PeopleNet announces ConnectedDriver and ConnectedFleet platforms at annual user conference
PeopleNet, a Trimble company and provider of fleet mobility technology, announced the commercial availability of its ConnectedDriver Mobile Application suite. ConnectedDriver comprises a set of mobile applications
intended as companions to the PeopleNet system. They are designed to improve mobility for drivers when they are away from their vehicles.
ConnectedDriver is available for iOS or Android devices and allows a driver to stay connected with dispatch, trip, messaging and hours of service information – all while away from the truck. The initial launch includes these main
functions: alerting the driver that he/she has received a new dispatch; informing the driver of his/her hours of service availability; and offering read-only messaging. Benefits include:
- Gives drivers mobility and improves job satisfaction
- Improves productivity of drivers with a new tool to manage their time
- Improves the driver experience, which supports recruiting and retention efforts
“More and more, drivers are requesting a technology solution that allows them to use their personal mobile devices, but also stay connected to their company while on the road,” said Randy Boyles, the Senior Vice President
of Mobile Strategy at PeopleNet. “The ConnectedDriver is that solution. It provides the mobility and functionality that the driver desires while also providing the up-to-the minute real-time information they need to do their jobs
effectively and safely, while remaining compliant.”
To use the ConnectedDriver mobile app, a driver must be joined to a vehicle operating with a PeopleNet system.
ConnectedFleet Platform
PeopleNet also introduced its ConnectedFleet Platform, which is the first platform to forge a comprehensive fleet mobility solution that integrates pure SaaS and mobile technologies with real-time predictive analytics. Through PeopleNet’s ConnectedFleet Platform, fleets will now be able to subscribe to specific data based on their needs and receive it as it is published in near real-time.
Products in the ConnectedFleet Platform are interconnected by a fully managed, cloud-based vehicle network, which uses a message-broker design to enable a publish-and-subscribe eco-system for mobile and web-based
applications. It connects people, equipment and devices, all the time and everywhere, converting data into actionable information with real-time speed.
“The new PeopleNet ConnectedFleet Platform is the next generation in fleet mobility, enabling new possibilities and capabilities previously not available,” said Mark Kessler, General Manager of Trucking for PeopleNet. “It drives faster
integration of new data types from a growing number of truck sensors and solutions that respond more quickly to customer needs for improved safety, enhanced efficiency in logistics, and reduced environmental impact.”
The ConnectedFleet Platform includes the PeopleNet Mobile Gateway system, an intelligent vehicle-bridging unit that is available factory-fit or installed as an aftermarket solution. It serves as a hub capable of providing connectivity to a variety of devices such as incab displays, mobile devices and wearables. The Mobile Gateway, which replaces older-generation onboard computers, operates on high-speed networks and will serve as a wireless access point within the vehicle. The Mobile Gateway connects through PeopleNet’s managed network to a cloud-based infrastructure using high-speed data networks and Wi-Fi when available. Customers can also use satellite communications as an add-on as needed.
Through the Mobile Gateway, users can access vehicle or third-party data such as: weather, traffic patterns, dispatch events, and route corrections, to name a few. Users will also have access to video for streaming.
Additional benefits include:
- Connect all devices to a single Wi-Fi hotspot
- High-speed modem for continuous Internet connection
- Quick and easy installation
PeopleNet Mobile Software is also now available for Android operating systems. The release of this software supports growing demand for company-owned, personally enabled (COPE) devices. This software gives fleets greater
access to a range of commercial-grade mobile devices, matched to individual trucks, with the framework to support and allow some personal enablement. Fleets can select the PeopleNet ConnectedTablet option or one
of many PeopleNet-certified off-the-shelf devices, depending on specific needs.
This approach gives drivers mobility, while also allowing corporate control of devices in the key areas of security, safety, cost and support measures. “The goal of our ConnectedFleet Platform is to aid in enhancing overall
efficiency and the driver experience,” said Kessler. “The concept is based on a very extensive set of connections between drivers and the trucking industry that are extremely easy to access and navigate. We want to help
companies retain drivers and potentially attract new drivers with these tools.”
