PeopleNet, a provider of Internet-based and integrated onboard computing and mobile communications management, and Iteris Inc., a provider of advanced technologies designed to improve the safety of surface transportation systems, announced a new partnership to integrate Iteris’ Safety Direct with PeopleNet’s onboard and mobile communications systems.
PeopleNet also announced that it has partnered with Summary Systems, enabling the integration of Summary Systems’ Point of Delivery Mobile Suite software with PeopleNet’s onboard computing system.
The partnerships were announced at the National Private Truck Council’s 2009 Annual Education Management Conference & Exhibition, being held in Nashville, Tenn.
Iteris
Iteris’ Safety Direct is designed to analyze driver performance data captured by Iteris’ AutoVue Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system. This driver performance information now can be delivered directly to fleet operators through integration with PeopleNet’s onboard and mobile communications systems and Iteris’ Safety Direct data server, according to the companies.
“This integrated solution enables driver performance information, such as excessive curve speed or lane changes without using a turn signal, to be collected by Safety Direct, transmitted through PeopleNet’s onboard computer to Safety Direct’s Web portal, and accessed by fleet operators,” says Abbas Mohaddes, president and chief executive officer of Iteris, based in Santa Ana, Calif. “In addition, these events can be combined with PeopleNet’s driver log information to provide fleet and safety managers with tools to identify driver-specific behavior and patterns.”
Research conducted by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) revealed that 58 percent of total automotive-based fatalities were related to lane departures in 2006. The organization estimates that a lane departure occurs every 21 minutes in the United States. Iteris says its Safety Direct and AutoVue Lane Departure Warning systems are part of a comprehensive suite of active safety driver assistance features that help to reduce the number of motor vehicle crashes and the severity of crash-related injuries.
“Fleets are under regulatory pressure to meet legislated safety standards,” says Brian McLaughlin, chief operating officer of PeopleNet, based in Minneapolis. “Private fleets are sensitive to safety performance’s impact on their companies’ public image. Feedback on both Safety Direct and Lane Departure Warning systems is extremely positive. Safety Direct gives fleet safety managers the tools to identify both poor and outstanding drivers.”
Summary Systems
The companies say the device-agnostic software can be implemented in virtually any lower-cost handheld device’s Windows Mobile or Windows CE platform; Point of Delivery Mobile Suite captures real-time delivery data and uses the PeopleNet wireless network to transport the critical data to the corporate office.
“The incorporation of point-of-delivery software into PeopleNet gives fleets the opportunity to automate delivery routes, streamline dispatch and driver operations, eliminate paperwork and save communications costs by taking advantage of the onboard wireless network and lower-cost handheld hardware – critical issues for improving operational efficiency,” says Randy Boyles, vice president of tailored solutions for PeopleNet. “Customers will also have the flexibility of having us tailor the point-of-delivery software to meet their particular needs.”
Both PeopleNet and Summary Systems say they integrate with key dispatch software to streamline the seamless transfer of data from the vehicle’s PeopleNet onboard computer to the point-of-delivery solution to the back office without having to key in delivery data; this integration also automates delivery routes and dispatch, and expedites invoicing. The real-time information also helps fleet managers manage by exception and on the fly to improve driver efficiency in and out of the cab, as well as to expedite invoicing, according to the companies.
“Our new partnership with PeopleNet provides the industry handheld point-of-delivery software for onboard integration as well as portable use,” says Bob Montana, Summary Systems president. “The combination of our proven technologies will meet the growing demand for delivery scanning and electronic signature collection.”
