Technology Briefs - April 22 - April 28
The Latest Headlines:
- IBM to Supply Navistar With Onboard Computers
- Qualcomm Offers Enhanced Versions of Software
- Xata Shipping Out New Web-Based Product
- PermitWizard Aimed at Easing Trucking Permit Process
- GPS Could Drive European Freight Tolls
- Boat-Tail Design May Help Trucks
- Qualcomm Offers Enhanced Versions of Software
IBM to Supply Navistar With Onboard Computers
IBM Corp. has won an order from truck maker Navistar International Corp. to install systems that spot potential problems in vehicles and send automatic alerts, Bloomberg reported Monday.The deal calls for IBM to supply Navistar with equipment including server computers, WebSphere software and Tivoli access for sending messages between Navistar and its clients.
Bloomberg said companies that buy Navistar trucks with telematics devices would be able to track their vehicles using global positioning system technology and apply telemetry to diagnose potential problems.
Qualcomm Offers Enhanced Versions of Software
Qualcomm Inc. on Monday announced several enhancements to its fleet management products for private fleet customers.It has released new versions of its FleetAdvisor and TrackingAdvisor software solutions, along with an upgrade of its MPVc in-vehicle computer hardware, Qualcomm said in a release.
The company said the new version of FleetAdvisor now includes automatic management reporting that allows dispatchers to receive automatic reports to determine if trucks have stopped or are not on schedule.
Qualcomm said the new version of the TrackingAdvisor mapping software offers an improved mapping engine and includes maps for Canada. Transport Topics
( for the full press release.)
Xata Shipping Out New Web-Based Product
Xata Corp., a provider of onboard fleet management solutions for the trucking industry, said Monday it has begun shipping in volume its new Xatanet 2.0 Web-based management product.The Xatanet 2.0 vehicle package includes automated fuel tax, asset tracking and diagnostic warnings. The driver package includes Department of Transportation driver logs, driver feedback, driver messaging and trip management, the company said.
It also said in a release its Windows-based OpCenter product with new two-way satellite communications capability is also available.
Xata said it has entered into an agreement with a major truck leasing company to offer Xatanet 2.0 to that company's customers throughout North America. The launch of this program is expected in the summer. Transport Topics
( for the full press release.)
PermitWizard Aimed at Easing Trucking Permit Process
Vital Chek Network, a technology company helping governments manage records, said Wednesday it had launched PermitWizard Online, its new trucking permit application solution.PermitWizard allows trucking companies to apply for multiple state oversize and overweight permits using one online application form, Vital Chek said in a release. When a trucking company fills out one application, PermitWizard directly submits it to the appropriate state agencies.
Permits are delivered to the requesting trucking company upon approval.
Vital Chek said the PermitWizard service is designed for carriers of all types, including oversize, overweight and specialized.
The company said it hopes to have access for all states available by the end of the year. Transport Topics
( for the full press release.)
GPS Could Drive European Freight Tolls
Major international motorways that carry freight traffic across Europe would become part of a new satellite-based toll network under a European Commission proposal that European Union governments would have to approve, Bloomberg reported.The $4-billion proposal calls for overhauling existing non-compatible toll systems to reduce lines at highway toll facilities on Europe’s main international motorways, the commission said.
Any new toll system would be required to use the European Union’s 39-satellite Galileo global positioning system once it is operational in 2008, the proposal said.
Existing motorways will need to be upgraded by 2012, Bloomberg said.
DaimlerChrysler and Deutsche Telekom, Europe’s largest phone company, are building the satellite-based payment system together with Cofiroute SA, a French toll-road operator.
However, Daimler and Deutsche Telekom may have to pay as much as $331 million because construction of their system is late, Financial Times Deutschland reported. Transport Topics
Boat-Tail Design May Help Trucks
Lee Telnack of Aero Works has developed an inflatable protrusion that hooks onto truck's back doors and can reduce fuel consumption by about 4% according to tests, the Associated Press reported.The "boat-tail" design was tested by Kenworth Truck Co. in 2001 and 2002, which said two-thirds of the energy consumed by a truck going 65 mph is devoted to cutting through the air.
Telnack is currently in talks with several truck companies to test the boat tail on several trucks in their fleets, AP said.
Although this design does help save money on fuel, several Kenworth officials told AP there are drawbacks.
They said the time to deflate and inflate the boat tail could be costly for truckers, and fastening the boat tail to the truck in the first place can be a complicated hours-long process.
Kenworth endured harsh ribbing in 1985 after introducing an aerodynamic truck called the Kenworth T600A, AP reported. Transport Topics
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