If you are amongst the fleet managers in NY, this article will outline the numerous ways you and your employees can benefit from Locus.
Locus is a fleet management solution that caters to multiple industries, including e-commerce, 3PL, home services, retail and CPG & FMPG. Their company promise is to help you master your supply chain through logistics planning, automation and optimization.
This type of technology can provide huge benefits to fleet managers in NY, especially those that are managing big fleets and, therefore, large quantities of jobs and deliveries. As a fleet manager, your business depends on efficiency and reliability, so Locus may just be the solution you’ve been looking for.
Read on to find out more details on how Locus can benefit your fleet.
- Route Optimization
Locus’ software takes into consideration a multitude of factors to determine the best routes for your drivers.
Fleet managers in NY probably know better than anyone how time-consuming and problematic manual route planning can be. In a state such as NY that is so expansive, efficient routes are crucial, but there are many components to making efficiency a reality.
Luckily, Locus will consider everything for you and provide your driver with real-time, optimized routes. Their AI-technology quickly tests various “what-if” scenarios to determine the best route. It does this by considering factors like real-time traffic, order-vehicle constraints, driver preferences and historical data such as customers and time of day. Added bonus: route optimization can save you 20% to 40% on fuel and drive time.
This will also allow your drivers to complete more jobs in the day, including last minute deliveries. In 2020, quick and efficient delivery is not only necessary but expected, and route optimization can help your fleet meet that demand.
This will also help your drivers reduce stress. With the industry experiencing shortages of drivers in comparison to the rising demand, route optimization can help to ensure that drivers are, not only completing deliveries in a timely manner, but also have enough time to take their appropriate (and much needed) breaks.
If your drivers have several stops to make in a day, you know that the potential for unforeseen obstacles can grow exponentially. Therefore, it can be crucial that you and your drivers have access to the smartest, most up-to-date route optimization available, and Locus will certainly provide that.
- Real-Time Tracking
This technology will allow fleet managers to provide enhanced customer service and driver accountability.
With Locus’ real-time tracking capabilities, you can keep your customers up-to-date on their delivery status and ETA. The customers can receive a text message when their order is on the way and track it in real-time. In addition to receiving information about their package’s ETA, they can also see the specific location of the package en route, as well as view contact details on the driver.
In addition to providing unparalleled customer service, the fleet manager will also be able to keep track of each truck’s location in case of a deviation. This will add an extra layer of accountability to drivers in the event of an ETA or SLA breach.
Intellisort technology for Fleet Managers in NY
Intellisort is an AI-powered solution to package sorting and driver assignments.
Traditionally, package sorting is done manually (or at least semi-manually) when someone in the warehouse deciphers addresses and assigns packages to the appropriate driver. Locus, however, provides fleet managers and drivers with a more effective, smarter solution.
Intellisort uses geocoding to cut down on human error in package sorting. Geocoding is a technology that can decipher even handwritten addresses to find the exact geographical location, latitude and longitude. The Intellisort technology will then assign packages to the correct drivers based on their optimum route.
This technology can potentially result in saving up to 60% in sorting time. That will get your drivers on the road faster, with less packages being delivered to incorrect addresses, and more packages delivered overall.
- Customization
Based on your fleet’s struggles, Locus promises tailor-made solutions.
Locus’ team consists of scientists and consultants who can analyze your business’ needs and utilize- yep, you guessed it- AI technology to simulate different scenarios. From there, they are able to provide your business with solutions to your most common struggles.
In addition, their technology is very user-friendly and can be customized as per your business’ requirements, which will be especially appealing to the less tech-savvy fleet managers in NY. And, if you run into any issues, you can contact the Locus support team for help.
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Fleet managers in NY have a specific set of challenges, but with Locus’ cutting edge technology, you can overcome some of the most common ones. Utilizing features such as route optimization, Intellisort, and real-time tracking will reduce time on administrative tasks, money spent on fuel costs and delivery times. This automation will also improve customer satisfaction as they track their own package. Also, route optimization makes sure that each package gets to its destination on time.
Automation is the future of shipping, so make sure that your company stays ahead of the curve with Locus.
Before managing logistics became a seamless system, fleet managers in New York only practiced simple tasks to deliver packages to any point they were assigned to. There were definitely many elements that needed improvement back then like a system that would improve the cost of operations as a whole, deadlines, and the safety of the fleet.
The development of a more innovative logistic system has become a big “to do” to fleet managers in New York because of the challenges to learn new systems, and completing the required courses and tutorials for management tools. Since most of their day consists of running the business, setting aside time to learn all of the newer tools has become tricky.
Admiring the use and importance of logistics goes as far back as Napoleon’s era. Delving even further back in history, Red Ball Express used logistic strategies to help the US Army. Over a three-month period, the team behind Red Ball Express helped the US Military by resupplying their provisions.
The impact that logistics made to battles during that particular period was quite impressive. In fact, Red Ball Express delivered more than 400,000 tons of gun ammunition, vehicle gasoline, and other supplies proven to be beneficial to the US army’s developments.
Looking back a century ago, the infancy of logistics has contributed to significant events. But fast forward to now, people are now used to seeing delivery vehicles around busy areas to move parcels daily.
How Fleet Managers in New York are Adapting to a Changing Landscape
Fleet managers in New York are now starting to consider advancing logistics by using technology to benefit their clients. The abrupt change in attention to logistics is primarily because of trends. Various digital platforms have emerged and improved throughout the decades, more particularly to service e-commerce brands.
The FTR Annual Conference is an excellent reference to use for everything involving the progression of logistics, especially since they typically have an impressive panel lineup. Brent Hutto from Truckstop.com did a great job of explaining how data has helped to change the industry related to all things logistics.
According to him, relying on digital data allows freight-matching technology to improve many aspects of logistics. Operators are also starting to get younger and younger as time passes and their standards seem higher because of the technological educational abilities and experiences they are used to.
That being said, audience expectations have also changed; most of them are adamant when it comes to tracking their deliveries, which benefits everyone involved in the supply chain because it keeps everyone on their game.
Most of these younger truck owners face several challenges, and Ramirez cited that one of the biggest of them is the rates.
Fast Action Body Repair on Smart Trucks
Claudio Ramirez of Fast Action Body Repair expressed his thoughts about logistics in the changing landscape. He says that everyone in the industry should be exposed to this change and get used to it. Ramirez also emphasized that using digital solutions has fine-tuned the entire process, saying that it is the primary reason the industry is improving.
Fleet managers in New York are now relying more on digital platforms to manage their data and execute their processes in a more efficient manner. That’s why there has been an increase in the need of electronic equipment to accelerate the process behind logistics.
Smart freight vehicles are the solution to many of the problems that the logistics industry has faced because they are now improving and decreasing problems that have been negatively effecting deliveries over the years.
It’s not just useful for the shippers alone, but it is an essential asset for everyone involved in the delivery process. Smart freight trucks facilitate everything that is needed to decrease the volume of problems that fleet managers in New York are facing.
Going back to Claudio Ramirez of Fast Action Body Repair, he elaborates that the key to utilizing the benefits of smart freight trucks is creating a platform or a network that oversees every process involved.
For instance, Fortune 500 transportation and logistics firms have successfully implemented the concept in their system. They also have an application called the J.B. Hunt 360, which allows remote processing and management to be a lot easier and more accessible.
For everything to work seamlessly, it has a user-friendly interface, displaying crucial aspects to logistic data such as rates, tracking, and price quotes. It includes a dashboard that is also ready to use for users who want to view all their spending, as well as package statuses.
While technology has helped logistic operations to improve, the full scope of the process will forever keep fleet staff offices busy. Some work remotely and others work on-site to keep the processes running strong and consistent.
Fleet managers in New York have begun to utilize data to stay up to date with the times, but it is safe to say that it is still in its initial stages. Many influencers in the trucking and logistics industry agree that virtual smart truck monitoring will be a crucial factor in the success of the industry’s advancements.
Keep checking out our blog to stay up to date with advances in the trucking industry.
New York truck maintenance has grown a lot lately. There are several new trends and technology that have entered the scene and are making fleet managers very happy campers.
In this article, we will review some of the latest trends and expedient technology that has introduced to the fleet industry. We will be focusing more on the preservation advancements that are being adapted to make trucks run more efficiently.
Outsourcing New York truck maintenance parts
Today, the cost of the parts is increasing like crazy! Consequently, the best way to decrease the added expense is by outsourcing certain parts. This has become a trend in the fleet industry. Now, many fleet managers are outsourcing half of the needed parts for repairing a truck in New York from different companies. This is to stay within budget and improve cash flow management.
Outsourcing will not only cut costs but you will also get a better build quality of the products. Therefore, people are already using the outsourcing trend to make things easier and faster.
Location mapping
You can call it the latest trend or you can also call it an update. For the past many years, there are GPS trackers and similar gadgets installed in the truck to track the driver’s location. Now, there are a few more cool tech devices that are enhancing the truck driving experience. The location mapping will allow you to where your entire fleet is located on one single screen. Additionally, the New York Fleet Managers would be able to track the trucks faster than ever before.
Tracking systems are not a new concept; however, location mapping has been upgraded and has proven to be better than the existing technology that was already being used by most fleets. As industry decision makers began applying what they learned at trade show to their brands, there was a vast improvement in operations across the country.
The impact on trucks
Being that the New York truck maintenance scene has changed a lot, there is an impact on trucks too. Now, the trucks have been updated a lot. There aren’t many changes in the size of the truck or the overall look but there are many changes done from the inside. For example, now the trucks follow more safety precautions then it used to do before.
Every driver wants to drive a safe truck. It makes their work easier. Along with the safety of the truck, there are several other things. The truck drivers no longer need to maintain all the records. Now, they are directly uploaded to the cloud right from the truck. And! Some of the changes in the truck’s technology allow them to perform all the truck’s operation easier. The updated add-ons in the truck will also help fleet managers in New York save on costs.
Final words
To conclude, we can say there have been numerous changes in New York truck maintenance. Although, most of the changes are easier to adapt there are still some of the changes which take time. Some truck drivers were facing problems in learning about new technology. Which is why it is wise for fleet managers in New York to ensure proper training so that truck drivers know how to use the installed tech tools properly and effectively.
Information is the key element of any new thing. So, truck drivers need to be educated to understand the new trends and technology in the fleet industry. Once they’ve been trained, they will find that the added ease to their daily operations was worth every minute of training.
If you’re looking for a trusted truck repair company in New York with a fast turnaround time, Fast Action Body Repair is who you should contact today!
Fleet Management in New York can be hard to handle. There are costs to control, trucks to repair and paint, and employees to keep safe and on-task. This creates little room for error. For fleet managers to remain on budget and keep their operation rolling they need to make their fleet more efficient.
Regularly addressing maintenance problems, managing costs of tire and fuel, lowering paperwork, and making use of new technology can help make fleet management in New York more effective.
Fleet maintenance schedule ensures that your services are in accordance with federal, state, and local laws. The roles and challenges of an operations manager seem endless, and a fleet management system can surely help make those tasks easier.
Even though having a fleet management solution doesn’t ensure that your daily operations will suddenly take less time than before, choosing the most effective fleet management system that is also the right fit for your business is more important.
Whether you handle a delivery business, or work in the industry of field service, managing your fleet is important for success to ensure you are keeping up with the needs and desires of your clients. Technology, information, and connectivity are coming together to create a belief in people that they can have what they want, when, where, and how they want it.
6 Tips to Improve Fleet Management in New York
To continue keeping up with the high demands of your customers, you need to have proper fleet management in New York. It demands business owners to plan and optimize routes taken by their vehicles, make changes at quick notice, track your vehicles and drivers, all while maintaining customer satisfaction. Below are tips to help fleet managers increase effectiveness and increase customer satisfaction while saving both time and money.
1. Have better route planning
Route optimization software can show you daily processes. It gets rid of the need to manually plan routes and can provide quick ROI for a business (greater than 30 percent). In addition to better planning your routes, it has additional benefits such as:
- Automated data reporting that gives details about the performance of a fleet, making it possible for you to make better decisions based on those metrics.
- Extended lifetime of your trucks and cheaper fuel costs by implementing better routes and lowering idling time.
- It saves office time because you will have the chance to plan in a short time, rather than in hours, and focus on other tasks.
To better comprehend the significance of investing in routing technology, it is important to understand just how much manual planning is costing fleet management in New York. Take time to consider the following projects that are wasting valuable time that could be invested elsewhere:
- Dealing with lengthy paperwork and files that could contain a lot of human error, such as, filling out paperwork manually, creating vital reports, typing addresses into a navigation system, or answering calls from the office
- Inability to properly manage requests or change routes in real-time (such as when there’s traffic, road closures, or on-demand requests)
- Lack of visibility into the location of your driver, making it hard to manage your day and nearly impossible to give customers dependable updates
2. Embrace Telematics
Fleet operations are benefiting from technology. Advances in telematics and GPS tracking provide more insight into the exact locations of your fleet, behavior of drivers, and general vehicle performance.
Telematics can also assist managers identify bad driving behaviors such as speeding, quick accelerating or braking, and idling. It also helps business owners identify road or traffic conditions to make it possible for drivers to be rerouted. This can help you not only improve driver safety and at the same time, cut down on fuel expenses.
This technology can also send alerts to fleet managers and drivers regarding potential issues with the vehicle. The technology can detect urgent issues, or identify problems that should be fixed during the next scheduled preventative maintenance service.
3. Move towards paperless modules
Why should you have more paperwork than needed? Filling out paper forms takes time and it creates room for mistakes. What happens if a technician incorrectly records his or her hours? What if a document gets missing? Going paperless and rather gaining access to data through a software solution will help improve the efficiency of the operation of your business.
Fleet management in New York can allow technicians to automatically allocate time to particular projects and have access to vital information regarding vehicles and equipment. Instead of looking for paperwork that has warranty information or vehicle history, a manager can access it through the software. The technician can record all details from the services carried out in real-time, making sure he or she does not forget to enter vital information later.
4. Analyze information to improve fleet performance
The best method of improving the performance of your fleet is to analyze data and detect where you are succeeding and where there is room for improvement. Using routing software with a large analytics dashboard will give you an idea of important metrics and allow you to make better decisions that will greatly improve the performance of your fleet. You’ll also be able to know which members of your team are not abiding by the plan, missing time-windows, or might require additional coaching and training:
- Use of the current resources of your fleet including average daily vehicles, vehicle usage by the load, planned distances, and unplanned time window violations
- Make changes to the execution of your routes and get a detailed look at time spent at other locations, route deviations, unplanned idle time, and delays
- Carefully monitor seasonality by looking back at how your fleet did during weekends or holidays to know if you were understaffed, if certain aspects resulted in problems, or if you need to adjust your plans
5. Take your fleet management systems mobile
Whether you are in your office or on the go, making use of routing software with a mobile app makes it possible for you to have an extra level of visibility into the activity of your fleet. Mobile apps offer huge benefits to drivers in the field, allowing them to gain access to their schedules and getting turn-by-turn directions, all without paper printouts or manual data entry. Installing mobility to your fleet will save you both time and money and make your business run more professionally.
Your mobile team can also make use of an app to record proof of delivery and send a customer photo, signature, text files, or audio notes that can be stored digitally for a long period.
By using a mobile app, you can get urgent information about the route execution to enable you to react accordingly. Accessing this type of visibility is important when it comes to unplanned occasions, such as a sick technician or vehicle problems.
6. Make use of GPS tracking
GPS tracking can be an important addition to the program of fleet management in New York. It can increase visibility into the whereabouts and behavior of a driver. By using GPS to monitor performance, managers can ensure that drivers are being productive, safe, and efficient. GPS technology enables fleet managers to:
- Get rid of blind spots on the locations of your drivers and view real-time activities
- Get an extra level of knowledge into the behavior of your drivers
- Improve internal communications by making it possible for drivers to record completed stops and driver locations
Be sure to continue visiting our blog to stay up to date with tips to improve fleet management in New York.
Truck Painting in NY is one of the most time-consuming and costly projects to undertake on your vehicle. By the end of this article you’ll know if you can paint it yourself or you should have it painted by a professional. Paint and bodywork have long been seen as an art more than a mechanical undertaking.
A good truck painting in NY job is surely the result of many hours spent welding, sanding, and preparing the body for paint. Rather than the popular misconception that a paint job is a single step process, painting a vehicle is a process that involves various steps that lead to the real painting of the truck. Being a good painter needs a lot of patience and some amount of perfectionism because that new, glossy paint job will show the slightest blemish underneath.
When it comes to truck painting in NY, any automotive professional will tell you the same thing: it all goes down to the preparation. Whether you’re repairing a chip or re-spraying the entire truck, preparing the paintwork is just as important as applying the paint, and plays an important part in the quality of the final result.
To help you prepare like a professional, we’ll guide you through some vital ideas on cutting, sanding, priming, and picking the right paint for your truck, with insider ideas to give your truck a truly professional finish.
4 Truck Painting in NY Tips That Will Ease the Process
Step 1: Remove the rust
The first thing to do to get a great looking paint job that will last for a long time is to have a solid, rust-free foundation to work from. Rust is a popular term for the process of steel oxidizing and is usually caused by unprotected metal being exposed to liquid or liquid-vapor. Adding salt to the process, as in salty roads in the beach or winter driving in the summer, only extends the process and can quickly turn sheet metal into an ugly, flaking, rusty mess.
The worst problem of rust is that once the oxidation process has begun it is very difficult to stop. Even taking away the source of the moisture won’t stop the metal from rusting in a self-destructive way, so, the only decision is to completely get rid of the rust or to stop the process of oxidation chemically. Either way, the rust has to be completely removed or treated or it will return under the paint, leading to unsightly bubbling.
The best method to make sure that rust won’t return is to get rid of it from the truck. This can be accomplished by removing the metal just in the rusty area and welding in areas, but extreme cases may need you to replace the whole panel. While doors and fenders are easily replaced by bolting on the new parts, quarter panels and door skins are harder and need special tools like a welder, clamps, spot weld cutter, grinder, and cut-off wheels.
Whether getting rid of the metal because of a collision or due to rust, the methods are the same. Cut out the destroyed part, fabricate or buy a patch panel, fit the panel, and weld it in together.
The welding process can be a trick in itself because the heat made in thin, sheet metal panels can result in distortion, causing more time spent to straighten the welded-in panels. Coating the panel with a heat-absorbing compound and stitch welding (welding short segments gradually) the panel are two ways to keep the panel from warping while being welded together.
More concern about welding is that moisture can be trapped inside any area of porosity, causing more rust issues. Priming the metal in a weld-through primer and sandblasting the area after being welded are two ways to making sure the area won’t rust in the future.
Most places of light surface rust don’t need metal replacement and can be chemically treated with a liquid rust inhibitor. Rust inhibitors are found in gel form, such as naval jelly. No matter the brand, all rust inhibitors function in the same manner. Their main ingredient is phosphoric acid, which converts iron oxide (active rust) into iron phosphate, chemically preventing the oxidation process. Parts can be dipped in rust inhibitor, but the more common method is to spray liquid inhibitor on the part from a spray bottle.
Depending on the severity of the rust, it can take from two to twelve hours for the phosphoric acid to convert the rust to iron phosphate, which is black. Have it in mind that this process is only effective in areas of surface rust that are not flaking or rusted through. Those areas should be cut out and replaced.
It is not until all the rust of the car has either been cleaned and replaced with new metal or treated with a rust inhibitor, that we can call the first step in the painting process complete. Now we have a solid foundation to build on, we can start straightening and filling warped panels and correcting other imperfections.
Step 2: Straighten the panels
Getting the panels straight is probably the most time-consuming process of automotive bodywork. Most cars have all new metal with no filler, which is why it’s so straight. But nearly all panels need some filler to be made straight. Although some panels may be straightened with a hammer and dolly, others need filler to be perfect. It takes many hours of spreading body filler, sanding, and repeating the process to make sure a panel’s straightness, and, again, some specialty products and tools are needed.
First, it is necessary to make use of quality body filler. Cheap body filler may fill the voids and imperfections of the panels of the car, but it will not last as long as quality fillers. Another advantage of quality filler is that it is normally easier to sand than its cheaper counterpart, needing less time to carry out the truck painting in NY job.
Step 3: Get primed
After completing the rust removal, metalwork, and get the body straight with filler and many hours of sanding, we’re ready for paint. You cannot just roll it into the booth and start shooting; first, you have to ensure you have the right equipment and make some decisions about the type of paint, not to mention primer, which will be used to cover the truck. You need to understand the main function of paint is to protect the underlying metal and looking pretty is secondary. Before applying the paint, the truck has to be primed with a quality primer and blocked once again. This step of priming is to cover the truck and its bodywork from the paint above, ensuring that the paint will have a smooth, consistent surface to join to and the different colors of filler, primer, and metal won’t cause any color variations when the paint is applied.
Step 4: Select the type of paint
Paints are into two main categories: single-stage and base/clear. The single-stage paint system, like its name, is a process in which the color is applied in one step. All the ultraviolet protection, pigment, and additives of the paint are mixed in one can and applied to the car. This method works well and is still extensively used. The latest advances in paint technology have led to a two-part process that first applies the color to the car, which is followed by a clear, protective second coat of paint (clear coat).
All new cars are painted in base/clear as it offers unique benefits, like protecting the pigment by adding ultraviolet blockers in the clear coat. The biggest benefit of a base/clear paint job is the luster. By doing that over the color, the paint job appears thicker and has a shinier appearance than most single stage paints. Additionally, the rock chips and door dings are usually less apparent in base/clear paint jobs as the colored base coat is usually left intact.
For more on truck painting in NY, please contact us today for a quote.