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FLEET MANAGER���S GUIDE Support from the IT side The delays in getting federal rules rolled out impacts multiple parties in the supply chain, including the software and technology providers who are trying to manufacture equipment and code software that meets the yet to be determined requirements. ���The biggest issue is the uncertainty that this has created in the marketplace,��� says Owen Smith, senior vice president, product strategy, at Cadec. ���It makes it hard for the fleet managers to prepare for something that may or may not happen, and it makes it hard on the software side too. For us, the question is, ���Do we code to a spec that may be implemented, or may be changed?��� That same uncertainty affects us.��� Like Papa John���s Hartman, Smith believes the HOS rule will negatively impact the existing driver shortage problem. Furthermore, it could be felt more severely in certain parts of the country, he cautions. Cadec���s solutions are designed to help fleet managers deal with the latest changes to the HOS rule, such as the restart provision, ���by determining for them when the restarts are supposed to happen, and when a driver becomes ���legally��� available,��� says Smith. The FMCSA���s rules regarding electronic onboard recorders (EOBR) are yet another example of a key piece of transportation legislation that continues to be delayed, Smith adds. The EOBR rule 395.16 missed a 2012 deadline, and now the FMCSA is looking to issue a proposed rule in March. It���s likely that the agency will miss this self-imposed deadline too, however. In fact, some industry analysts estimate that a final EOBR rule may not be published until mid to late 2014, or even later. That hasn���t stopped proactive fleet managers and software and technology providers from moving the industry forward, though. ���There���s been a trend towards mobile devices rather than fixed screen displays,��� Smith explains. For starters, more drivers are carrying their own smartphones on the road, while more compa- Blue Tree Systems��� R:COM In-Cab Portable is a one piece plug-andplay device that mounts on a vehicle���s dash and into the diagnostics system. 28 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 ��� FOOD LOGISTICS nies are issuing them to their employees. There���s an opportunity to multipurpose the devices, he says, but there are obstacles. If a driver is not using a manual logbook, he must present a roadside inspector with a display device containing the log. This becomes a problem if the driver leaves the smartphone at his last stop, or drops and breaks it. The best scenario is to have a computer installed inside the cab that���s always logging miles, eliminating the reliance on smartphones or other devices. Other providers are adapting their solutions to the industry���s ongoing move towards mobility. In January, Blue Tree Systems released a portable version of its R:COM in-cab terminal. The newest version is a one piece plug-and-play device that is temporarily mounted on the dash of a vehicle and plugged directly into the vehicle diagnostics. The permanently attached antenna makes it easy to install and transfer this version of the R:COM to other vehicles. This latest product enhancement takes flexibility to a new level for the fleet manager. ���Job management, turn-by-turn navigation and twoway communication with leased vehicles can now be conducted in exactly the same manner as it is with regular drivers/vehicles,��� states Mark Whitney, product development manager at Blue Tree Systems, in a press release. ���Fleets keep the Portable system on hand for precisely these situations, ensuring that the addition of a last minute owner-operator or leased vehicle occurs seamlessly. Thanks to the R:COM In-Cab Portable device, adding drivers and vehicles at short notice is no longer a major communication and operational nightmare.��� There are other improvements that providers are looking to make to their solutions in order to help drivers make decisions ���hands free and in real time,��� says Cadec���s Smith, who clarifies that ���real time��� itself differs when it comes to various software and technology providers and their offerings. ���Some products in the marketplace claim to deliver information in real time, when there���s actually a 20 minute delay. With Cadec, ���real time��� means real time. If there was an opportunity 20 minutes ago and you missed it, you don���t get that opportunity back. So when it comes to software, what may have been good enough a few years ago is no longer the case. We���re seeing fleets become more challenged because of fewer drivers in the pool, more compliance requirements, so you really need to increase that business intelligence to squeeze more dollars out of the supply chain,��� he says. Shifting the data mining responsibility to the software and technology solutions and freeing up fleet managers��� time to better concentrate on actionable parts of their job is the focus, Smith www.foodlogistics.com