Garmin International Inc. announced the expansion of their Telematics API platform and the integration of the fleet 590, the company's first portable and connected fleet management GPS that combines the necessities of fleet management with the simplicity of Garmin navigation.


With vital fleet-tracking abilities and driver-enabled capabilities, the fleet 590 delivers an integrated tracking and dispatch fleet system for business owners and their drivers.

As a highly capable Telematics navigation device designed specifically for the fleet service provider in mind, the fleet 590 integrates a black box, cable and antenna with Garmin's user-interface. The 5-inch touch display is optimal for limiting driver interaction and makes it easy to see driving-related information at a glance.

The device also provides a fleet-friendly design that enables the flexibility to easily transfer from vehicle to vehicle. Since the fleet 590 is portable and does not require a direct hard wiring to the vehicle, any professional installation costs or customer downtime is eliminated, allowing the driver to get back on the road.

With a third-party business partner application, fleet owners have the capability to track their assets at a moment's notice, even during non-business hours. With Continuous Asset Tracking, the fleet owner has instant access to the location of the fleet at any time of the day. Since movement and periodic polling trigger this continuous asset monitoring, owners can rest assured that deliveries and goods are on schedule and visible at all times. And with the addition of electronic time clock functionality, labor and job data can be logged and recorded on the spot.

Another important aspect to the fleet 590 is the ability to provide proper maintenance and upkeep to transportation vehicles. The fleet 590 detects driver behavior and allows the business owner to assess the driver's safety characteristics and driving habits.

Based off the embedded 3-axis accelerometer within the device, speeding, excessive braking, jack-rabbiting and sharp turning can be logged. This helps provide further insight into excessive wear and tear on the vehicles and allows business owners to target and address specific maintenance issues. The threshold parameters can be adjusted, giving a customized insight into the driver's road habits.

With the continued rise of gas prices, it's important to be able to properly detect and improve a fleet's fuel efficiency. With the fleet 590's sophisticated Engine Status Detection system, excessive engine idling is detected and reported, allowing the fleet owner to increase efficiency and save money.

The Smart CLA (cigarette lighter adapter) utilizes an advanced algorithm that is adaptive to different vehicle and engine types. The engine readings are validated by GPS data to produce optimum accuracy.
Nationwide 3G data coverage and U.S. banding allows for the driver to be in constant communication with the fleet's home base. Under the vast AT&T coverage area, drivers can easily be dispatched and communicated with via two-way text messaging as well as a canned messaging interface for one-touch responses.

The fleet 590 will be available for partner integration in the second quarter of 2013.