Auxiliary Input monitoring
Auxiliary Input monitoring and Landmarks puts the “WHAT” in GPS Vehicle Location
Most companies envision seeing their fleet of trucks portrayed as icons on a map when they think of GPS vehicle location systems. For some, that is not enough. In addition to detailed reports and alerts, many fleet managers need to monitor specific inputs from their vehicles and equipment.
One such customer, a nationwide trash hauling company, uses Auxiliary Input monitoring and Landmarks to accurately record every instance where a trash container is picked up or dropped off. No more lost revenue when the driver forgets to log a pickup or drop off. So how do they do it?
Vehicle tracking devices are simply wireless modems with three main components: radio frequency, GPS receiver, and logic. It is the logic portion of the device with its multiple input/output sensors that allow them to monitor various electrical signals onboard the trash hauling vehicle. One of the inputs is wired into the truck’s lifting mechanism. Whenever it is activated, either to lift a container or to drop off a container, the tracking device takes a GPS reading and sends the information to web-based mapping interface for the customer to view.
To increase the usefulness of the Auxiliary Input monitor, another feature called Landmark is used. It is a point on the map that has GPS coordinates which is labeled with a name. The Landmarks are identified on the web-based mapping interface and its reports. This particular customer uses the Landmark feature in a very unique way by creating a landmark for the location of every container using the container type and size, as well as the customer’s name in the landmark description.
The powerful “real-time” location, Input Monitoring, and Landmarks features of the tracking system combine to create a very powerful management tool. The customer can use the reporting module to print an AUX INPUT report that shows every instance where its dumpster was picked up or dropped off, the time of day, how long it took to complete the task, the address, GPS coordinates, AND the landmark identifying the customer and type of product they have. This system helps the customer to recover costs, prevent missed opportunities, and ultimately MAKE MORE MONEY.
