USA, and how this affects the transportation industry.

ELD Compliance

ELD(Electronic Logging Devices) mandate went into effect in December 2017 in the USA and will be fully mandated in January 2023 in Canada(Find the Canadian ELD mandate schedule).

Electronic logging devices (ELD) are used to electronically keep a driver’s Record of Duty Status (RODS) and all drivers are required to use an ELD to document their compliance with HOS rules.

In Canada, the full ELD mandate will go into effect on January 2023 and this deadline extension will ensure that carriers can have sufficient time to purchase, install ELDs and educate drivers to comply with the ELD mandate rules. However, the reality is you need to get started preparing as soon as possible. Here is why you should start preparing today for the ELD mandate:  https://www.astreon.com/full-eld-enforcement-delayed/

 

Electrification

The electrification of heavy commercial vehicles is making a splash right now. According to Natural Resources Canada, “Transportation accounts for approximately 25% of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions(GHG), of which almost half comes from passenger cars and light trucks.”.

The electrification movement is accelerating in North America.

“Roughly half of all U.S. and Canadian Class 8 tractors engaged in regional-haul applications could switch to battery-electric technology today with minimal or no impact on operations, productivity, or efficiency, according to a new report.” – HDT

For more information about the reaction from countries and how we can help customers reduce their environmental impact and comply with emission regulations: https://www.astreon.com/a-greener-solution/

 

Driver Shortages

As the demand in the supply chain industry is increasing, North America is facing a serious shortage of truck drivers. According to the American Trucking Association (ATA), the shortage of truck drivers was 60,800 and is estimated to reach 160,000 by 2028 in U.S. Whereas, Canada is expected to be short 25,000 truck drivers by 2023 according to a study from Trucking HR Canada.

truck driver shortage

 

The stressful environment caused by COVID-19 is further accelerating the shortage of truck drivers and exacerbating disruptions in the supply chain.

Find out how to ease driver shortages with telematics:  https://www.astreon.com/telematics-can-improve-drivers-safety-and-retention-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/

Sky High Fuel Costs

Rising fuel costs are pressuring trucking companies. Many companies are struggling with minimizing the impact of fuel costs to their clients, but there is a limit.

In order to combat the impact of rising fuel costs, it is critical to have insightful data about your fleet operations to analyze and drive effective improvements into your business. To get this insightful data, you need a leading GPS Tracking solution in your fleet to better understand how much gasoline or diesel is consumed by your fleet each month and year. A GPS Fleet Management system is also important to help analyze data and receive powerful automated reports to identify where you can drive additional efficiencies and savings.

For detailed tips to combat the effects of rising fuel costs, read this article.

 

Astreon Can Help

Astreon offers the most Comprehensive & Advanced Fleet Management platform available for your Vehicles, Trailers, Machinery, and Equipment, with over 3.3 million+ tracked assets globally. Our software is easy to use, fully customizable, and provides advanced industry-leading features. With our Fleet Management platform, you can visualize all of your fleet assets on one screen in a simple to operate, powerful application. Fuel Management with Astreon is the complete solution for optimizing fuel expenditure and ultimately saving your company time and money. For more information about our fuel control, click here.

Contact us today!

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

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Summary of 2021 – What has changed in fleets and what change will we expect in 2022?

Posted on by admin

This year has a log of changes in the world, especially regulations. In addition to Covid-19 regulations, there are many regulations we have to comply with. The term “changes” also applies to fleet and technology industries this year. In this article, we review critical changes that happened this year to those industries and how these changes will impact your business from next year.

Canada ELD Mandate

apollo eld banner

2021 is a big year for the Canadian ELD market. This year is the first year of enforcement of ELD regulation in Canada. The Canada ELD (Electronic Logging Devices) Mandate went into effect June 12th, 2021 with a “progressive” enforcement period due to the unprecedented challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the complexity of obtaining certification in Canada.

With this measurement, the ELD implementation delay has been put on hold until June 12th, 2022 to elevate education and awareness of the implementation of ELD.

We’ve posted an ultimate ELD guide and regulation changes this year. Read full articles and comprehend how ELD regulation works and which ELD service providers you should choose.

 

  • Other related articles

Canada ELD Mandate Update: No ELD penalties until June 2022 – CCMTA

The ultimate guide to the ELD Mandate and how to choose the best ELD

 

Sustainability

electric vehicle charging station

Global warming is becoming a serious issue all over the world and there is no surprise that the fleet industry contributes to this situation. With this fact, efforts to boost sustainability in the transportation sector are increasing, as customers become more likely to weigh the environmental impacts of their purchases and government across the globe draw up more stringent regulations. In addition, the U.S administration had ordered federal agencies to develop tighter fuel efficiency, greenhouse gas, and oxides of nitrogen emissions standards for medium- and heavy-duty trucks in 2021.

More stringent regulations are expected to come next year in the world. Be prepared for any regulation impacting the fleet industry. It’s for sure that the truck industry will need to take the next leap in sustainability no later than 2030 because most countries set vehicle electrification targets by 2030. You can find the Vehicle electrification goals by country in the report from icct.

For emission regulations for medium- and heavy-duty trucks, read our blogs and be prepared for the changes:

How you can save money during the oil and diesel price surge

Biden Proposed Tighter Truck Emission Regulations

Truck industry embracing change due to the emission regulations and high demand for electric trucks

 

Smart Technology

smart technology

Connectivity and data management are now set to unleash the next renovation in the history of farming: Smart Farming / Precision agriculture. It enables farmers to collect vast quantities of data and control different equipment or monitor individual animals. Now, farmers are starting to adopt digital technology and data-driven innovations. See how Smart Farming can solve agricultural operational problems.

Smart Technology – Transformation in the Agriculture industry

 

What do 2022 and the future in the fleet industry look like?

Canada ELD regulation will be fully compliant

All Canadian trucking companies (there are some exemptions from the Canadian ELD mandate) must prepare for the ELD mandate by June 12th, 2022. Violating the regulation could charge you a fine or receive formal warnings. Being compliant doesn’t sound only complicated, but is also beneficial for your fleet operation financially and productively. Leveraging ELD brings many benefits, like more efficient route management, vehicle diagnostics, and minimizing administrative difficulties. Find more ELD benefits on our ELD page.

Our certified ELD providers:

Apollo ELD: https://www.lvmtrack.com/eld-compliance-apollo/

VisTracks: https://www.lvmtrack.com/eld-compliance-vistracks/

 

One in two vehicles sold is an electric vehicle

In the Executive Order by U.S. President Joe Biden, he states that “America must lead the world on clean and efficient cars and trucks. That means bolstering our domestic market by setting a goal that 50 percent of all new passenger cars and light trucks sold in 2030 be zero-emission vehicles, including battery-electric, plug-in hybrid electric, or fuel cell electric vehicles.”.

In 2021, we saw self-driving cars becoming more prevalent as well as carpooling services becoming increasingly popular with people who have car ownership but do not drive often enough to warrant owning a car themselves. Also, major auto manufacturers like Tesla, Volvo, Ford, and Mercedes-Benz manufacture EVs to meet the demand from consumers, contributing to a dramatic reduction in CO2 emissions. As an example, Volvo is committed to producing purely EV’s by 2030.

Not next year, but 2030 would be a milestone in the history of an electric vehicle.

To learn more about electric vehicles, check our blogs.

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Tel: +1 (888) 647-4730
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Why do rental companies use GPS Tracking? Why is telematics beneficial to the rental equipment business?

Posted on by admin

When it comes to the profitability of the rental industry, it depends on efficiently renting out assets, keeping them in good condition, and managing the asset’s life cycle.

To maximize profitability, a rental company needs to know when and whether their assets will be returned in what condition so that they can be checked in, maintained, and quickly put back on the rental list again.

Most rental companies struggle with asset management. If your company has not installed an advanced asset management system, you will face many issues. For example, it is more complicated to monitor and organize which asset from which location is readily available to be rented out if a rental company has multiple branches. It will end up costing tens of thousands of dollars if you lose even one piece of equipment. They are often not in an ideal condition when your customer returns your rental assets.

According to the report from National Equipment Registry, about 1,000 pieces of commercial equipment are reported stolen every month, which is equivalent to anywhere from $300 million to $1 billion loss per year for business owners.

The lack of an advanced asset management system will result in inflated maintenance and management costs. In order to overcome these challenges, GPS tracking is a must-have for all rental industries to manage and mitigate operational risks.

 

How a GPS Tracking works for the rental equipment industry

Maximizing profitability in a rapidly growing market can be challenging. In fact, the equipment industry in the U.S. is growing. According to the statistics from statista, the size of the U.S. equipment rental market is projected to be sized at approximately $53 billion U.S. dollars in 2022, a 10% of increase from its in 2020.

Along with its increasing market, operators in the rental industry are concerned about the safety and maintenance of their equipment. It is not easy to know how their equipment is used by their customers, or whether they return their rental equipment at the right time in the right place.

To manage and monitor all challenges, GPS tracking solutions help locate your assets using a pre-installed transmitter that tracks the location of the specific object using signals from several satellites and calculating the delay between each one. Today, GPS tracking is more powerful, accurate, and comprehensive by integrating with an asset management system.

GPS tracking integrated with an asset management system provides you with insightful, real-time data and reports that support you to improve safety and productivity.

Let’s look at the benefits of installing GPS Tracking in the rental equipment industry.

5 benefits of GPS tracking for the rental equipment industry

  1. Tracking real-time location & geofencing

Renting your assets to others is risky unless you have full control of management and monitoring. Heavy equipment assets are highly valuable and difficult to replace. With GPS Tracking for heavy machinery, trailers, and other high-value assets, you can monitor your assets’ whereabouts in real-time. You can also set up geofencing, which is a virtual border drawn on the map, in an asset management system. These virtual boundaries or areas can be drawn like a single-lane street or shaped size as a specific yard to help you monitor and manage your valuable assets. These geofences are used as a trigger for alerts when your asset enters/exits in or from the geofenced area. As soon as the GPS tracking detects the movement, it will send an alert. This information is crucial in preventing contract breaches and ensuring that equipment is exactly where it is supposed to be.

 

  1. Monitor equipment condition

Another benefit of using GPS Tracking in the rental equipment industry is automated maintenance. GPS Tracking will allow you to schedule maintenance based on the equipment’s runtime. This will help make sure that maintenance is done on time and increase productivity by maintaining the rental cycle of each asset.  Maintenance notifications of upcoming work can enable you to go perform maintenance on a customer’s job site to prevent costly breakdowns and unnecessary repairs.

 

  1. Prevent theft

As we mentioned earlier, about 1,000 pieces of commercial equipment are reported stolen every month which is equivalent to anywhere from $300 million to $1 billion loss per year for business owners. This can happen to anyone.

What if your customer paid in cash or with a fraudulent credit card and disappeared without returning your rental equipment? When your equipment isn’t returned and you come to collect it, the site will be vacant or the address or person you lent your equipment doesn’t even exist. These unfortunate events could happen to you. How can you prevent this from happening?

You already know that a GPS Tracker allows you to monitor the exact location of your rental equipment. However, the right rental equipment tracking devices can do more than simply aid in locating lost or stolen rental equipment. It also can help you minimize the risk of damage to the assets if it is stolen by minimizing the time that thieves have them.

For example, if a GPS tracking device has geofencing or motion detection capabilities, it will instantly generate an alert if the device crosses the geofencing boundary or detects unauthorized movement. This alert system helps you to quickly identify a potential theft in progress and alert the authorities to the theft. Your quick action can reduce the possibility that the asset will be damaged or disposed of before the asset is found.

 

  1. Maximize equipment utilization

Keeping assets operating longer than they should and missing the right timing to replace them with new ones cause the cost to maintain them to skyrocket. With the right GPS Tracker, rental companies can see equipment usage and the GPS tracker helps them make more informed decisions about asset purchasing and selling.

 

A GPS Tracker integrated with an asset management system can help you stay on top of your asset replacement schedule and find the right time to replace your assets based on the maintenance milestones and their period of usage. The asset management system will provide you with crucial data and help you make the right asset management decisions to maximize equipment utilization.

 

  1. Improve invoice accuracy and billable time

Ditch the old manual tracking of run time and paper-based processes.

Using GPS tracking on your equipment improves your invoice accuracy and billable time. This feature is beneficial especially if you bill your customers based on the runtime of the equipment. You will know the exact amount of runtime from the data by GPS tracking and it will increase your invoicing accuracy.

In addition, monitoring runtime will eliminate human errors. It’s easy to bill your customer by the day, half-day, or by the hour with full and accurate data collected by an asset management system. Using GPS tracking and an asset management system automates everything and helps your work be more accurate and productive.

 

Need an advanced asset management system for your rental business? We are here to help you

Astreon provides a cloud-based system, seamlessly integrated into mobile applications featuring a wide range of IoT solutions. You can get real-time asset tracking visibility with detailed reports on their location. Astreon’s asset management system allows you to monitor your assets’ whereabouts with a click of a button to save time, reduce dwell time, with the added convenience of not having to physically look for your asset. It helps you reduce costs by ensuring that critical assets are available and identified quickly when you need them the most.

Contact us today for more information about our advanced asset management system.

Contact us today!

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

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