Saving Fuel Costs with GeoLogic’s ADV Monitor

GeoLogic Solutions, which provides mobile communications and tracking systems to the trucking industry, has announced that Accelerated Freight Group is reporting significant fuel savings using the ADV Monitor feature available with its MobileMax

Multi-Mode communications and tracking system.
The optional, patented ADV Monitor provides real-time information on vehicle and driver performance, sent automatically and without the need for driver interaction.
“This technology gives us the ability to cut costs,” said Robert Bowman, president of Accelerated Freight. “Trucking margins are very thin, and today we also have record high fuel prices. With ADV we get accurate and timely performance data on each driver and vehicle, including hours and miles driven, odometer readings, idle hours and miles per gallon.
“By monitoring idle time and mpg with ADV on a real-time basis we can be proactive, rather than react to problems after they’ve already cost us fuel and money,” Bowman continued. “Using ADV, we can monitor idle time, the one thing that drivers can completely control when it comes to fuel consumption. That capability alone has proven very beneficial.”
According to Bowman, Accelerated Freight has improved fuel economy by .5 mpg and saved $230,000 in fuel costs in six months, by using the ADV Monitor to help reduce idle time. “That’s a conservative figure,” he added. “Using averages of 150,000 miles per year and a fuel cost of $2.40 per gallon, an improvement in fuel economy from 5.0 to 5.5 mpg saves over 2,700 gallons per truck annually. With 70 tractors, our savings could easily exceed $250,000 every six months. In addition, the added cost of the ADV Monitor is very minimal so the return on our investment in this technology is very fast.”
Brett Vitrano, Operations Research at Accelerated Freight, explained how the information from the GeoLogic ADV Monitor makes that possible. “At the end of every week we download the data from the ADV Monitor into an Excel spreadsheet that sorts and organizes the information,” he related. “Based on macros we’ve established, we print a customized letter for each of our drivers detailing whether they are above, below, or within acceptable idle time percentages. Drivers who exceed our goals are rewarded with bonuses, and those who are below the threshold are called to discuss contributing factors, such as a problem with the truck or their operating habits. We also print out a list of techniques for those drivers to help them improve their idle time performance.”
Based in Herndon, Va., GeoLogic Solutions provides the commercial trucking industry with wireless asset management solutions that reduce operational costs while increasing overall efficiency. MobileMax, a mobile communications and tracking system that utilizes both terrestrial and satellite-based networks, is installed on more than 35,000 commercial trucks. For more information, go to www.goGeoLogic.com.