The API Explorer Experiment in Analytics Lab

Special thanks to Darryl Arnold for assisting with this post.

API Explorer In The Analytics Lab

The next experiment we will review in the Analytics Lab is the API Explorer. If development is outside the scope of what you do, you may want to share this blog post with your developers to show them how they can leverage a great tool. Here is a link to “How to download and install Analytics Lab” in your Geotab database. After installing Analytics Lab, go to the API Explorer experiment and click to try it.

Taking Advantage of the API Explorer

If you are looking for new ways to integrate and evaluate your fleet data, this tool can save you time by using pre-defined queries and API calls. A catalog of Beta APIs is available for accessing and viewing response outputs. Multiple languages are supported.

Current use cases include contextual risk index, nearby fuel stations, nearby rest areas, fuel benchmarking, new zones, and collision events. Using the Leave Feedback button delivers your comments, likes, dislikes, and use case suggestions directly to the Geotab development team.

Access Data from Other Analytics Lab Experiments

When you select a Beta API from the list, a brief description appears below it. As you can see, some of the available selections are tied to other Analytics Lab experiments such as Intelligent Zoning and Fuel Economy Benchmarking.

Practical application of the API Explorer

The API Explorer provides developers with a tool for testing queries and calls prior to writing code. The ability to test multiple approaches to a call in real-time prior to coding can save numerous development hours. For report developers, the API Explorer provides the ability to quickly obtain results on a one-time call or query.

What’s next?

If you enjoyed the API Explorer experiment, our next and final Analytics Lab post (for now) is on the Collision Detection experiment. As new experiments are added we will be sure to share them with you as well.

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Vehicle & Asset Telematics
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Analytics Lab and the Intelligent Zoning Experiment

Analytics Lab, what is it?

The Analytics Lab free add-in provides a platform for current Geotab users to test features currently under development. By using the Analytics Lab, anyone can participate in the development of new features being considered for addition to the Geotab platform. By rating the experiments and providing feedback, users are able to provide Geotabs development team insight into what is good, bad, irrelevant, or extremely valuable to end-users. User suggestions will influence the direction of future development.

How do I get it?

To install Analytics Lab, simply log into your MyGeotab portal, navigate to the Geotab Marketplace, and search for Analytics Lab. Once it pops up on the list, click to add it to your cart, agree to the terms, and click finish to install. It can be done in seconds!

How do I use it?

Once installed, click Analytics Lab > Catalog to see the current list of experiments. When you see one that interests you, click “try it” and enjoy what comes next. After using it, be sure to leave some feedback and if you found some value, give it a like.

Intelligent Zoning

Today we are going to highlight the experiment on Intelligent Zoning. This is one that just about every Geotab user can get some mileage out of. It can be used to make your current zones more accurate based on where vehicles actually stop, and it can be used to identify zones that have been overlooked or you have not yet had time to add.

Once you click the Try It button you will land on a page that lists the zone recommendations with a relevance rating. A high relevance score would indicate more frequent stops in that zone.

We chose the zone at the top of the list and clicked the Action Needed button to get a birds-eye view of the recommended intelligent zone.

We already had some rather large zones drawn around this office which are displayed as the dark gray zones. Geotab has determined that our vehicles consistently park in the much smaller zone outlined in blue. Stats are also displayed for the average number of stops per month and how many vehicles have stopped at this location. The graph shows us the trend is downward and below that some additional information on the duration of stops as well as driving time to the stop. All of that is excellent information we can use to better understand trips to and time in this zone.

Intelligent Zoning Action Needed screen

Importing the Intelligent Zone

From this point, we can use the Rename and? Import Zone buttons to make this recommended zone a permanent zone in the database. Additionally, we can choose to keep or discard the zones we previously used. Simply disregard recommended zones that are not relevant. So far, everyone we have shown this tool to has come up with a different reason to have it and a different way to use it. What is yours?

What’s next?

Be on the lookout for our next installment of the Analytics Lab series where we will take a closer look at fuel economy benchmarking.

Vehicle & Asset Telematics
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Vehicle & Asset Telematics
Electronic Forms
Mobile Viewing
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Optimized Routing Generates Huge Impact – Video Post

Optimized Routing can be the game changer your company is looking for.

Enjoy our two part discussion about optimized routing with Sean Stenson. Each part runs about 15 minutes. We asked Sean some tough questions to get you the answers you are looking for. Learn how automating your routing process can be a game changer.

Call Fleetistics today to arrange a consultation and demo.

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6 Ways DashCam Investment Pays Off

DashCam Investment Can Reduce Insurance Cost in Many Ways

It is no mystery that video footage will have a major impact in the event your driver is involved in an accident. Four of the six ways on our list are clearly related to managing risk and reducing insurance related costs.

1. Some commercial insurers offer a direct discount for having dahscams. Dash cams reduce overall risk and streamline the claims process resulting in lower premiums.

2. Protection from false claims against your drivers. Many damage claims are based on one persons word against another. DashCam recordings of events can shut that down in a hurry.

3. Protection from staged crash claims is another benefit. Commercial trucks are often the targets of criminals staging crashes or personal injury incidents because commercial pockets tend to be deeper than individuals, and some commercial trucks follow a predictable routine. DashCam footage proves what really happened.

4. Having video footage speeds up the claims process resulting in less vehicle down time, quicker reimbursement, and less time spent testifying. All of these present additional ROI.

DashCam Investment Contributes to Accident Prevention

5. DashCams help you to prevent future collisions by identifying & correcting distracted driving behavior through event triggered video captures. Fewer accidents also mean fewer premium increases, but that is just the beginning. The cost of an accident adds up fast. Bent metal, damaged goods, vehicle down time, employee down time and injury related costs, services/stops missed, and potential litigation top the list. It is not uncommon for the final cost of a commercial vehicle collision to exceed $100,000.

Check Out CrewChief Today!

CrewChief - dashcam

DashCam Investment for Improved Supervision

6. Often overlooked by management is Driving Attitude. Why? Because they have no way to know unless they ride with the driver, OR, have dashcams. Honestly, in cab footage can be uncomfortable to view, but it offers insight into much more than if a driver is smoking in the vehicle or using his cell phone. A driver with a great attitude looks a lot different on camera than a driver with a bad attitude. When I see video of a driver who is calm and collected, smiling, sometimes singing along with the radio, I think yes, he enjoys his job and I want a driver like that to deliver my goods and services. When I see video of a driver who looks angry with the world or makes inappropriate hand gestures at others, even the one who is rocking out – more focused on the music playing than the job at hand, I think wow, hope they never send that one to my door.

What Are the Signs?

From a business perspective, knowing who to encourage is just as important as knowing who to counsel. And there is scientific data to support that attitude affects driving behavior. According to Science Direct, “Hazard response times and eye tracking data suggest sadness can have a negative impact on driving behavior.” Your odds of getting in a collision are 10 times higher?when you’re angry or sad, according to Virginia Tech’s Transportation Institute. Notice in the video below from our CrewChief DashCam, the driver’s expression during the harsh braking event as it starts and the hard turning event at about 20 seconds.

We can all relate to the fact that driving while upset or angry will bring out aggressive driving habits. We are not suggesting that you spend a lot of time evaluating in cab driver footage, but noticing the body language that indicates attitude during your routine review of event triggered video could help you to identify drivers that need some coaching or encouragement. Over time a Manager can learn a lot about a drivers strengths and weaknesses by viewing the in cab video. Also, if you are concerned there might be issues with a driver, a quick review of in cab footage may give you some perspective regarding those concerns.

How Will Your DashCam Investment Pay Off?

DashCams certainly provide the measurable dollar ROI, but they can also be used to capture the more elusive human ROI. By better understanding through video things like job satisfaction, driver loyalty, anger issues, depression, and customer satisfaction skills, management can get to know employees that they have little personal contact with. That may be the greatest ROI of all.

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Instant Pot Meals on 18 Wheels

Instant Pot Cooking on the Road

Instant Pot cooking would not seem to be an appropriate post for a fleet management blog, but all is not what it seems to be. Before we are done we will touch on driver safety, morale, health, giving back to the community, and return on investment.

I first heard about Randy from a co-worker that belongs to a Facebook group that he is active in. His story peaked my interest so I contacted him to learn more. He quickly agreed to do an interview. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Introducing Randy

Randy drives a 2020 Peterbilt for Western Distributing in Colorado. He used to prepare his meals using a lunch box oven as many truckers do. That, and fast food are what truckers are often stuck with due to the demands of their work. He could not make pasta or rice, and the lunch box oven is not the greatest way to prepare vegetables. He was very limited in what he could prepare in it and found himself bored with the limited menu. Meals took a long time to prepare and were not very appetizing.

Randy's Kitchen
Randy Garza

Typical Lunchbox Ovens Used by Truckers

typical lunch box oven

All of that changed when his sister gave him an early Christmas gift in Colorado around November 25th of last year, his first Instant Pot. He picked up an inverter in Las Vegas, installed the inverter in Guymon, OK, and finally used his Instant Pot around December 2nd or 3rd. The first meal he cooked was spaghetti, something that just can’t be done in a lunch box oven.

Now he uses it daily and has added more Instant Pot products to his in cab home. He can cook just about anything with his collection that includes the dual lid for air frying, another 3 quart Instant Pot, an Instant Vortex Plus and an Ace Nova blender.

Instant Pot Meals on 18 Wheels
Instant Pot Meals on 18 Wheels
Instant Pot Meals on 18 Wheels

Real Meals on 18 Wheels

Randy told me he eats healthier and life is easier with the Instant Pot appliances. He can cook almost anything on the road. His favorite is making pancakes on saute. He stocks up on produce every few days and meat weekly. The hardest part he says is parking his tractor-trailer at the grocery store.

Instant Pot products have saved him time and money while expanding his diet to include pretty much anything at all. He can pressure cook, air fry, bake, steam, roast, saute, and even make soup. With so many homeless people on the road, he gets great satisfaction doing little things like baking a cake or providing a meal for a homeless person in need.

Instant Pot Meals on 18 Wheels
Instant Pot Meals on 18 Wheels
Instant Pot Meals on 18 Wheels

Healthier Drivers are Safer Drivers

What impresses me most is Randy’s desire to change the way people eat. He believes that when drivers eat healthier and get a wider variety of fresh foods, they will be stronger, happier and more alert, making the road a healthier and more comfortable workplace for truckers and a safer place for all of us.
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