Ryder System, Inc. has formed a telematics partnership with Teletrac and Cingular Wireless to launch RydeSmart, a GPS-based tracking and monitoring system for commercial truck applications. According to Ryder, the technology will undergo a phased rollout to customers across North America through 2007. Ryder over 160,000 vehicles in its various fleet operations.
RydeSmart is a compact hardware and software unit installed in a truck and connected to the vehicle's existing computer and diagnostic systems. The unit sends information on the vehicle's location, mileage and speed every 15 minutes and on demand via a dedicated and secure connection through the Cingular network to the fleet operator's desktop.
The system integrates Teletrac's global positioning system (GPS), wireless data and hardware technologies with Cingular's wireless data coverage area.
RydeSmart has already completed a pilot phase that included more than 5,000 vehicles used by customers in various industries including food & beverage, textiles, and building and construction materials.
Benefits claimed for the new system include the ability to view vehicle locations at all times, to view driver routes and performance and to continuously monitor vehicle data including automated transmittal of odometer readings for fuel tax and vehicle licensing regulatory compliance.
Integrated GPS capabilities also enable RydeSmart to help customers locate vehicles in emergency situations and provide central dispatch for assigning pickups and deliveries based to the closest available vehicles, says Ryder.
For more information, go to www.ryder.com
