Technology Briefs - Feb. 28 - March 6
- High-Tech Troopers Target Trucks in Washington State
- UPS Brings Delivery Service to Corporate Campuses
- Comdata Online Tool Customizes Fuel Networks
- Greystone Has New Satellite GPS System
- Florida Reefer Chooses Satellite Trailer Tracking
- FAA in Market for High-Tech Air-Security Ideas
- Survey Finds Number of Computer Viruses Increasing
- Northrop Launches Hostile Bid for TRW
- Qualcomm Inks Deals With 11 Truckload Carriers
- Sony Ericsson Unveils Color Screen Phone
- UPS Brings Delivery Service to Corporate Campuses
High-Tech Troopers Target Trucks in Washington State
The Washington State Patrol has added 31 members to its Commercial Vehicle Division that target unsafe truckers with the help of some high-tech gear, the Columbian of Vancouver, Wash., reported Feb. 27.These specially trained troopers each have about $25,000 worth of equipment at their disposal, including a set of portable scales for weighing trucks. The troopers are stationed throughout the state, and also look for truckers who speed, drive aggressively, follow too closely and use the left lane of a freeway where it's prohibited.
Washington receives more than $400 million per year in federal highway funds on condition that it protects highways from damage caused by overweight trucks, the article said. Transport Topics
UPS Brings Delivery Service to Corporate Campuses
United Parcel Service has begun offering a service that allows corporations to ship packages between employees and track those shipments online, the company said Wednesday in a press release.
"We designed CampusShip specifically for customers with facilities and workers who are widely scattered or located on a corporate campus, in industries like the financial, insurance, real estate, legal, automotive and retail industries as well as higher education and government," said Tim Geiken, vice president of e-commerce marketing.
UPS is ranked No. 1 on the 2000-2001 Transport Topics list. Transport Topics
(Click here for the full press release.)
Comdata Online Tool Customizes Fuel Networks
Comdata Corp., the dominant fuel card payment firm, recently announced an Internet-based service to help trucking firms analyze and quickly adjust where their fleets can purchase the lowest-cost fuel while on the road.The Brentwood, Tenn.-based company, widely known for its Comchek credit card and related information services available through truck stops, released Comdata Network Manager to help companies build a network of desired fuel stops from Comdata’s large network of participating fueling locations.
For a monthly fee, subscribers use Comdata’s iConnect-Data.com online business portal to compare current fuel pricing from thousands of locations and develop scenarios to see whether switching fuel merchants improves overall fuel costs.
Network changes can be made online and are automatically linked to the fleet’s Comdata cards, essentially controlling where company drivers can fuel.
The new service is an interactive, real-time alternative to existing fuel management consulting services offered by Comdata. Eric Kulisch
This story appeared in the March 4 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.
Greystone Has New Satellite GPS System
Greystone Group Inc. is releasing its next generation of Global Positioning Satellite tracking and communications system — the Grey-Link System 2000.The small, mobile unit integrates cell phone and GPS technology, making Greystone, based in Smyrna, Tenn., one of the first companies to package the two technologies.
“The potential of the GreyLink 2000 is enormous because we are now able to work with any cellular provider, regardless of its technology, whether it be CDMA, TDMA, GSM or Analog,” Rick Shade, vice president of sales and marketing, said in a release. “This will open doors for us that were previously closed to our analog-only System 1000.”
The system locates vehicles in real-time through a direct dial-up from dispatch to the truck. Greystone said that historical breadcrumb tracking information is also available Transport Topics
This story appeared in the March 4 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.
Florida Reefer Chooses Satellite Trailer Tracking
Sunco Carriers Inc. will track and monitor perishable food shipments throughout its 33-state service area in the South, Midwest and Northeast with two-way trailer tracking devices from Vistar Datacom.Located in Herndon, Va., Vistar uses a satellite network to transmit data and messages to and from unattached trailers.
he Lakeland, Fla.-based refrigerated carrier ordered 520 GlobalWave terminals for its entire trailer fleet and those owned by contractors, Bob Baker, Sunco director of administration, told Transport Topics.
Trailer information will be available via the Internet and will fully integrate with Sunco’s existing logistics management software from McLeod Software.
In-transit visibility is especially important for Sunco, which uses owner-operators to haul its trailers. Sunco officials cited the reliability of satellite service coverage over cellular systems as a major factor in their selection, according to a Vistar statement. Transport Topics
This story appeared in the March 4 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.
FAA in Market for High-Tech Air-Security Ideas
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is looking at remote drones, electron beams and other high-tech means to keep airports safe, Bloomberg reported Friday.The increased use of technology could reduce security breaches, which can delay flights and hold up the delivery of air cargo.
Among the devices being looked at are drone vehicles to patrol airport perimeters and terminals, electron beams to scan luggage and devices to track the movement of people inside a terminal, Bloomberg said.
Congress has authorized $50 million a year from 2002 to 2006 for grants related to security research, Bloomberg reported. Transport Topics
Survey Finds Number of Computer Viruses Increasing
A new survey of North American businesses and other organizations found that the number of computer viruses are rising, and this trend is expected to continue in the future, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday.Computer viruses can hamper the ability of all companies - including trucking - to do business quickly and accurately.
ICSA Labs, which conducted the survey, found that the 300 companies reported 1.2 million incidents on 666,327 computers over a 20-month period ended Aug 2001, the Journal said. These companies had a monthly average of 103 infection per 1,000 computers, up 13% from the year before.
The survey found that 28% of these companies had a virus disaster, defined as 25 or more computers infected at the same time. Transport Topics
Northrop Launches Hostile Bid for TRW
Spurned so far in its attempt to acquire vehicle parts manufacturer and defense contractor TRW, Northrop Gumman Corp. took a $6 million bid directly to shareholders Sunday, Reuters said.TRW makes technology products, including vehicle-tracking equipment, for the automobile and truck markets.
Ohio law gives Cleveland-based TRW 10 days to set a date for a special shareholder's meeting to vote on the hostile bid. The vote must be held within 60 days of the launch of the tender offer.
Last week, Visteon Corp. entered the picture, expressing an interest in certain pieces of TRW. Visteon has made no further moves.
Los Angeles-based Northrop, which unveiled its offer to TRW executives in a February 21 letter, said it had not yet received a "substantive response" from TRW's board, which last week informed Northrop it needed more time to review the bid. (Click here for an earlier story.) Transport Topics
Qualcomm Inks Deals With 11 Truckload Carriers
Qualcomm Inc., a mobile communications provider, said Monday that it has signed usage agreements with 11 major U.S. truckload carriers who will use its OmniTRACS communications system.OmniTRACS is a satellite-based mobile communications and tracking system that provides real-time messaging and position reporting between fleets and their operations centers, the company said.
Since the beginning of the 2002 fiscal year, Van Wyck, Florida Express, WH Transportation, Dart Trucking, Interstate Carriers and Zenith Freight have all signed new contracts to use OmniTRACS; while Swift Transportation, System TWT, Manfredi Motor Transit, Oliver Trucking and Millis Transfer have all renewed existing usage agreements.
"Fleets are confident that Qualcomm's mobile communications solutions will help them to provide safe transportation on the nation's highways, while finding increased productivity gains and operating efficiencies," said Glynn Spangenberg, vice president of truckload business operations.
(Click here for the full press release.)
Sony Ericsson Unveils Color Screen Phone
Cell phone manufacturer Sony Ericsson debuted a new mobile phone handset with a color screen, Reuters reported Tuesday.Cell phones and other wireless technologies have become popular amongst truckers who use them to contact their employers and families while on the road.
The company made the presentation at a news conference Tuesday in London, Reuters said. The firm also rolled out games, music and movie clips specifically designed for the phone’s color screen.
Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications was established in 2001 by telecommunications leader Ericsson and consumer electronics powerhouse Sony Corp. The company is equally owned by Ericsson and Sony. Transport Topics
