Catch4 Technologies, Lakewood, Colo., has launched a fleet management solution called MODUS designed for truckload fleets from five to 500 vehicles.

MODUS currently includes GPS tracking, logistics management, dispatch and online payment functions. Catch4 says more modules are in development.
MODUS tracking information is forwarded from trucks to the Catch4 service center using the Orbcomm low-earth-orbit satellite network. Location updates can occur at intervals from every two hours to every 15 minutes. The two-hour option costs $29 per truck per month. Fifteen-minute updates cost $59 per truck per month. The carrier and authorized customers view updated information, including detailed mapping, over the Internet.
MODUS software assists with load assignments to appropriate trucks, trailers and driver based on loads, location and availability.
The package includes an online freight payment tool that automatically bills shippers and pays carriers electronically. Catch4 charges fleet owners a 1.5% transaction fee when this service is used.
For a fleet of from five to 50 trucks the MODUS software suite license costs $3,000 with unlimited usage for one year. Subsequent years involve an 18-percent surcharge, or $540, to cover the cost of upgrades and technical support. GPS hardware costs $599 per unit and comes in a window mirror-mounted version or a flat, roof-mounted version. Catch4 offers a product leasing option of approximately $20 per month/per truck.
MODUS software runs on a PC with Microsoft Windows 98 or later version according to Catch4 Technologies, which is a subsidiary of Pacific Western Technologies Ltd.