ALK Technologies Inc. on Wednesday, May 7, announced the release of the PC Miler 22 Product Line, the 22nd annual upgrade of its routing, mileage and mapping software solutions. PC Miler 22 offers new and updated truck restrictions and allowances, toll costs by weight and axle, custom vehicle dimension routing, and real-time fuel optimization, the company says.
“We have significantly enhanced our truck attributes, resulting in an 84 percent increase in truck-restricted roadway,” says Kara Jo Witkowski, senior product manager of business solutions for Princeton, N.J.-based ALK. “With a 159 percent increase in the number of truck restrictions and allowances, PC Miler 22 enhances operations and accounting functions. Our customers expect map data precision, and with the release of PC Miler 22, we have delivered that and more.”
ALK says PC Miler Tolls 22 includes truck-specific toll costs by vehicle weight and axle count; exact tolls costs are calculated based on the departure location, vehicle dimension, route preference, type of toll (cash or discount program) and destination. A single user license with four quarterly updates is included at no charge for a limited time.
According to the company, PC Miler 22 also includes new features and benefits such as the ability to generate routes based on custom vehicle dimensions by height, length, width and weight to ensure that the most optimal route is calculated. The software also is equipped with an automatic update feature to allow users to download software and data updates online quickly and easily.
Fuel Optimization now is included within PC Miler 22, providing optimized fuel purchase plans based on daily prices. PC Miler Fuel Optimization is designed to seamlessly integrate these fueling plans into PC Miler routes, driving directions and maps. PC Miler Fuel Optimization is activated by purchasing a FuelAdvice.com account.
PC Miler 22 now includes 1.8 million weight restrictions and allowances, the company says; information was provided by state and local municipalities, and significant improvements were made across the United States and Canada. Updates include changes in Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, West Virginia, North Dakota, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. PC Miler 22 also features more than 2,800 new height restrictions, according to ALK.
“There are numerous cost pressures facing the industry today, so there truly is a need to base, or at least negotiate, rates based on reality,” says Craig Fiander, vice president of marketing for ALK Technologies. “PC Miler 22 generates real miles and costs via practical routing, plus other critical load parameters like tolls, 53-foot trailer or hazardous materials, eliminating deliberate rating imprecision. The industry now has the ability to base rates and pay drivers on actual miles, to enhance profitability and calculate activity-based costs.”
The company says more than 9.5 million infoUSA points of interest now are included within PC Miler, including truck stops, rest areas, official weigh stations and CAT Scales. PC Miler 22 also allows users to import custom locations such as company-specific locations, pickup/delivery sites and customer locations, according to ALK; additional enhancements include significantly improved map graphics and functionality.
PC Miler runs on Microsoft Windows, Unix and Linux platforms as well as IBM AS/400, iSeries and System i midrange and mainframe computers.
