PeopleNet Communications last month made commercially available its eDriver Logs, an automated hours-of-service application for its PeopleNet g2x Wireless Fleet System. The company last month also released enhancements to its PerformX vehicle diagnostics application and announced several new customers as well as new pricing options.
Initially announced last spring, eDriver Logs allows drivers to enter duty status information directly into their onboard computers through PeopleNet’s message display or a Palm handheld device. The system meets federal requirements for an automatic onboard recorder of driver duty time, the company says.
eDriver Logs offers real-time violation alerts so that the driver, dispatcher and safety manager can be notified one hour in advance that a driver has exhausted his allowed hours. The system also allows authorized personnel to view the status of a driver’s hours of service for the day or week. The information is also available for viewing by a driver or roadside inspector. eDriver Logs eliminates the need to key data or scan logs, reducing administrative time by up to 20 minutes per driver per month, the company says. As hours-of-service regulations change, eDriver Logs can be updated wirelessly through the company’s OTAP technology.
The upgrades to PerformX include customizable sudden start and stop alarms, notifying fleet managers when a driver accelerates or decelerates too quickly. In addition, PerformX reports now can be run by driver as well as vehicle to better isolate drivers that need improvements in fuel efficiency, idling and speeding.
PeopleNet has introduced new pricing options covering homeland security and unlimited messaging. The homeland security package, which ranges from $30 to $40 a month per unit, depending on features, starts with basic GPS tracking and hourly position reports. The more robust option includes 911 emergency calls through an in-cab handset, on-demand fleet location and PACOS, which provides automatic notification of key events between initial dispatch and delivery completion.
