“Amazon Enters the Trucking Industry”

Since its inception, Amazon has disrupted nearly every industry it has been involved in, from e-commerce to supply chain management. Despite its humble beginnings as an online bookstore, Amazon has branched out into a fully sized retail giant with distribution centers located across the country. Hungry for more, Amazon is now setting its sights on the freight shipping industry for two reasons. First, to solve the gap between incredible demand from its customers and the supply shortage from traditional logistics companies. Second, to make a profit by leveraging the vast shipping network it has built over the years.

Earlier last year, Amazon quietly began testing its own version of “Uber for trucking,” which pairs trucking companies with available shipments to help complete deliveries and fill seats in delivery trucks. Unlike Uber, the service utilizes licensed trucking companies instead of individuals, but we may soon see that change if driver shortages get worse. Similar concepts, such as load boards, have been around for over a decade, but never before have we seen a company from outside the transportation and logistics industry attempt to fill their own shipments.

To search for shipments, a partnering trucking company can visit freight.amazon.com to access the load board and sign up to carry the shipment. Once the trucking company accepts a job, the driver then receives all the information he or she needs to complete the shipment, including shipment and route tracking, as well as expedited check-in procedures at the warehouse via an app called “Relay.” 

While the general public has been largely unaware of the service, an Amazon representative confirmed that it is nothing new. “We work with many line-haul service providers in our transportation network and have long utilized them to carry loads for Amazon. This service, intended to better utilize our freight network, has been around in various forms for quite some time.”

However, rather than just using the network to source its own needs, Amazon is now opening it to the public as a sort of marketplace for sourcing shipments. On freight.amazon.com you can now find the headline, “tap into the scale of Amazon as we extend our carrier network to give you best-in-class service at great rates.” And if you scroll down to the bottom of the page, you can find a legal disclaimer that Amazon Logistics, Inc. is a licensed freight broker.

Of course, if we are going to call Amazon’s new freight brokerage site the “Uber of Freight” we can’t neglect to mention that Uber themselves launched their own freight service in 2017 called Uber Freight. The service has been quite successful, earning about $125 million in revenue last quarter according to information from Uber’s recent IPO filing. In the IPO filing, Uber also cited research from Armstrong & Associates which says that US companies spent $700 billion on trucking in 2017.

Taking these numbers into account, it’s rather obvious why giants like Uber and Amazon are interested in getting involved in the trucking industry. After all, solving the driver shortage would have a very high economic benefits for everyone involved.   

New DashCam Uses Facial Recognition

New Dashcam uses Facial Recognition

When it comes to vehicle safety technology, dash cameras are nothing new. Drivers have been using them to record their daily commutes and prevent insurance fraud since the early 2000's when digital video camera technology became affordable enough for the general public to purchase. Shortly after, commercial fleets began to see the potential of dash cams and started to install them in their vehicles to protect themselves from lawsuits and prove the innocence of their drivers in court.

In recent years, dash camera manufacturers have begun to develop robust, powerful features that go far beyond merely recording the scene of an accident. Live streaming technology, 4G mobile internet, and the ability to mount multiple cameras on a single vehicle have greatly expanded the benefits of having a dash camera system in your fleet. Rather than just protecting themselves after the fact, fleets have recently enjoyed the ability to monitor their drivers and provide enhanced safety training and feedback in real time.

Integrated GPS and G-Force sensors in dash cams have also revolutionized fleet tracking, as fleet managers have access to an all-in-one solution that provides extremely detailed vehicle location information. As goes without saying, a GPS system in each vehicle can help reduce theft and provide customers with the whereabouts of their long-awaited online orders. One of the many overlooked benefits of GPS, however, is that it can reduce operating costs by helping managers monitor the speed and distance traveled by a fleet vehicle. G-force sensors, on the other hand, provide additional insights into driver behavior and identify sharp turns, unnecessary acceleration, and dangerously quick lane changes.

So what’s new for dash cameras and fleet safety technology? As it turns out, ADAS systems are being implemented into cameras to provide both fleet managers and drivers with an incredible set of tools. By using multiple video feeds of vehicle cameras as their eyes, sophisticated programs can alert drivers of vehicles in their blind spots, assist them when changing lanes, or even bring them to a screeching halt when obstacles pass in front of them.

The next generation of fleet dash cameras is going above and beyond by providing incredibly accurate methods of identifying drowsy and distracted driving as they occur. Safety Track’s new line of dash cams, for example, use both AI and facial recognition to determine whether or not a driver is yawning, closing their eyes, or talking on the phone in real time. It can even tell if they are smoking or drinking while behind the wheel! (To see how exactly this new tech works, check out the video on our page.)

The full benefits of this new technology have yet to become fully realized, but proponents of AI-equipped dash cameras claim that the more mundane aspects of fleet management like constantly watching live feeds of drivers can be reduced—and eventually eliminated. Even the most vigilant fleet manager or team of dispatchers can’t possibly watch every driver at once. However, AI and Facial Recognition provide fleet managers with an extra set of eyes that can alert them if a driver is participating in dangerous behaviors and catch the important details they might not see at first glance.

Is This the Next Step in Fleet Safety?

Live Streaming Fleet Camera with Cloud Storage.

Over the years we have reported of new innovations in the fleet safety vertical. From the beginning, with the addition of GPS tracking to a fleet gave the fleet manager a good sense of where his fleet was and how long they were there, plus the added feature on maintenance and alerts did give the fleet management the ability to increase the overall effectiveness of fleets, yet it lacks the essential video data needed to ensure the fleet was following company policies and procedures.

Were they texting or talking on the phone? Eating in the fleet vehicle? All these things can cause your fleet to incur a higher rate of insurance claims and decrease the productivity of the fleet.
Distracted Driving, being the number one cause of accidents in the US. to the most recent Live Streaming Video fleet cameras.
Then came along video footage for review of incidents when the vehicles were on the road. This provided a better fix for the problem but again didn't give you the data you needed to make sure your drivers weren't texting or distracted driving.

Then came along the true live streaming video fleet camera solution. This gave you the next level of safety, being able to ride along with your drivers in real-time, but you had to have someone be able to watch.
Now with cloud storage, you can replay the day events or the complete day history to see what is been going on. Replay GPS history and video data.
All stored for 3 days on the cloud base server.
Taking it to the next level. Don't be the last in line.
Check out Safety Track and "SEE" why their is a difference.

Eyeride vs. Safety Track Which Live Streaming System is Right for You?

It seems that there is a comparison going on between Eyeride's 400+ and the Safety Track UCIT    (U-See-It) 4 Channel; DVR system.
There is even a thought going around that Safety Track is not a Live Streaming system.

What we will try to do is an honest comparison and let you decide which is best for you.

Eyeride:
Live Streaming Video
Wi-Fi Uploads
GPS Tracking - 1-second updates
1 Carrier
Unlimited Data
Hardware cost for a 4 channel system. North of $1500 per vehicle
Monthly Data Plan: Verizon - Unlimited - Over $75.00 per vehicle.
.
Safety Track
Live Streaming Video
HD quality recording
Connected car feature
GPS Tracking - 5-second updates
Multiple Carriers - You pick which is right for you.
Multiple data plans to choose from.

Hardware Cost: under $900.00 for a 4 channel system.
Multiple data plans - Pay for what you need. Starting at under$25.00 per month

Are you looking for a system that can give you what you want, it might be better to check around and compare the differences.

Need a Live Streaming DashCam? You're going to have to go to Safety Track. Eyeride at this time does not have a 2 channel dashCam that has live streaming capabilities.

If you may need features like Wi-Fi uploads, then you will need to go with Eyeride.
If you don't, then maybe a system that gives you live streaming video, at a fraction of the cost, both up front and monthly, Safety Track is the right choice for you.

UCIT 360 View Fleet Camera

The Latest in Fleet Camera Technology

What if you could get a DVR with 4 cameras and give your fleet a 360 view of what was going on. 

Would that change your perspective on driver behavior?

Could you implement driver training that was focused on what your drivers were actually doing instead of what you thought they were doing. 

Could a DVR/Camera system like this help reduce frivolous insurance claims against your company.This small compact DVR camera system can give you the added features of continuous recording, so you will never miss a Driver Distraction again. See what really happened. 

Features:

• 4 Cameras
• Night vision
• Google Maps
• Up to a 128 GB SD card for over 130 hours of continuous recording.
• Tamper Resistant Design.

• Parking Mode
• 360 Viewing
• All in a Small Compact Design.

Call Safety Track today and see how this fleet Camera could change how your business, Does Business.

888-286-9829

6 Trends in Telematics

Telematics is an ever-evolving industry that incorporates the instant transfer of data by way of telecommunications with the “Big Data” potential of informatics. So far telematics has made managing fleets much simpler by integrating routing, geo-fencing, navigation, two-way communications, vehicle diagnostics, and many other invaluable features that provide critical data about vehicles and drivers. Trends in the telematics industry point toward change at an exponential rate.  
Read More....

Safety Track's Adds Features to their Live Streaming Video DashCam

Safety Track just released the latest in video technology for fleet application.
since the release of the first live streaming video dashcam on the Verizon Network, Safety Track has been listening to what their customers have been asking for.

• Remote Playback:
• Having the ability to "Go Back" into the dashcam and see an event that took place remotely. A person calls into the office and says he saw your vehicle cutting someone off. he gives an approx. time. All you have to do is log in to your viewer, select that vehicle and playback the history. Since it is a continuous recording device, you will see if and when the incident took place.
• Email Alerts: 
• You set up the G-Sensor events. when the driver is on the road and he triggers an event, you will get an email of that event. You also will receive a short video clip delivered to your computer. It's your data, why would you want a company to review your driving data?

The time is now for you to take control of your fleet. 

Let me ask this question:

• How do you know if you are getting all the video you should be?
• Why would you want someone else, beside your company having your video data?
• Why would you want to store your video in the cloud? Is that safe?

If you haven't asked these questions, then maybe you need to call Safety track and see why you should be asking these questions.

New Live Streaming Video DashCam on the Verizon Network

Would a 4G Live Streaming Video DashCam, on the Verizon Network, help improve the Fleet Safety of your fleet? You bet it would. Watch to see if you have Distracted Darryl's in your fleet. Check for cell phone usage, texting while driving. Where else can you ride along with your drivers in real time.
NO Where!
This camera has just been released and for $459.95 you can see you drivers live.

Of course it is a continuous recording 2 camera system, which means you get the full days of recording, up to 70+ hours of continuous recordings. Add a GPS Tracking suite for an additional $8.95 a month!

Can Distracted Driving Affect Your Business?

Distracted Driving can impact your fleet anytime, anywhere.

The adverse effect of any one of these can have an impact on your bottom line.

• Higher Insurance Rates 
• Lawsuits Legal Claims 
• Workman Comp Rates Increases 

All these can lead to a situation where you may ask yourself, "How did this Happen".

You may even say that you took precautions by installing a GPS Tracking System, and was told that you could manage your fleet with it. That was a partial truth.
Having a Tracking System can only provide a small amount of data, once you fleet leaves your sight.



Training:
You can do all the training in the world to try and improve fleet safety, then your drivers forgot the minute they leave the yard.
So how can you change this?

What if you had a Live Streaming 3G DashCam install on the front window of your fleet vehicles. 

What if you could ride along with your fleet and see exactly what they were doing.

• Monitoring Texting 
• Cell phone usage
• Bad driving habits. 

What if the drivers knew you could watch them?
Do you think this may effect their driver habits?

What if this Front Window Mounted DashCam came with a GPS tracking suite and cost under $400.00 for the camera.
What if the monthly video package was under $34.95 and INCLUDED the GPS tracking suite.

Well it is available now. Check it out.

3G Dash Camera

New 2 Camera 4G Live Streaming Video DashCam

Would a 2 Camera 4G LTE Live Streaming Video DashCam help improve the Fleet Safety of your fleet? This camera has just been released and for under $500.00 you can see you drivers live.
Built on the Verizon Network.  Data plans to start at $24.95

A continuous recording 2 camera system.
Add a GPS Tracking suite for an additional $9.95 a month!


 

Live Streaming Video AND GPS Tracking in One Package!

In the world of Fleet Safety, many have gone the route of GPS Fleet Tracking or a Fleet Management solution to improve the safety of their fleet.
With increased cost of insurance, some have added a Fleet Camera solution, giving them the ability to "see" into the cab of the fleet vehicle. This can be a great addition to any fleet safety program, having indisputable video of an accidents.  Could save you $1000.00 in insurance claims.
So what if there was a new system out there that gave you the ability to "see" into the cab in real time, exactly what the drivers were doing, AND gives you full GPS tracking historical data, all for a few dollars more a month than you are paying for just a GPS fleet tracking system.
Impossible you say.  But no, we have found and demo'd such a system.
A company out of Michigan has been selling in vehicle cameras for about 8 years to fleets and businesses alike.

They decided to develop, build and sell the first, real time streaming video camera DVR system we've seen on the market.
With up to 4 cameras: we suggest one facing forward and one facing inward to start, and then, if needed, adding an additional 2 cameras. You could add one on the right side of the truck, to eliminate that blind spot. or maybe use on as a back up cameras. The choice is yours.




Monitoring plans start as low as $29.95 for video and tracking. Really $29.95.
We think they may have something here.
Something that may be too good to be true.

Check them out.
www.safetytrack.net

GPS Tracking vs. In Vehicle Camera

We just returned from the 29^th annual VPPPA conference in Nashville.

A discussion came forward during the conference that we thought was interesting.

GPS Fleet Tracking vs. an In Vehicle Camera System

Which has a larger impact on safety?

 We were intrigued at the comments made regarding the input of both systems.

Many companies currently use a GPS tracking system in their fleets, providing a useful amount of data for their fleet’s usage.

Alerts, either from maintenance perspectives or from speeding were all mentioned. Having historical data, where the vehicle was at any given time was mentioned also.

Having the ability to go back and review data was important. Over the past ten years, it has changed the industry. Giving Fleet managers more information than they were ever used to having. It was a game changer at the time.

But is it enough?

Can it be used to throw out a frivolous lawsuit? Can it help retrain employee on driving habits. Can it enforce no texting policies of drivers? Can it ride along with drivers?

Too an extent, it may help in training of drivers, but not as well as a camera system.

And not a camera system that sends you tidbits of information, but a continuous camera system gives you the ability to fight lawsuit, lower liability insurance rates, manage driver habits, such as texting, talking on the phone.

It was interesting to have a debut on the pros and cons of each system.

Where does your company stand on this issue?

Are they using a GPS tracking system?

Have they thought about a Camera System?

Maybe it’s time to take a look at either one.

How to Avoid the “He Said She Said” Game

We all can relate to close calls when it comes to driving. Someone is tailgating, in a rush or just flat out isn't paying attention to the road. Well what happens when that close call becomes a reality and you’re faced with an accident? Even a minor fender-bender can cost you more than money, but time. In this day and age the top two things people worry about most is TIME and MONEY, and no one ever seems to have enough of either. What if there was a system out there to help you save on BOTH time and money, which is also affordable? Great new, there is!

Coming to a red light at an intersection, you slow down and glance down at your watch thinking “five minutes till I have to be there” yet you are ten minutes away and traffic is heavy today. To your luck the turns green and as you make your way through the light, you hardly notice the F-150 that is inches away from the passenger door. Trying to time a yellow light to make it to work, the F-150 makes contact and you’re now t-boned. Faced with a new problem to add to the time constraint you already have, now the car needs to be fixed. We all have our own versions of the “accident game” but for the most part it’s all the same: blame one another, switch personal and insurance information, take pictures etc. In some cases, court has to be involved to settle disputes between each party; you say the light was green, while he says you’re crazy, it was still green for him. At this point the case as little evidence to go either way, just your luck, the case is dropped and you end up paying for the damages. By the time most accidents are settled with each party, it can be well over a year. What if there was a way to break this circle of headaches and cut down on your TIME invested worrying about this problem, and the MONEY spent fixing this unfortunate issue?

Rewind this accident to the very beginning but change ONE factor, an In Vehicle Camera System with DVR capability. A tiny camera that is placed inside the car on the windshield, that lets you have up to a 360 viewing field around the car. With such a small difference in a situation can be the difference of cutting the time you would spend in court, on the phone with insurance companies etc. in half. Unfortunately it can’t fix your car for you, but it will provide a clear account of the time, what day, whose fault it actually was that caused the accident. Proving an insurance company with such proof wouldn't make your policy go up, and with continuous monitoring it could have the chance to actually lower the cost of insurance. With the DVR feature available on most models, important events in a driver’s history can be stored and kept for however long is needed. When walking into court, if needs be, you can accurately present the Who, What, When, Where and How’s of the situation and best of all avoid the “He said She Said” game.