Technology Briefs - March 8 - March 14
The Latest Headlines:
- Meridian IQ Buys Chinese Logistics Firm
- Maddocks Unveils New Fleet-Management Technology
- Cargo Transporters to Buy Qualcomm Trailer-Tracking Units
- PeopleNet Reports Higher Orders, Revenue for 2004
- i2Technologies Names CEO
- Maddocks Unveils New Fleet-Management Technology
Meridian IQ Buys Chinese Logistics Firm
Meridian IQ said Thursday it acquired GPS Logistics Group, based in Shanghai, China.Meridian IQ, a logistics and supply chain management unit of Yellow Roadway Corp., did not release terms of the deal. It said it now owns and operates facilities in the United States, Europe, Latin America and Asia.
The company said in a statement it has worked with GPS Logistics for more than three years. In 2003, Meridian had acquired the GPS Logistics’ U.S. operations, and in 2004 acquired its U.K. operations.
Yellow Roadway is No. 3 on the Transport Topics 100 listing of U.S. and Canadian for-hire carriers. Transport Topics
Maddocks Unveils New Fleet-Management Technology
Maddocks Systems Inc. said Monday it released new trucking software to complement its existing fleet-management technology.The new system, called Command Center, is an additional tool for users of the company’s TruckMate system, said Neal Cranna, Maddocks’ marketing manager.
“It gathers everything entered into the TruckMate system and analyzes the data for trends, service failure alerts . . . [and] provides customizable executive-level views,” he said.
The British Columbia-based company introduced the new system in February and already has 100 fleet customers using it, Cranna said. Transport Topics
Cargo Transporters to Buy Qualcomm Trailer-Tracking Units
Dry-van truckload carrier Cargo Transporters will equip 1,000 of its trailers with Qualcomm Inc.’s untethered trailer tracking system, Qualcomm said Thursday.Qualcomm’s T2 TrailerTRACS system uses global positioning system and cellular technology to track trailers.
Untethered devices attach to a cargo trailer and send signals to a monitoring location without routing signals through the truck’s cab.
Cargo Transporters, which specializes in time-sensitive and air freight shipments, is part of CT Group, based in Claremont, N.C. Transport Topics
PeopleNet Reports Higher Orders, Revenue for 2004
PeopleNet Communications Corp. said Monday its 2004 orders rose 75% from the previous year.The privately held company did not disclose earnings or revenue but said its revenue and shipments each rose more than 40% over the previous year.
PeopleNet also said it had released new systems to track driver performance and detention time.
PeopleNet provides onboard computing and wireless services to fleets that track trucks via satellite-based global positioning systems and transmit the information to fleet managers via cellular networks.
i2Technologies Names CEO
Supply chain management firm i2 Technologies Inc. named Michael McGrath its chief executive officer, the company said.McGrath replaces Sanjiv Sidhu, who remains chairman. The company said in July that Sidhu had intended to step down and that it would begin to search for a successor CEO.
McGrath joined the i2 board last August. He co-founded Pittiglio Rabin Todd & McGrath, management consulting firm to technology-based companies. Transport Topics
