Just under a year after being cut loose from Meritor Automotive, Tripmaster Corp. says it's doing just fine and is moving ahead with aggressive product development plans.

CEO and co-owner Richard Geib said the company is still servicing over 125,000 of its onboard computer models in the field and has committed around 40% of its total operating budget to research and development.
Geib said the company is ready to offer an electronic onboard recording device for under $1,000 if and when the device is mandated by new hours-of-service rules. "We won't introduce a device until we see the final rule," Geib said. "It may be that we just need to make a software change to the units we already have out there."
Tripmaster has announced a number of enhancements to its product line in recent months:
* Tripmaster Office software replaces InfoTrax software, making it easier for fleets to select only the modules they need for their operations.
* New Model DT-120 onboard computer which comes with a GPS option to provide location and tracking data for automated fuel tax reporting and electronic driver log preparation.
* Tripmaster Wireless, a local area network data transfer system which allows data downloading from vehicles in a fleet's yard up to 3,000 feet away.
* Tripmaster Standards, a module for use with Tripmaster Office which allows fleets to set standards for driver efficiency and performance.
* Routes software which allows complete route plans to be loaded into onboard computers from several popular routing software packages.
* Joint venture with Systems Application Engineering targeted at food distribution fleets which integrates Tripmaster onboard computer with SAE's Driver Pro software and Symbol Technology's Model 2700 pen computers.
* Partnership with J.J. Keller & Associates to provide integrated fuel tax reporting through an interface with Keller's Fuel Tax Master software.