“FieldLogix is the main tool we use for Employee Time Sheet Verification. FieldLogix gives me the exact time when an employee started a vehicle, when he arrived or left a job site, and when the vehicle was shut off. l know exactly how long the employee took at each site and how long they worked during the entire day,” Mrs. Braud said.

Danyelle’s favorite features include:

* Closest Vehicle Feature – She can easily identify and re-route the closest vehicle to a location. “Dispatching drivers is so simple now, and efficient. I have saved thousands of dollars in fuel costs with this feature alone,” said Danyelle.

* Archived Routing Information – FieldLogix offers present-time and archival routing information so she knows where drivers have traveled and where they are heading. By combining location- and time-based information, she can easily track the exact number of hours to charge customers and verify employee hours worked. This helps with accurate billing, payroll, and fewer overtime hours.

* Route Planning – By watching vehicles en route, dispatchers can make sure drivers take the most direct route to any job site. She can re-arrange, add, or delete stops at anytime during the day.

* Two-Way Text Messaging – Danyelle said, “Dispatchers and drivers don’t waste time on phone calls anymore. They simply text routing updates directly to the Garmin navigation unit.”

Now may be the perfect time to invest in a GPS tracking system since the federal government will essentially pay for a large portion of it. Thanks to the extension and increased deductions with IRS Piggy-BankSection 179, businesses can write off up to $500,000 for equipment purchased during 2011.

Take advantage of IRS Section 179 by purchasing your GPS tracking equipment before the end of the year!

You may be able to write off your entire GPS tracking system purchase through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Under the ARRA, the U.S. government extended the increased depreciation limits for Section 179 of the IRS tax code. This allows businesses to deduct the full purchase price of qualifying equipment purchased or financed during the tax year. This was put in place to encourage business growth in the U.S.

Here is a summary of the benefits of Section 179:

- Write off 100% of equipment purchases up to $500,000

- Receive 100% bonus depreciation for purchases above $500,000 up to a maximum of $2,000,000

How Section 179 works:

When your business buys certain pieces of equipment, it typically gets to write them off a little at a time through depreciation. In other words, if your company spends $50,000 on a vehicle, it gets to write off $10,000 each year over five years. With Section 179, you can write off the entire amount this year.

Visit the FieldLogix website to calculate your potential cost savings.

Click-to-Calculate-Savings

Mr. Ackerman said, “You can’t manage what you don’t measure. FieldLogix’s tracking system has helped me to see which employees are the most effective and which ones are not. Now payroll is based on hours spent working, not just hours clocked in, so there’s real accountability. Not only are we saving money, but we can reward the drivers who are delivering the best results.”

“Inefficiencies, less than optimal operations and waste comes in many forms, and FieldLogix gives us an easy way to identify problems and make improvements. For example, we monitor the routes employees have driven, start and stop times, and daily miles driven,” Ackerman further stated.

FieldLogix’s fleet GPS tracking system offers daily reports, alerts, and minute-to-minute updates provide the information you need to make smart decisions at a moments notice, such as:

- Late Starts
– Long Lunch Breaks
– Excessive Idle Times
– Poor Driver Routing
– Speeding
– Unsafe Driving
– Unauthorized Vehicle Use
– Exaggerated Time Sheets

Sunshine Landscape Sees Positive Return on Investment in 18 Days with FieldLogix GPS Fleet Tracking System

Carlos Contreras, at Sunshine Landscape in Palm Desert, CA, manages 15 employees who had been using paper time sheets for years. Carlos always suspected that the time sheets weren’t completely accurate.

Carlos then decided that GPS fleet tracking system would help him address these concerns and give him more control over his mobile employees. Carlos selected FieldLogix due to its user-friendly interface, affordable hardware, and extensive e-mail alert features.

Upon installing the FieldLogix fleet tracking system, Carlos’ suspicions were immediately confirmed. By using the tracking system’s activity reports, he found that his “honor system” was being abused by his employees. By having an accurate way to measure daily work hours, his overtime costs dropped immediately.

****In fact, his overtime costs dropped by more than 2 hours per man per day with no change in the workload. Based on Carlos’ calculations, he paid for the entire first year of the system within the first 18 days. ****

Carlos stated: “Nothing is more troubling than finding out that you have been losing money for years and didn’t even know it. It dropped my labor costs by 35-45 percent. I wish I would have bought a fleet GPS tracking system years ago, but I kept putting it off because it wasn’t a high priority at the time.”

Carlos is not alone in his discovery. A study by the Aberdeen Group reports that companies that have implemented a GPS fleet tracking system see a 13.4 percent average reduction in overtime costs.

FieldLogix GPS Fleet Tracking System helps companies throughout the US reduce many management headaches. It shows companies what their field employees are doing and holds them accountable. By doing so, it removes a number of administrative headaches and allows owners, managers, and dispatchers to use their time more effectively.

“We are honored to be selected as a winner for the 2011 TechAmerica High Tech Awards” said Yukon Palmer, CEO of FieldLogix. “This recognition validates the unique innovation of our system and its enormous potential.”

FieldLogix was recognized for the Outstanding Emerging Growth category, based on its innovation in the telematics industry and its proven ability to not only survive an economic recession, but even grow during it. “Because a fleet tracking system can provide an ROI in less than six months and immediately reduce fuel consumption, plus produce ecological benefits, companies both large and small are utilizing them to create profitable, sustainable fleets.”

FieldLogix, a leading developer of GPS fleet tracking systems, is one of the more enduring companies in its industry and is also one of the most efficient. “We focus heavily on automating processes to make our customers’ experience pleasant and non-disruptive, while also giving them the ability to easily pick up a phone and talk to us. These processes, along with a user-friendly and reliable product, have helped us grow rapidly throughout the years,” said Mr. Palmer.

The TechAmerica High Tech Awards were held on Oct. 28 and showcased San Diego’s most innovative technology companies. In its eighteenth year, the annual awards program celebrates excellence in the region’s technology industry, and honors outstanding companies for their technological or business innovation; exceptional products or service; product marketplace validation; perseverance in the face of adversity; and community involvement.

“Every year I grow more impressed by the caliber of award nominations we receive,” said Kevin Carroll, regional vice president, TechAmerica San Diego. “We are pleased to honor FieldLogix as a leader in the Outstanding Emerging Growth Category, not only for its innovative contributions, but because we believe its fleet tracking solutions exemplify key developments in the industry, helping further establish San Diego as a technology hub.”

About FieldLogix

FieldLogix provides green GPS fleet management solutions designed to reduce fleet fuel consumption and improve productivity. FieldLogix has ranked among the 100 Fastest Growing Companies in San Diego for the past two years.

About TechAmerica

TechAmerica is the leading voice for the U.S. technology industry — the driving force behind productivity growth and jobs creation in the United States and the foundation of the global innovation economy. Representing approximately 1,000 member companies of all sizes from the public and commercial sectors of the economy, it is the industry’s largest advocacy organization and is dedicated to helping members’ top and bottom lines. TechAmerica has offices in state capitals around the United States, Washington, D.C., Europe (Brussels) and Asia (Beijing).

FieldLogix is a green GPS fleet management solution designed to reduce fleet fuel consumption and improve productivity. FieldLogix has ranked among the 100 Fastest Growing Companies in San Diego for the past two years.

Article Highlight:

“We have dozens of case studies showing that with the right tools and strategy, you can reduce the average fleet vehicle’s operating costs by over $8,064 and reduce 2 metric tons of carbon dioxide pollution per vehicle annually with modern telematics technology and proper driver education.”

Here is a copy of the rest of the article:

Drive smart, drive green, drive profits
By NICOLE DUMAS , FieldLogix

By making small changes in your driving habits, you can help to reduce these numbers and save money at the same time. By driving smarter, you can reduce your fuel costs and your “carbon footprint” as well.

How a person drives ultimately affects the money he or she spends on fuel and the amount of pollution that is discharged into the atmosphere. Smart driving behavior, including everything from gradual starts to optimal routing with a GPS navigation system, can reduce fuel consumption by as much as 10 percent to 20 percent in some cases. So for every $100 a month you spend on gas, you can save up to $240 per year just by being a better driver.

The following driving tips tend to be both high-impact in terms of fuel economy and are easy for all drivers to control: * Pick the most fuel efficient car for the journey. * Minimize idling. Idling for more than 10 seconds uses more gas and emits more pollution than restarting your car. Turn the car off if you’re not moving. * Avoid aggressive driving behaviors. Obey speed limits, accelerate and stop gradually, and anticipate stops. * Maintain the vehicle properly and regularly check tire pressure. * Remove all items you don’t need from the vehicle. * Get good directions or use a GPS system to navigate the best route. * Don’t drive with the windows down at high speeds. * Don’t run the A/C or heat for long periods of time.

Smart driving is especially important for businesses that operate a fleet of vehicles, because small changes can have big impacts on a larger scale. In the United States alone there are almost 15 million company-owned fleet vehicles on the road today, producing 45 million metric tons of carbon pollution each year. Fleet vehicles are driven hard, averaging nearly double the mileage, fuel consumption and emissions of personal vehicles. As a result, fleets are not only expensive to operate but are also a major source of global warming pollution.

Companies surviving the Great Recession are realizing they can no longer ignore the built in inefficiencies within their operations. By improving a fleet’s efficiency, companies can reduce more than 6 million metric tons of carbon pollution each year, as well as save over $2 billion annually. Telematics-enabled fleet management systems can help to significantly reduce a fleet’s operating costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

In today’s tough economic climate, profit margins are slim and companies must implement as many cost-saving initiatives as possible. In order to stay competitive, companies have to look very closely at every penny spent. Because a fleet management system can provide an ROI in less than six months and immediately reduce fuel consumption, plus produce ecological benefits, companies both large and small are utilizing them to create profitable, sustainable fleets.

“Wireless fleet management systems can put a spotlight on a driver’s habits that consume excessive fuel and emit unnecessary pollution. The most frequent of these activities include excessive speeding, idling and sudden acceleration and stops. Tracking these types of activities is essential to achieving a fuel-efficient green fleet,” said Yukon Palmer, CEO of FieldLogix.

FieldLogix was selected as a finalist in the Outstanding Emerging Growth category for 1) their product innovation in the telematics industry with the FieldLogix Green (Eco-friendly) Fleet Management System and 2) their ability to continuously increase sales without outside financing, despite the challenging economy.

TechAmerica is extremely excited to recognize those companies that have excelled in their fields and made outstanding contributions to drive the industry forward,” Kevin Carroll, regional vice president of TechAmerica San Diego, said. “As in the past, we will have a very difficult time selecting winners in each respective category due to the successes each company has experienced.”

This year, an abundant number of local San Diego companies submitted nominations for their technological or business innovation, exceptional products or services, product marketplace validation, perseverance in the face of adversity, and community involvement for consideration in 10 separate categories, including Internet/Web Commerce; Computers and Related Products; Communications Products and Services; Clean Technology; Defense/IT Service; Semiconductor, Industrial and Analytical Instrumentation; Medical Device Technology/Instrumentation; and Outstanding Emerging Growth.

About FieldLogix:
FieldLogix is the provider of a Green GPS Fleet Management solution designed to reduce fleet fuel consumption and improve productivity. FieldLogix provides Green Driving features that help users quickly see increases in profitability, performance and a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Even a small fleets save thousands of dollars per vehicle per year. FieldLogix as ranked among the 100 Fastest Growing Companies in San Diego for the past two years.

About TechAmerica:
TechAmerica is the leading voice for the U.S. technology industry, the driving force behind productivity growth and jobs creation in the United States and the foundation of the global innovation economy. Representing approximately 1,500 member companies of all sizes from the public and commercial sectors of the economy, it is the industry’s largest advocacy organization and is dedicated to helping members’ top and bottom lines. It is also the technology industry’s only grassroots-to-global advocacy network, with offices in state capitals around the United States; Washington, D.C.; Europe (Brussels); and Asia (Beijing). TechAmerica was formed by the merger of AeA (formerly the American Electronics Association), the Cyber Security Industry Alliance (CSIA), the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) and the Government Electronics & Information Technology Association (GEIA). Learn more at www.aeanet.org or www.itaa.org.

The San Diego Business Journal compiles a list of rapidly growing companies annually and ranks them according to revenue growth over a two year period. In 2009, FieldLogix made the 100 Fastest Growing list due to a 60% increase in revenues from 2007 to 2008.  Now in 2010, FieldLogix is being recognized again for its strong revenue growth.

FieldLogix was one of the first to offer the FMI integration between GPS fleet tracking and Garmin driver navigation systems. According to a FieldLogix press release in April, FieldLogix’s Fleet Management Interface (FMI) decision to integrate telematics fleet tracking with Garmin International’s (Nasdaq:GRMN) turn-by-turn in-vehicle navigation has yielded an 830% increase in FieldLogix +NAV YTD Sales from 2009 to 2010. FieldLogix provides GPS fleet tracking systems to companies across the U.S.

FieldLogix has continued to grow dramatically and has real-time GPS devices installed in thousands of vehicles nationwide. Despite increased competition and a challenging economy, FieldLogix has successfully differentiated itself by its industry leading product offerings and customer support. Not only has the Company increased its revenues, but it has also successfully continued to improve its GPS fleet management system. The fleet GPS vehicle tracking device is a Green product that can help fleet managers to reduce both costs and vehicle greenhouse gas emissions.

Today, approximately 3.6 million GPS/wireless devices are used to monitor fleet vehicles, trailers, construction equipment and mobile workers in the United States. According to a study by C.J. Driscoll & Associates. by 2012, the fleet GPS and wireless telematics device market is predicted to expand to over 6.5 million units, and Mobile Resource Management (MRM) hardware and service revenues will grow to over $2.5 billion. Continuing market growth will be fueled by a number of factors including declining hardware costs, reliable wireless data communication networks with broad coverage, and increasing awareness of the strong return on investment provided by MRM solutions.

Mr. Palmer’s speech will reiterate that in light of today’s environmental issues and corporate responsibility expectations, the concept of Green Fleet Management should be important to all fleet managers, whether you have a fleet of one or one thousand. Developing and managing a green fleet requires a thorough knowledge of available products, technologies, and an in-depth cost-benefit analysis, plus much more.

The Green Fleet Management Conference Panel Discussions will cover the following topics:

• What are the most useful tools to manage vehicle fleets?
• Do fuel-smart driving practices and driver training have a significant impact on fleet emissions reductions?
• Is managing a green fleet an important selling point and a valuable improvement to a company’s brand image? Are green fleet vehicles an effective marketing tool?
• How does managing a green fleet effect the bottom line? Are the current green fleet options cost-effective and sustainable? What kind of ROIs can companies expect to see from upgrading to a green fleet? Will fuel savings outweigh upgrade costs?
• What were the important lessons learned from the Green Fleet Conferences held this year in Frankfurt and Paris?
• What are the benefits and limitations of alternative fleet options – biofuel, electric, hybrid, natural gas?
• What are the costs and challenges associated with the infrastructure requirements for fueling and/or vehicle charging stations?
• Is it more cost-effective and environmentally responsible to convert traditional gasoline or diesel vehicles or should you replace them?
• What types of energy management systems would need to be put in place to manage the electricity required for an active electric fleet? Would this be disruptive or beneficial to the grid?
• What is the current status on Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology? At this time, should its prospects be factored into green fleet management decisions?
• What financial, tax, and manufacturer incentives are available?
• In addition to tax rebates, are there other financial incentives in place (free/reduced parking/tolls, manufacturer incentives, more?) for driving a green vehicle?
• Does a green fleet have a tangible effect on the well being of the company and greater community?

Who is Agrion? Agrion brings together entrepreneurs, investors and corporations involved in energy, cleantech, raw materials, sustainable development, mobility and urban management. Agrion was created in 2006 by a group of world-renowned business leaders and entrepreneurs including François-Henri Pinault (Owner of Gucci Group), Steve Ballmer (CEO of Microsoft), Sir Martin Sorrell (Founder of WPP), Wu Janmin (President of the Beijing Institute for Diplomacy and former ambassador of China to several countries), Gehard Zeiler (CEO of RTL, the leading German media group) and other international leaders.

What is FieldLogix? GPS fleet tracking and fleet management system, FieldLogix, can quickly slash vehicle fuel consumption and reduce greenhouse gas and CO2 fleet emissions. FieldlLogix GPS fleet management system will give your fleet managers a GREEN Fleet Tracking Report that is easy to understand and utilize to develop a green fleet strategy. These automated Green Fleet Score Reports work around the clock, so you can quickly see increases in profitability, performance and greenhouse gas emissions reductions. With this type of GPS fleet tracking solution, even a small fleet can go green and save thousands of dollars per vehicle per year.

http://www.agrion.org/sessions/agrion-en-Green_Fleet_Management.htm

http://www.sddt.com/Newsmakers/index.cfm?LID=24&CUID=VEGOLO97&Target=Profiles