Qualcomm Inc., a provider of integrated wireless systems, applications and services to transportation and logistics companies, announced the commercial availability schedule for the Vehicle Inspection Report application designed to provide fleets with a simple cost-effective and closed-loop process for completing driver vehicle inspection reports. The application will be available on Qualcomm’s Mobile Computing Platform 110 and 200 in the fourth quarter of 2011, on the MCP100 in the first quarter of 2012 and on the MCP50 when this platform is launched commercially.
Epes Transport System Inc., a truckload van carrier based in Greensboro, N.C., and a Qualcomm customer since 1993, participated in the beta testing of the VIR application. “Based on our beta testing experience with the VIR application, we believe this application will help us decrease operational costs, improve the accuracy of our vehicle inspection reports and focus our efforts on the critical inspection elements and requirements identified by the FMCSA,” says Don Zielinksi, manager of equipment for Epes. “Our drivers really appreciated how the VIR application saved them time and effort, and we are excited about rolling out the application to our entire fleet of more than 800 trucks in the coming months.”
The VIR application is designed to help transportation companies decrease costs by eliminating the need to purchase and process paper DVIRs; by automating the vehicle inspection process with simple prompts and error detection, fleets can reduce mistakes, ensure complete reports and manage the defect resolution process more efficiently. Qualcomm says it can help fleets ensure that inspection reports and necessary maintenance are completed in a timely manner through easy-to-use reporting tools that indicate units that have not recorded a vehicle inspection report in the past 24 hours and vehicles with unresolved reported defects; the application also can integrate with other previously installed third-party software packages to enable additional automation for managing repair efforts.
“The VIR application is another key application we’ve developed to help our customers improve the safety and compliance of their fleet,” says Norm Ellis, vice president of sales, services and marketing for Qualcomm Enterprise Services. “Our commitment to helping fleets operate safely and comply with government regulations remains strong.”
The VIR application sends alerts when defects are identified in vehicle inspection reports and records feedback and remediation history on reports for previously identified defects. The application produces more pinpointed accuracy by providing separate inspection forms for trailers and vehicles; each inspection report includes information on relevant time, location, driver and vehicle data, and the application records vehicle inspection report history for 90 days. It also allows fleets to control user access and editing capabilities for inspection reports, as well as provides search, edit, data exporting and printing capabilities. Drivers can either access the VIR application through Qualcomm’s Hours of Service application or as a standalone application.
