As the United States is gripped by bitterly cold temperatures, even sharks are looking for an escape from the frigidity of winter into warmer waters.

How cold is it across the country? According to CNN, all 50 states recorded temperatures below freezing (32 degrees F) on Tuesday, January 2, 2018. It’s not a one-day even either, since 90 percent of the country didn’t cross the 32-degree threshold on New Year’s Day and the nation watched as revelers rang in the New Year wrapped in heavy winter coats.

Records are being broken across the U.S. for low temperatures and it isn’t isolated to one part of the country. Even Florida is feeling the frost with waterparks closing and fountains freezing over from the cold. Which brings us to the story of sharks fleeing frigid waters in search of warmth this winter.

This is the story of Miss Costa. She’s a 12-foot long great white shark whose journey is being watched over by OCEARCH, an organization that tracks and studies a variety of marine species, thanks to GPS tracking. OCEARCH first “tagged” Miss Costa with a GPS located in September of 2016. They track her location because she pings a satellite every time her dorsal fin breaks the water’s surface.

In July of 2017, Miss Costa was hanging out around the waters of southern Nantucket. But she began heading south, making an appearance near Wilmington, North Carolina in early November before heading further south near Georgetown, South Carolina six days later. Her journey didn’t end there, though, as she headed further south, making it to the waters near Key West on Christmas and then showing up off the Sarasota County coast, in the Gulf of Mexico on January 1, 2018.

Unfortunately, some sharks aren’t making it south. Instead, they are washing up on beaches after being frozen to death, like three thresher sharks the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy found washed up on the shores of Cape Cod.

While the bulk of land-faring U.S. residents are shivering in the cold waiting for an end to the brutally cold temperatures, we are finding important teachable moments in evolution taking place in the water. It will be interesting to learn why some sharks, like Miss Costa head south in search of warmer waters at times like these while others freeze in the water and wash up on shore instead. GPS tracking and organization like OCEARCH are making it possible to study these creatures and the lessons they have to offer up close.

Residents of Bologna, Italy can now participate in a program that rewards them for making eco-friendly decisions. The initiative, dubbed Bella Mossa, offers incentives such as free ice cream, movie tickets and beer from April to September. To gain these free rewards, residents simply need to download an app on their smartphone called Better Points. Next, residents need to make the decision to either walk, take public transportation or bicycle through the city rather than traveling with their own personal vehicle.

Participants can log and track up to four journeys each day. Points are given to each participant based on the number of trips they have taken regardless of the distance traversed.

To maintain the integrity of the program, the application utilizes the smartphone’s GPS tracker to verify each entry. A user’s GPS data can confirm the type of transportation utilized and the distance traveled. As an added bonus feature, the app will also inform the user how much carbon dioxide was saved by choosing to use alternative transportation on each trip.

This inventive and innovative program was brainstormed by Marco Amdori, an urban planner, back in 2017. The idea was an instant hit, and both Bologna’s local government and the European Union were so thrilled with the concept that they helped fund the development of the program. During the app’s testing phase last year, participants logged an incredible 3.7 million kilometers of eco-friendly travel throughout the city.

Last month, Bologna won the CIVITAS “Bold Measure Award” for the Bella Mossa app. The award is given each year to the city that acts as a pioneer in adopting certain approaches that are likely to become widespread in the future. During the award ceremony, the city’s Mayor, Irene Priolo, explained that the app “has been one of the most effective tools to promote sustainable mobility in our city.”

BBC News reports that an overwhelming 100 businesses around Bologna city have agreed to join the Better Points program. Points accrued on the app can be redeemed at these local businesses. While this program is currently restricted to residents of the city, Bologna officials are working on new methods that will help encourage tourists to also join in on the socially responsible practices.

No matter which cold-weather industry you call your own, GPS fleet tracking can help you improve productivity and profit with a wide range of tools designed to help you manage your fleet more efficiently. From cutting fuel costs to reducing overtime, to improving customer satisfaction and retention, GPS fleet tracking services are top choices for helping you accomplish your goals for this winter and beyond.

These are just a few of many industries that can specifically benefit from GPS fleet tracking tools.

Salt Supply Companies

In cold-weather climates where snow and ice are frequent hazards on the road, salt is a precious commodity. In fact, NBCNews reports that 43 percent of ice sold in the U.S. is sold for the purpose of de-icing highways. When municipalities call in need of salt, it is up to your drivers to make the deliveries – no matter what Mother Nature has in store.

GPS fleet tracking can help you identify the most efficient routes, avoid road hazards, and steer clear of the worst weather systems heading your way. You can also use GPS tracking to allow cities and counties eagerly awaiting their salt supplies to track your drivers’ progress, so they know exactly when to expect their deliveries.

Furnace Repair Services

Perhaps the most eagerly anticipated person anywhere during winter is the furnace repair man or woman when someone’s furnace is on the fritz. There are few things more frustrating than facing a cold snap when the furnace goes out of whack. Appointment windows in the past have been more guidelines than windows and you can make your customers extremely happy by giving them highly specific and accurate appointment windows for their furnace repair services.

Using GPS to plan routes creates greater efficiency and improves driver accountability to the timelines provided to them. More importantly, GPS systems can notify HVAC customers immediately if there is the risk of a delay due to unforeseen circumstances.

Plumbers

While not a cold-weather specific industry, plumbers are frequently called out to handle burst pipes and other plumbing problems that are exacerbated by the cold. The ability to respond to the right location in a timely manner will earn you brownie points with all your customers and make you a true hero for many families.

You don’t have to have a large fleet of trucks operating during winter months to enjoy many benefits of GPS fleet tracking. In fact, one or two trucks that are improving efficiency and customer satisfaction can build your profits and your profile in the community so that next winter, you may need to purchase additional vehicles to meet new demand.

For a free LiveViewGPS fleet tracking demo, give us a call at 1-888-544-0494.