Tag Archives: GPS tracking

Garmin Dispatch – Milo GPS Tracking

What is the Garmin Dispatch?

The Garmin dispatch is an optional add on to the Milo GPS tracking system. The Dispatch system allows a dispatcher (or anyone else) to send and receive messages to any vehicle that has a Garmin navigator attached to their GPS tracking device. You can also send stops and routes to the driver.
Note: not all Garmin navigators are supported. Click here to see a list of Garmin navigators that are supported by the Milo GPS tracking system.

Garmin Dispatch Tips

The list below is a helpful set of tips and tricks that we have compiled on how to operate and troubleshoot the Garmin Dispatch.

1. Make sure the vehicle is on when sending a message or a route to the vehicle from the tracking website. The vehicle does not have to be running. The key can be in the “on” position.

2. Disconnect Icon on Garmin Screen. If the driver sees the disconnect icon in the top left corner of the Garmin screen then the GPS tracker and the Garmin are not communicating. Turn the vehicle’s ignition off for at least 10 seconds. Then turn the ignition on. This will reset the GPS unit and should reestablish connection between the Garmin and the GPS tracker.

3. Blank Garmin Screen. Sometimes the Garmin does not turn on automatically. Press and hold the button on the top left corner of the Garmin to turn it on.

Efficient Fleets

We are a GPS tracking company that makes your vehicles safer, more efficient, and less expensive. To learn more about how GPS tracking can prevent side jobs and improve customer service please contact us for a free demo.

MILO FLEET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM RELEASE NOTES — RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 2014

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Enhancement: New Filter to the Reports Date

Benefit to Users:

This New Filter, available on All Reports, provides the User with the ability to base the Date Range of a Report on the ‘Last 24 Hours.’ This Feature will be available for All Current Reports and all New Reports going forward. Prior to this Release, this filter was not available within any of the Reports.

Highlight:

While configuring a Report, within the Available Filters, Users will now have the ability to select a Date Range of the ‘Last 24 Hours.’ By providing this Date Range Filter, Users will be able to continually run a Report on the Last 24 Hours of Reporting. As this is a ‘floating’ date range, My Reports and Report Subscriptions can also take advantage of this Date Range Filter. Users will be able to set this once and continually have the updated, Last 24 Hours of Information available in the Saved Report.

Enhancement: Sendum Device Integration Enhancement

Benefit to Users:

This Enhancement to the Sendum Device Integration includes the calculation of the Sendum Key within the Position Logic Platform. Prior to this Release, the calculation of the Sendum Key was not a calculation that was available within the Position Logic Platform.

Highlight:

This Enhancement will enable Users to quickly & accurately generate the Sendum Key within the Position Logic Platform. Users will simply login and Edit a Sendum Vehicle, on the selected Client. From the Edit Screen, the User will click ‘Save’ and the Sendum key will be generated, based on the following logic:

*Contact your Support Technician if you are currently using Sendum Devices, to ensure this Key is generated for all of your Sendum Devices.*

Enhancement: POI Buffer Visibility

Benefit to Users:

This Enhancement to the POI Buffer within the Platform, provides the User with instant visibility into not on the POI Name and Icon but, also the Buffer that is associated with the POI. Users will now very easily be able to identify the core of the POI along with the entire Buffer that is associated with the POI. Prior to this Release, the User had no visibility on the actual POI Buffer while viewing the POI within the Tracking Map.

Highlight:

While viewing the POIs on the Tracking Map, Users will now be shown the actual Buffer of the POI. By simply selecting to ‘show’ the POIs, Users will find that the POI Buffer that has been setup, is now visible as a colored area around the POI. While this is a simple Enhancement, the overall User experience will be greatly increased thanks to this.

Bug Fix: User Geofence Import, Missing Tools
Issue: A number of non-Admin Users with the Security Resource of GEOFENCE_IMPORT, were missing the Import Tools options for ‘Import Geofence from KML’ and ‘Import Geofence from Excel’ within Tools & Settings.

Solution: The Security Resource of GEOFENCE_IMPORT has been corrected to ensure that these two Import Geofence Options are now available within Tools & Settings. Any Users, with the Security Resource enabled, will now be able to see these Import choices. No further updates are needed by any Users experiencing this issue.

Milo Fleet Management System Release Notes — Release Date: October 2014

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Milo Fleet Management System Release Notes — Release Date: October 2014
New Report: Queclink GV-500 OBD Report
Benefit to Users:

This New Report provides the Queclink GV-500 OBD Data in an easy to view & use Report Format. This Report will only work with the Queclink GV-500 Device, which provides OBD Data. Prior to this Release, this information was available within the Platform but, not available within any of the Reports.

Highlight:

Any Users tracking with the Queclink GV-500 OBD Device, will be able to take advantage of this Graphical Report. Within the formatting of this Report, Users have the ability to select to View a number of Data Columns including VIN, Diagnostic Codes and Fuel Consumption. By providing this Report, Users are now able to truly utilize all OBD Information sent via the Queclink GV-500 Device. In addition, this will enable the Users to Graph a variety of this OBD Data.

Enhancement: View Battery Level in Monitoring Center
Benefit to Users:

This Enhancement to the Monitoring Center Platform, will enable Users to view the Battery Level reported by Devices. Any Devices reporting Battery Level will display in the Track Page of the Monitoring Center Platform. Prior to this Release, this information was not displayed in the Track Page of the Monitoring Center Platform.

Highlight:

Once logged into the Monitoring Center Platform, and within the Track Page, Users will be able to view the Battery Information along with the additional information reported from the Device. This will be a default setting for any Devices that are currently reporting Battery. Adding this to the Monitoring Center was truly essential as this information is essential for any & all Device monitoring.

Update: Add Notes to Unit in Monitoring Center
Benefit to Users:

This Update to the Item, within the Monitoring Center, will enable the User to quickly add Notes. These Notes are associated with the individual Items – or the Group in which the Item belongs to – in the Monitoring Center. Prior to this Release, the ability to add Notes to Items was only available on the full Platform and not within the Monitoring Center.

Highlight:

Users can now add Notes to the Items within the Track Page of the Monitoring Center. The Note can be added to either the Individual Item or to the entire Group in which the Item belongs. This will enable not just the current User to view the Note but, also any other Users with access to the Item. This is essential for Monitoring Centers with multiple Users, reporting in for multiple shifts.

To add a Note, simply follow these steps:

Login to the Monitoring Center Platform
Select the ‘Track’ Page
Select the Information Pop-Up for the Item in which you wish to add the Note for
Select the ‘Notes’ tab from the Pop-Up
Select the ‘Add Note’ option
Select the ‘Assign to’ and input the Subject & Body of the Note
Select the ‘Save’ Button

Milo Fleet Management System Release Notes – September 2014

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Milo Fleet Management System Release Notes — Release Date: September 2014
Enhancement: Supporting Temperature 3 & 4
Benefit to Users:

This Enhancement is to Support Temperature Values 3 & 4 sent from your Device. The Device would need to be integrated to take advantage of this Enhancement. Prior to this Release, you were only able to see up to 2 Temperature Values. By providing this Enhancement, Users are now able to closely monitor multiple Temperatures in Various Locations of the Platform.

Highlight:

Users will now be able to visualize the Temperature Values 3 & 4 with Gauges on the Informational Pop-Up, In the Item Label Configuration and Item Hover Configuration. Simply follow these steps to visualize the information throughout the Platform:

Login as Site Admin
Select the Sensors tab
Select the Number of Temperature Sensors in use
Provide a Low and High Value (optional)
Login to a Client
Select Tools and Settings
Select Manage General Settings
Select the Map Options Tab
Select Yes to Display Temperature
Choose if you would like to see it in the Item Label and/or Item Hover

Enhancement: Ethanol added to Fuel Type Options
Benefit to Users:

While this field is for informational purposes only, the goal is to have everything documented & located in one place. Providing the option to configure a variety of fuel options, enables the user to make additions as the fuel consumption/monitoring technology becomes available.

Bug Fix: Export KML Feature was Displaying Site Domain instead of Sub Domain Clients
Issue:

When a Sub-Client under their own account exported data to KML, we displayed the main domain instead of the sub-domain. This did not allow our client to fully white label their Platform. This issue was only occurring for a limited amount of Users however, this is now working as expected for everyone.

Solution:

Sub-Clients are now able to export KML without having their Service Providers main domain display for the End Users. This has been corrected for all Platforms to ensure that all users, will receive the comfort of a complete white label solution.

Recover A Stolen Vehicle with GPS Tracking

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Stolen Vehicle

I was speaking to a customer the other day about their GPS tracking system and he told me an interesting story. He said that he had a stolen vehicle recovered because of his GPS tracking system. As a matter of fact he had two stolen vehicles recovered and almost one more. The third one had been stolen from a mechanics shop. It was not discovered for more than a week. The last location showed the vehicle or GPS unit (it had a backup battery) at what appeared to be a chop shop on a seedy side of town.

Milo Fleet Management System

When the customer discovered the vehicle had been stolen he immediately logged into the Milo Fleet Management System. He was able to quickly locate the vehicle. He immediately called the San Antonio Police Department. Police were soon following the vehicle and it was recovered without incident.

Remain Efficient

By recovering the vehicle so quickly the customer saved potential damage to the vehicle and prevented a possible increase in insurance premiums. Not to mention any possible injuries that could have occurred in an accident.

The quick recovery allowed the customer to remain productive. He was not spending his time dealing with insurance, securing a new vehicle, or upset customers. The business kept going and his customers were not affected.

In conclusion, the Milo Fleet Management System allowed our customer to quickly recover two stolen vehicles. The GPS system saved our customer both time and money. I think this story is a great example of the power of GPS tracking.

Thank-you for visiting our blog!

Michael Goldberg
President, Efficient Fleets

Efficient Fleets is a logistics company that uses GPS tracking and mapping to make your fleet safer, more efficient, and less expensive. For more information please contact us.

GPS Tracking Can Help Stop Unauthorized Vehicle Use

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Do you know how much unauthorized use you have?

If a company owns a fleet of vehicles there is a good chance that some drivers are using the vehicle for personal use. This could include running errands, going home during work, or worst of all doing side jobs. Most managers are aware of this, but have a hard time managing it.

The unauthorized use is costly in time, money, and liability. If a company loses control it could cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars per year. Personal errands are a waste of company resources and expose the company to additional risk. Side jobs cost the company more money because in addition they are taking revenue that should be going to the company.

GPS Tracking Can Help Stop Unauthorized Vehicle Use

One of the best ways to make sure that your fleet is being used properly is to use a GPS tracking system. A tracking system will tell you every location that your vehicles have visited. You can mark unauthorized locations and receive an alert if a vehicle visits it.

A GPS system provides an accurate record of the vehicle’s activities. A complete log is kept that can be searched at any time. This can help eliminate disputes between the employer and employee.

Most GPS tracking systems are web based and easy to use. You can monitor your fleet from any computer and in most cases from your smart phone or tablet.

GPS Tracking Tools

There are some basic tools in any GPS tracking system that are useful in preventing unauthorized use. They are geofences and landmarks. A geofence is a boundary that is drawn on the map. The GPS system will track when a vehicle enters and exits all the geofences. A geofence can be drawn around any location that you do not want your fleet to visit. An alert can then be sent to your phone or email.

A landmark is similar to a geofence, but instead of a boundary it is a marker. A landmark is easier to create, but is less accurate than a geofence.

In most cases the unauthorized use will stop almost immediately once the drivers know that GPS tracking has been installed. A quick review of the GPS logs will indicate if any unauthorized stops occurred. The logs can be shared with the driver to help correct the behavior.

Efficient Fleets is a logistics company that uses GPS tracking and mapping to make your fleet safer, more efficient, and less expensive. For more information please contact us.

Automate Mileage Reports

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Automate Mileage Reports

Trucking companies need to calculate the miles each truck drives in their fleet for a variety of reasons. They need to keep up with routine maintenance, calculate trip cost, pay IFTA fuel taxes, and much more.

Traditionally calculating mileage was a tedious, manual task. It often involved a paper, pencil, and clipboard. The driver would write the odometer at the beginning and end of his trip. Someone in the office would have to enter the data into a spreadsheet and then calculate the miles driven. This could take hours or days depending on the size of the fleet.

The amount of time spent recording and calculating mileage is both inefficient and costly to the company. The time spent could be used in a more productive manner.

GPS Tracking Automatically Calculates Mileage

A GPS tracking system can eliminate the time and money wasted in manually calculating the miles each truck drives. The system automatically calculates the mileage. This eliminates the time spent collecting, storing, and calculating mileage.

GPS tracking makes mileage calculations:

1. Easy
2. More Accurate
3. Less Time Consuming

Easy to Use

The user simply runs a mileage report to see how many miles each truck has driven. There is no need to work with a complicated spreadsheet. The report can be run at anytime to check on mileage.

More Accurate

GPS calculated mileage reports are more accurate than mileage collected and calculated by hand. Paper logs depend on the driver to write down the odometer and for someone else to enter the data into a spreadsheet. The manual data entry can allow errors to creep in. With a GPS tracking system the entire data entry process can be eliminated.

Save Time

Automated GPS mileage saves time. Both drivers and office staff will no longer have to spend time collecting, calculating, and storing odometer values. This can reduce operating expenses and increase efficiency.

GPS tracking provides many benefits to trucking companies. One of the greatest benefits is automated mileage reports. They are easy to use, more accurate, and they save time. If you own or manage a trucking company without using GPS then you are leaving money on the table.

Efficient Fleets is a logistics company that uses GPS tracking and mapping to make your fleet safer, more efficient, and less expensive. For more information please contact us.

Enforce Speed Limits on Drilling Sites

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Easily Comply with Speed Limits on Drilling Sites

Speeding on drilling sites is unsafe and expensive. Most of the roads on a drilling site are unpaved and not safe at high speeds. To ensure safety drilling companies enforce speed limits on their properties. They tend to use security companies to monitor the speed of trucks operating on their sites. The companies often enforce compliance through fines and sometimes removal from the well site. As a contractor you are responsible for your driver’s behavior. Unfortunately, it is difficult to enforce safety rules such as speed limits when you are not in the vehicle. The next best thing is to use a GPS tracking system to remotely monitor the speed of your fleet.

Create A Geofence to Monitor Speed Limits

One of the best tools a GPS tracking system provides is the geofence. A geofence is a virtual fence or boundary that can be used to monitor the activity of your fleet on a drilling site or any other location. You can set a speed limit within the geofence to make sure your fleet does not violate that rule. If the rule is broken an alert can be sent directly to a mobile phone or email. The violation is also recorded in a report so it can be retrieved at any time.

The Eagle Ford Shale encompasses a large section of South Texas. It spans 30 counties and is considered the most active shale play in the world. As of April 19, 2014, there are 267 rigs running. With such a large area to cover you need to have the right geofence tools. Make sure the GPS tracking system you are considering has the ability to draw polygon geofences and can import geofences from Google Earth or other sources.

GPS Tracking Makes Compliance Easy

A good GPS tracking system can help make compliance easier and more efficient. There are many rules that have to be enforced and speeding is one of them. One of the most basic functions of a reliable GPS system is monitoring the speed of a vehicle. The system should report the speed and location of the vehicle. You should also have the ability to set a speed alert so you can monitor unsafe driving.

Efficient Fleets is a logistics company that uses GPS tracking and mapping to make your fleet safer, more efficient, and less expensive. For more information please contact us.

Efficient Fleets Welcomes Cleer Transportation!

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Welcome Cleer Transportation to the Efficient Fleets’ Family

We are proud to announce that Cleer Transportation of San Antonio, Texas is part of the Efficient Fleets family. Cleer Transportation is a non-emergency transport company that safely transports patients from their home to a doctor’s visit, clinic, or hospital. A typical day starts around 4:00 AM for most of their drivers and can easily last 12 hours. Their day is spent picking up and dropping off patients. As one patient is dropped off another one has to be picked up. Dozens of patients are transported every day. This can put tremendous pressure on the dispatcher and the driver to be on time and safe. With a fleet of over 10 vehicles this was becoming very difficult to manage.

How Does Efficient Fleets Help

Cleer was looking for a cost effective and easy-to-use solution which they found with Efficient Fleets. Our fleet management and GPS tracking solutions have provided great benefits, such as a safer fleet, better productivity, and improved customer service. They are now able to dispatch more effectively and control fuel costs. With the click of a mouse they know the current location and speed of every vehicle. They can also determine exactly when a van arrives and leaves from any location.

Please contact us if you have any questions about how we have helped Cleer Transportation become more successful. Our mission is to deliver the most innovative fleet management solutions based on GPS, wireless communication, and easy-to-use software.

Happy Holidays!

Michael Goldberg