Ryder Launches New Telematics System

Ryder System, Inc. a global leader in transportation and supply chain management solutions, today announced it has entered into an alliance with Teletrac and Cingular Wireless to launch RydeSmart, an advanced onboard telematics technology designed to
improve vehicle uptime, driver efficiency, highway safety and cargo security, and real-time tracking of customer fleet operations.
Following an initial pilot now underway in a limited geographic area, RydeSmart is expected to be expanded to customers across North America in multiple phases through 2007.
The pilot includes more than 5,000 vehicles assigned to specific customers in a range of industries including: food & beverage, textiles, and building and construction materials.
RydeSmart leverages Ryder’s 73 years of experience, industry buying power and fleet size of more than 160,000 vehicles with Teletrac’s integrated global positioning system (GPS), wireless data and micro-chip technologies, and Cingular’s extensive, nationwide wireless data coverage area.
Cingular has the nation’s largest digital wireless data network with availability in 13,000 cities and towns, and along some 40,000 miles of major highways.
The result delivers a practical, affordable solution to improve the business performance of fleet operators of all sizes.
“We have developed extensive intellectual capital and highly refined processes around maximizing the efficiency of our customers’ transportation functions,” said Tony Tegnelia, President of Ryder’s U.S. Fleet Management Solutions.
“Since the 1980s, we have utilized onboard telematics to achieve high levels of transportation precision and tracking, primarily for customers whose high-value shipments necessitated a significant onboard technology investment.
This new alliance brings together three world-class providers to make state-of
the-art RydeSmart technology affordable to improve the performance of
businesses of all sizes in every industry.”
RydeSmart is a compact hardware and software unit that is installed into a truck and connected to the vehicle’s existing computer and diagnostics systems.
The unit continuously monitors the vehicle’s location, mileage and speed, as well as other performance and diagnostic data.
That information is communicated every 15 minutes and on-demand, as necessary, via a dedicated and secure connection with the Cingular network to fleet operators’ desktops. Using this depth of real-time fleet information and visibility down to individual vehicles, fleet operators can make a quantum leap in saving labor, time and money, while
improving productivity and customer satisfaction.
Wireless data solution experts from Cingular’s business-to-business organization, the
Business Markets Group, worked closely with Ryder in assisting with the design and deployment of RydeSmart.
Customers utilize RydeSmart to access real-time online vehicle fleet data and business performance enhancing features including: view of vehicle location at all times; view of driver routes and performance; and continuous monitoring of vehicle data, including automated transmittal of odometer readings to replace trip records for fuel tax
and vehicle licensing regulatory compliance.
Integrated GPS capabilities also enable RydeSmart to help customers locate vehicles in case of emergency and provide central dispatch capabilities enabling customers to assign pick-ups and deliveries using the closest available vehicles.
Collectively, its features and benefits provide a built-in continuous improvement program for fleet operators, which enables them to continuously monitor and refine route design,
enhance efficiency and increase the satisfaction of their customers.