GPS tracking provides invaluable services and tools for junk removal companies – many you may not even realize. If you’re like most junk removal businesses, you’re already using GPS tracking for navigation. Today’s GPS fleet tracking services offer so much more than simple directions to out of the way locations.

More Efficient Routing

In addition to planning days according to helping route traffic from one job to the next, GPS fleet tracking allows dispatchers to plan drivers’ routes for an entire day according to the most efficient route for fuel and labor costs.

It might not seem like that big of a deal at first glance, but it can save junk removal companies a great deal of money on fuel, labor, and vehicle maintenance year after year. Over time, these savings add up to higher wages for employees and bigger profits for your junk removal business.

Improves Record Keeping

How many times have you had to chase drivers around begging for logs and records so that you can handle billing, file the appropriate papers with local or state authorities, or even take care of payroll and tax obligations? It can be one of the most frustrating aspects of owning a junk removal company. Read the rest of this entry »

Researchers are attempting to learn how endangered manatees are traveling along the Georgia coast; particularly the Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base.

According to Georgia Department of Natural Resources, partnering on the project are scientists and wildlife organizations from both Florida and Georgia. The goal of the project is to map out the migratory paths and habitat use of the mammals and assess their health.

Manatees were caught last week by scientists so they could place a GPS tracking device on them and release them back off the Georgia coast into Cumberland Sound.

Satellite transmitters have now been fitted on five manatees which will enable the scientists to track them while they are moving along the Atlantic Ocean.

Researchers will be able to identify high-use habitats and travel corridors thanks to the GPS tracking technology, Georgia DNR’s marine mammal researcher for the Nongame Conservation Section, Clay George said in a statement. Read the rest of this entry »

Car accidents are the leading cause of death in US teens, killing just about as many drivers as passengers, as well as killing more young adults than suicide or homicide, a new study finds.

Paid through the General Motors Foundation, the new ‘Teens in Cars’ report from Safe Kids Worldwide was based on the national survey involving 1000 adolescents between the ages of 13 and 19 answering questions about their attitudes about road safety.

More than 2400 teens died in motor vehicle accidents in 2012 on US roads. A little over half of the young adults killed, 56 percent were the driver of the vehicle, 44 percent were the passenger. Over half of those killed were not wearing seat belts, according to the study.

Although this study didn’t cite telephoning or texting as being the cause of the car accidents, it did state that around 40 percent of teens polled revealed they had been passengers in vehicles driven by teenagers who were either talking on the phone or texting. Out of the respondents, only 10 percent said they had been in a car that was driven by a teen that was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Read the rest of this entry »

When buying fuel for your vehicle, you usually pay a per-gallon, flat tax. However, in Oregon, a new charge program in the works as of July 1 will change things. Instead of having to pay the normal fuel tax, you would pay a flat tax for each mile you drive.

The point of this program is to fuel cars more efficiently to offset the money that is being lost in fuel taxes. OReGo, a voluntary charge program, opens its doors to 5000 drivers this July.

Being launched by the Oregon Department of Transportation, this program will allow drivers who are participating to be charged 1.5 cents per mile and have their mileage recorded. Their distances will be tracked by using different tracking methods ranging from an Odometer device to a GPS tracking device to a daily diary.

The state’s Department of Transportation and also spokeswoman for the road usage charge program, Michelle Godfrey, states that GPS tracking units will provide the best solution and prove to be a hassle-free option. The drivers will be credited to offset gas tax at the pumps. Read the rest of this entry »

Route optimization is part of GPS fleet management that offers the significant cost savings. When it comes to route optimization, it’s more than trying to figure out the shortest distance between two destinations. It’s a more complicated formula that encompasses a variety of variables and priorities that can have an impact on your profitability and customer satisfaction.

Often, drivers intuitively plan out their routes each day so they are as short as possible. They look for routes that provide them with as little driving time as possible. Their driving routes could be planned out much more efficiently, though, which would allow drivers to finish more work every day, decrease their daily fuel consumption, reduce vehicle wear and tear, and minimize travel time in their vehicle.

The timing and effort put into planning daily routes can be reduced with GPS fleet tracking and route optimization as well. Although the savings might be minimal for drivers that drive the same route daily, for drivers with multiple routes, it can save time by automating the routing process and save substantially. Read the rest of this entry »