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HERNDON, Va. - March 16, 2006 - GeoLogic Solutions, the transportation industry's leading provider of Multi-Mode mobile communications and tracking systems, today announced that Accelerated Freight Group is reporting significant fuel savings using the ADV Monitor™ feature available with its MobileMax™ Multi-Mode communications and tracking system. The optional, patented ADV Monitor provides real-time information on vehicle and driver performance, sent automatically and without the need for driver interaction.
"This technology gives us the ability to cut costs," said Robert Bowman, president of Accelerated Freight. "Trucking margins are very thin, and today we also have record high fuel prices. With ADV we get accurate and timely performance data on each driver and vehicle, including hours and miles driven, odometer readings, idle hours and miles per gallon.
"By monitoring idle time and MPG with ADV on a real-time basis we can be proactive, rather than react to problems after they've already cost us fuel and money," Bowman continued. "Using ADV, we can monitor idle time, the one thing that drivers can completely control when it comes to fuel consumption. That capability alone has proven very beneficial."
According to Bowman, Accelerated Freight has improved fuel economy by .5 miles per gallon and saved $230,000 in fuel costs in six months, by using the ADV Monitor to help reduce idle time. "That's a conservative figure," he added. "Using averages of 150,000 miles per year and a fuel cost of $2.40 per gallon, an improvement in fuel economy from 5.0 to 5.5 MPG saves over 2,700 gallons per truck annually. With 70 tractors, our savings could easily exceed $250,000 every six months. In addition, the added cost of the ADV Monitor is very minimal so the return on our investment in this technology is very fast."
Headquartered in Theodore, Alabama, Accelerated Freight Group operates 70 late-model tractors in long-haul, dedicated and intermodal service for customers in the Southeast, Southwest, Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states, as well as southern California. All of its p ower units are equipped with GeoLogic MobileMax communications systems, which are fully integrated into its enterprise system.
Accelerated Freight is a member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's SmartWay Transport, a voluntary partnership between freight industry sectors and EPA that establishes incentives for fuel efficiency improvements and greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Through its participation, the company has improved the MPG of its fleet by adopting a variety of technologies with about half its overall MPG improvement attributed to the GeoLogic ADV Monitor.
Brett Vitrano, Operations Research at Accelerated Freight, explained how the information from the GeoLogic ADV Monitor makes that possible. "At the end of every week we download the data from the ADV Monitor into an Excel spreadsheet that sorts and organizes the information," he related. "Based on macros we've established, we print a customized letter for each of our drivers detailing whether they are above, below, or within acceptable idle time percentages. Drivers who exceed our goals are rewarded with bonuses, and those who are below the threshold are called to discuss contributing factors, such as a problem with the truck or their operating habits. We also print out a list of techniques for those drivers to help them improve their idle time performance."
The ADV Monitor also helps Accelerated Freight improve the safety of it operations. For example, by identifying over-speed and hard-braking incidents, driver safety performance can be addressed. In addition, Accelerated is able to monitor 25 engine and vehicle parameters directly from the engine's Electronic Control Module, enhancing vehicle performance by quickly identifying equipment problems and scheduling the vehicle for service.
The ADV Monitor is enhancing business processes at Accelerated Freight as well. For example, when the GeoLogic MobileMax system detects a state line crossing, ADV logs and immediately sends the new state, odometer reading, GPS position, date and time, and truck and driver ID to the carrier's enterprise solution for fuel tax calculation.
"We initially adopted the ADV Monitor to help improve driver performance, but it has also brought us other benefits," Bowman concluded. "While we already have a low driver turnover rate, ADV is a valuable retention tool because it lets us communicate in a positive way with our drivers. Solutions like MobileMax and the ADV Monitor are great examples of technology that provide visibility into our operations, help us make better decisions and automate key processes, enhance safety, and ultimately improve our bottom line. GeoLogic is a very valuable part of the team at Accelerated Freight Group."
About GeoLogic Solutions
Based in Herndon , Virginia , GeoLogic Solutions is a Platinum Equity company that provides the commercial trucking industry with wireless asset management solutions that reduce operational costs while increasing overall efficiency. MobileMax™, the leading mobile communications and tracking system to utilize both terrestrial and satellite-based networks, is installed on over 35,000 commercial trucks. For more information go to
www.goGeoLogic.com.
Susan Fall
(858) 490-1050
susan@launchitpr.com
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