Considering Fleet Tracking? CyberTrac Has GPS Solution
Superintendent’s Profile - July 2023
If you are responsible for a fleet of vehicles and equipment and have given any thought to fleet tracking GPS technology, you may want to take a look at CyberTrac.
CyberTrac is cutting-edge fleet tracking that was developed and customized for the industry's needs by Jon Scott, a New York State highway superintendent. Jon has been the highway superintendent of the town of Kirkland (near Utica) for 15 years and had been an employee of the town of Kirkland for 10 years prior to becoming superintendent.
Jon focused on GPS fleet tracking almost immediately after becoming highway superintendent.
"As I looked at all of the assets within the township's fleet of trucks, tractors, heavy equipment, mowers, etc., I was certain that it would be beneficial to have the ability to monitor everything in the fleet and be able to gather, track and maintain data such as maintenance information at the same time," he said.
Jon was fortunate back in 2013 to find a company that was in its formative stage and was pioneering asset tracking and was open to working with him to take a hard look at some of the unique aspects of a highway department's fleet and customize the product to meet those needs.
The end result was so impressive that Jon made the decision to form a company called CyberTrac to market, sell and support the product.
What Is Vehicle Tracking?
Basic vehicle tracking is essentially dots on a map — where exactly are my vehicles? when did they arrive? how long have they been there?
The CyberTrac system expands beyond monitoring trucks, vehicles, construction equipment, etc. It has proven to be a cost-effective way to track non-powered equipment such as dumpsters, trailers, "trailerable" equipment, equipment attachments, trenchers, all the way down to walk-behind mowers. In addition to dots on the map, CyberTrac offers a maintenance management portal to track service intervals and operational costs on a per hour basis.
A construction and agricultural dealership in central New York has tagged virtually every item in its inventory and has found it to be an invaluable tool in locating stolen equipment or rentals delivered to the wrong location. There are many different reasons equipment can disappear, but with this system, the dealer is able to locate everything from his or her cellphone.
What Are the Benefits?
The most obvious benefit to this technology is being able to view your fleet in real time. There is tremendous value and peace of mind in having real-time access to your assets on your computer or on your phone where you can access from virtually anywhere you go.
You can set up real time alerts concerning your vehicle's activities, such as when your vehicle is arriving or leaving a location, if there is aggressive driving or speeding, to name a few. The reports are highly customizable and can report historical data in customized formatted reports with categories such as Roads Plowed, Salted, Proof of Service, Speed, Driver Behavior, etc. Of course, the obvious value is the ability to immediately locate lost, stolen or misplaced equipment, eliminating expensive insurance claims or lost time while employees search for a machine dropped off at the wrong site.
Recently, CyberTrac was used in Utica by the organizers of the Utica Boilermaker, one of the best-known marathon races in the country, which has tens of thousands of participants. The Boilermaker organizers used CyberTrac to monitor all of their EMS assets with the idea being if any runner or spectator was in distress, they could at a glance identify the nearest EMS, look at the traffic situation in real time and dispatch the EMS to the distressed individual and tell them the best traffic route to take.
Advancing Technology
The next wave of technology in this industry is video telematics. Nearly everyone is feeling the pressure of the increased emphasis on safety and reducing liability. With video telematics all of the data and benefits listed above are conjoined with undeniable photo or video proof.
The global dashcam market is exploding across America. Every day, the odds of being involved in a vehicle accident with another motorist and the incident being recorded by the other vehicle increases significantly. If the other vehicle has the data and you do not, the recorded data is most likely going to be used in their favor.
"We have seen this technology pay off several times," Jon said. "We have had drivers accused of reckless driving or speeding that we could prove that simply was not true. We had one of our town trucks accused of passing a school bus that was picking up children. The video proved definitively that the school bus driver never put their lights on, thus relieving our driver of any responsibility."
This technology not only protects you, but it also protects your drivers. Events such as aggressive driving, speeding, distracted driving, drowsy driving, following too closely, are all just a few of risky behaviors that can be identified that could ultimately result in tremendous monetary costs, personal injury and loss of life. As an alternative, you can look at these incidents as coachable moments and be able to work with your employees to become safer and more valuable members of your team.
"While the cost of nearly everything else we deal with is on the rise, the cost of this technology is moving downward as it improves," Jon said. "For less than what we used to pay for the most basic ‘dots on the map' tracking service, today, a comprehensive video telematics package can be provided and the hardware and monitoring costs are negligible. In reality, these investments pay for themselves as time goes on."
Whether it is "dots on a map." video telematics, electronic log compliance, maintenance management, tracking a fleet of vehicles or a yard full of rental equipment, CyberTrac offers a complete affordable solution.
For more information, contact Jon Scott at 315/725-7483, email jon@cybertrac.us or visit www.cybertrac.us.